What to do when a Root Canal Fails

Do You Know What to Do When a Root Canal Fails?

If you’ve gone through the discomfort of a dental infection and had it repaired with a root canal, having that root canal fail is like adding insult to injury. But what causes this failure and what can you do when a root canal fails?

What Causes a Root Canal Failure?

Dental infections are serious and can spread quickly throughout your mouth. If a particular tooth has had an infection treated and becomes infected again, the danger and pain start all over again. An infection in a tooth can spread to the bone of the jaw and to other teeth. This kind of trouble can’t sneak up on you. It will be very painful, and if it begins to spread, the pain will spread as well. Worse, this kind of infection can cause sickness in other parts of the body.

Hidden Canal Branches: Each mouth is different and teeth can vary from mouth to mouth. Root canals can be an intricate process as teeth can have more canals than expected, and sometimes those canals can be hidden behind other canals, and are overlooked. When this happens, the infection remains in the tooth and it can eventually form a painful abscess.
Cracks in a root: As an infected tooth weakens, fissures and cracks may form, even below the gum line. If a crack is buried, it may be impossible to seal completely, during your root canal. The crack leaves the interior of the tooth vulnerable to future infection, sensitivity, and the need for an additional treatment.
Obstructions: Obstructions, like other teeth or fillings, can sometimes block the dentist from reaching and cleaning all of a tooth’s canals.

What Can You Do When a Root Canal Fails?

If you’ve had a root canal and it’s starting to hurt again, you do have options.

Retreatment: We can take another x-ray and identify the source of your pain and perform another root canal.
Apicoectomy: We can perform a surgery at the apex of the tooth, which requires uncovering the root and possibly removing part or all of it before resealing it.
Tooth Extraction: If the root of a tooth is beyond repair, or there is another damage that leaves the tooth at risk of future infection, it is better to extract and replace the tooth to prevent the spread of infection to the jaw and possibly throughout the body.

When you come in, we’ll analyze your tooth and explore your options to make sure that you have a solution that best suits your specific condition.