Failed root canal treatment

Signs that a root canal has failed

• Pain when you bite or chew on the tooth
• Swelling, or a small boil on the gum near the tooth
• Tenderness that keeps coming back
• An X-ray that shows infection around the root tip

Sometimes there are no symptoms at all and the problem shows up only on an X-ray. That is why we take a free check X-ray of every tooth we treat, once a year.

Why root canals fail

• A canal was missed. Many teeth have extra, blocked or unusually shaped canals that are hard to see without magnification.
• The canals were not fully cleaned or sealed. Germs left behind can restart the infection.
• Something went wrong during treatment, such as a broken instrument left in the canal or an accidental hole in the root.
• The crown or filling was placed too late after the root canal.
• The crown or filling leaks, letting saliva and germs back into the tooth.

What retreatment involves

Dr. Vinod removes the old filling material from the canals, cleans them again, finds any canals that were missed, and seals the tooth. Under the microscope he can see what went wrong the first time, including small extra canals and pieces of broken instruments.

If the problem cannot be reached through the top of the tooth, a small procedure at the root tip, called endodontic surgery, may still save it.

Not every tooth can be saved. If yours cannot, Dr. Vinod will tell you plainly and explain the alternatives.

See X-rays of retreatments Dr. Vinod has done