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Retreatment is necessary when bacteria have re-entered
the tooth. This is usually due to decay or untreated
canal areas. The patient may experience swelling
or pain in chewing.
Sometimes a patient may have no symptoms, but
an x-ray shows that there is a problem with a
tooth that has previously undergone root canal
therapy.
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What Happens During Root Canal Retreatment?
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Step one:
After the tooth is "numbed", the canal
system will be reopened to remove the previous
root canal material. This may involve removing
a crown, post and core material. Sometimes we
are able to make a small hole in the existing
restoration and work through that opening. The
canals are then thoroughly cleansed and shaped.
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Step two:
The canals are refilled with gutta-percha and
the opening is sealed with a sterile cotton pellet
and a temporary filling.
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Step three:
The tooth is usually restored within a couple
of weeks. If your existing crown can be saved,
then you will need to have it repaired. If you
do not have a crown, it will probably be recommended.
With time, the bone will heal where the bacteria
was removed.
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