• Why do I need an additional procedure?

With the appropriate care, your teeth that have had endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural teeth. Yet, a tooth that has received treatment may fail to heal or pain may continue to exist. Sometimes, the pain may occur months or years after treatment. If so, Endodontic Retreatment may be needed. Improper healing may be caused by:

• Narrow or curved canals were not treated in the initial procedure
• Complicated canal anatomy went by undetected
• The placement of the crown or other restoration was delayed following endodontic procedure
• The restoration did not prevent salivary contamination to the inside of the tooth. Human saliva is full of bacteria, which can cause an infection if it finds its way into the root canal system

In other case a new problem can jeopardise the tooth that was successfully treated. For example:

• New decay can expose the root canal filling material to bacteria, causing a new infection
• A loose, cracked or broken crown or filling
• A tooth sustains a fracture

• The procedure

The endodontist will reopen your tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material. In many cases, complex restorative materials – crown, post and core material must be disassembled and removed in order to gain access. After removing the root filling, the endodontist can clean the canals and examine the inside of your tooth using magnification and illumination, Searching for any additional canals or unusual anatomy that requires treatment. Afterwards the canals are cleaned and sealed and a temporary filling is placed in the tooth. If the canals are unusually narrow or blocked your endodontist will suggest endodontic surgery to get rid of the infection. This involves a small incision to gain access to the root tip and allow it to be cleaned and sealed. Once your endodontic retreatment is completed, you need to return to your dentist as soon as possible to have the tooth fully restored.

• Reference from www.aae.org
• Images provided by www.aae.org