“My root canal is infected again. What should I do?”
I am a 32 year old woman. I underwent a root canal procedure 3 months back. I have been having a pain in the same area where the procedure was done. Upon X-ray, the doctor said that the same area has got an infection again. What should I do now?
11 Answers
I would seek an opinion from an endodontist. If he feels the tooth is non-treatable, then I would recommend seeing a periodontist to have the tooth extracted, grafted, and a membrane placed. This will enable you to have a possible implant in the future.
You should be check for the possibility of a fractured tooth, which is not a good situation. If your doctor has a CT cone beam xray this equipment is very sensitive in detecting tooth fractures. If the tooth is diagnosed with a fracture it will need to be extracted.
See an endodontist.
The root canal treatment (if not done perfectly, is total crap) did not work in your case. >>> Remove the tooth
Miriam Ting
Periodontist
See an endodontist to evaluate the status of the root canal, and see a periodontist to rule out any underlying gum disease.
If possible the root canal should be retreated or apiactomy and retro filling procedure should be done as long as the tooth is not cracked
Neal C. Raval
Periodontist
If the root canal was not completed well the first time around it may need to be retreated. In some cases a hidden root might be there as well. If you want to email us a radiograph to neal@bellevueperio.com I would be able to help you significantly better.
The tooth may also be cracked and this can be undiagnosed for some time. When a tooth is cracked it will in most cases need to be extracted and you can replace it with a dental implant. Best wishes, Neal
The tooth may also be cracked and this can be undiagnosed for some time. When a tooth is cracked it will in most cases need to be extracted and you can replace it with a dental implant. Best wishes, Neal
There can be several reasons for this. In rare cases, there may be an extra canal that might have been overlooked. Sometimes, the infection in periodontal in nature and not the tooth itself. And sometimes even with a very high success rate, root canals don’t work out. I suggest you go back to the endodontist who treated you and try to determine the reason for the reinfection.
There are many factors here. We need to know which tooth, how many roots, why there is infection again. Go back to the doctor who did the root canal. You need to see a root canal specialist, an endodontist. Perhaps one of the canals was not sealed off; it may be fractured. If it’s near the sinus, that may be involved. If it is a 3-rooted tooth, maybe 2 of the 3 roots are fine, so sometimes the unfilled root can be sectioned off.
You see, we don’t have enough information about which tooth it is to be able give you a straight answer.
You see, we don’t have enough information about which tooth it is to be able give you a straight answer.
Give the dentist that did the root canal treatment (RCT) a chance to correct it. If this is a primary dentist, he/she may want to treat it with a final dose of antibiotics, but this is not very predictable. A consultation with a RCT specialist may be better and necessary. If the treatment was originally performed by a specialist, this specialist may want to see it and re-treat. Some re-treatments are easier than others. What was the reason for the RCT to begin with? If it was due to a fracture, it may be that this may be the reason for the constant pain or re-infection.
If an endodontist did not do the root canal, it is appropriate for you to see one at this point. They are the root canal experts and can advise you on your treatment options given the specifics of your particular situation.
