You may have undergone root canal therapy if your tooth has suffered from infection or disease in the past. In some cases, the root canal treatment may not have completely solved the problem. After root canal therapy, your tooth may become infected and painful once again in a matter of months or even years. This may occur if your tooth did not heal properly after root canal therapy or if a new infection has taken root in your tooth. Your tooth may not heal as expected if complicated canal anatomy went undetected during the first treatment, if the final restoration was not placed directly after the endodontic treatment, or if the tooth decays or cracks. No matter the reason, if the tooth has again become infected and painful, our endodontist may recommend root canal retreatment.

During a retreatment, our endodontist will reopen the tooth, remove the filling materials that were placed during the first treatment and carefully examine the tooth. We pay special attention to new infection or additional canals that were not treated during your initial root canal therapy or for fractures that may have occurred after your initial root canal. We then remove the infection, clean and shape the canals, and place new filling material. Finally, the opening in the tooth is sealed with a temporary filling. You will then return to your dentist for a restoration to return the tooth to its original shape and structure. In most cases, a retreatment can be completed in two comfortable visits in our office.

To learn more about root canal retreatment and discover whether it is right for your tooth, we encourage you to contact our friendly team by calling or visiting our office today.