Endodontic Retreatment
A second chance to save a tooth.
Everything you need to know about endodontic retreatment
When properly cared for, teeth that have undergone endodontic treatment should last for almost as long as any other natural teeth. On occasion, a tooth will not respond well to treatment, and may fail to heal, or continue to be tender or painful
Today, studies show that the success rate using current state of the art techniques is identical to standard treatment cases.
Endodontic retreatment can offer the patient a second chance to save a diseased root-filled tooth that would otherwise be extracted.
Once the symptoms associated with the tooth have resolved the final root filling can be placed.
This failure to heal may be caused by:
- Curved or narrow canals left untreated during the initial treatment
- Saliva contamination from inadequate or no dental dam on the first occasion of root canal therapy.
- Too much time passing between the procedure and when the crown or restoration was placed, allowing recontamination of the canals.
- The crown or temporary filling did not prevent saliva from reaching the inside of the tooth, causing recontamination.
- Complex canals that were not detected in the initial treatment.
- New decay, allowing contamination of the root canal filling material.
- A damaged filling or crown, allowing contamination of the root canal material.
What is involved with endodontic retreatment?
The retreatment procedure involves reopening the tooth to gain access into the root canal system, and reach the material that is filling the root canal.
This material will then be carefully removed to gain complete access to the root canal, where the existing root filling is removed and the canals are cleaned to specialist standards.
Once re-cleaned, the canals are carefully examined with an operating microscope to search for any additional canals or unusual anatomy that requires management.
The cleaned tooth will then be resealed with a temporary filling placed to allow for re-access, should this procedure need to be repeated.
The majority of the time, the existing crown on the tooth can be retained, however, if a new crown is required you will be referred back to your dentist.
When properly cared for, teeth that have undergone endodontic treatment should last for almost as long as any other natural teeth.
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