I had root canal work done some time ago on a tooth that has started hurting again. I have had no problem until now. The pain is pretty bad. I hope I don’t lose the tooth. What is the trestment for this? Your feedback is appreciated.
Thank You,
– Gail from Kansas City
Gail,
Maybe one out of every ten teeth that has a root canal treatment experiences what is called root canal failure, where the tooth doesn’t completely heal and it flares up again some later time. This is probably what has happened in your case. Root canal treatments can be tricky because it is impossible to see deep down inside a tooth, and it can be difficult to clean out all the infection in some curved, branching roots. If anything is missed, the tooth will later flare up.
The treatment for root canal failure is to either re-treat the tooth, or to do root canal surgery. This usually will need to be done by a root canal specialist, because most general dentists don’t get into this type of specialized root canal work. The object of the additional treatment is to find the source of the infection that was missed the first time and remove it or seal it off. Root canal specialists, called endodontists, sometimes say that the chances of a re-treatment or surgery working is about 50-50, but in my experience the chances are much better than that.
It is also possible that the tooth has cracked. This could also cause later problems. If that happens, the chances of being able to save the tooth are pretty slim.
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
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