Teeth that haven’t gone through a root canal procedure will last you a lifetime, as long as you maintain proper oral hygiene. There are times, however, that a previously treated tooth won’t properly heal and will cause the patient suffering through months or years of pain. If this sounds familiar to you, highlandsranchdentalgroup.com says you should consider an endodontic retreatment procedure.
When to Go for an Endodontic Retreatment
Unfortunately, there are instances where a tooth won’t heal properly after the first treatment procedure for different reasons. These include the following: when a dental professional skipped treatment of curved or narrow root canals in the initial treatment and if a dentist failed to detect a complex canal anatomy during the first procedure. Also, an endodontic retreatment may also be considered when succeeding restoration processes, such as crown placement, was delayed after the initial procedure and when the restoration process was performed poorly resulting in salivary contamination.
There are also instances where a new dental issue can endanger a successfully and previously treated tooth. These include new fractures, cracked, chipped, broken, and loose fillings or crowns, as well as fresh tooth decay. These can all put the treated tooth and the filling material of the root canal at risk for bacterial infections.
The Endodontic Retreatment Procedure
An endodontist will open the previously treated tooth and take out all filling material in your root canals that were previously placed during the initial treatment. Meticulous inspection then follows, where the endodontist will check for infections or extra canals. Afterwards, any detected infection will be eliminated, followed by the cleaning and shaping of root canals, placement of new canal fillings, and sealing the site with a temporary filling. Finally, when your tooth has healed, the endodontist will perform the final restoration procedure, such as placing a new crown to protect your newly retreated tooth.
Remember, while tooth replacements are really effective, there’s nothing better than the tooth you were born with. Think about this, you’ve already spent money on trying to save your tooth—the reward for choosing to undergo endodontic retreatment can be your natural tooth at its best.