Endodontic Retreatment

With appropriate care, teeth that have received endodontic treatment will be as durable as natural teeth. Occasionally, a tooth may need retreatment, presenting symptoms that can include pain or sensitivity. Symptoms might occur months or even years after treatment.

These are a result  of: 1) insufficiency of previous treatment (improper cleaning, shaping and obturating of the canal systems in the tooth, and/or 2) leakage into a previously treated canal system  due to failure of a permanent coronal restoration (crown or filling) due to excessive wear or recurrent decay, which can yield bacterial recontamination of the canal systems.

If your tooth has failed to heal or developed new problems, endodontic retreatment can save it.

Endodontic retreatment begins with removing restorative materials such as a crown or filling to allow access to the root canals. Next, the root canals are examined, cleaned, and shaped.

In addition, exploring for untreated canals is done. After the canals are cleaned, shaped and measured, the endodontist fills and seals the canals. The tooth is then restored with a temporary filling, which your general dentist will replace with a permanent one.