If you learn your lesson following your first root canal treatment, you’ll engage in proper dental care that will make it prevent the likelihood of any future problems.
However, complications can arise in the future if your teeth heal inadequately, become painful, or develop infections. In such cases, you may need to go for a root canal retreatment, which can save your tooth.
Root canal retreatment in Long island gives you a second chance at fixing your dental condition once and for all, but before we get into the details of the surgery, let us explore what root canal retreatment is.
Root Canal Retreatment
There are many possible reasons your dental treatment didn’t go as planned, and such complications are not uncommon.
If your tooth didn’t heal properly following the initial treatment, the dentist likely made an error.
Some common causes include:
- Narrow canals were not appropriately targeted in the first root canal treatment.
- The dentist could not correctly identify the canal anatomy causing the initial problem.
- The patient postponed the restoration procedure or crown placement after the initial endodontic healing.
- Salivary contamination occurred, which could not be prevented by restoration.
New problems can also arise which can detract from the efficiency of the first procedure:
- Tooth decay can allow bacteria to enter the root canal filling, creating a new infection inside the exposed tooth.
- A broken or chipped tooth or filling can allow bacteria to re-infect the exposed tooth.
- The tooth gets damaged somehow and may require retreatment. In the retreatment procedure, your dentist will remove any filling material from the root canal placed in the initial treatment. The dentist will then examine your tooth for any new infections or other canals left undetected. Once identified, the root canal is cleaned and reshaped, and infections are removed; new filling material is placed in the tooth, and any openings are closed using a temporary filling. Finally, the tooth is allowed to heal, and you may be required to revisit your endodontist so that a new crown may be attached to prevent the likelihood of another infection from occurring.
Success Rates of Root Canal Retreatment
It is a commonly held belief by some dentists and patients that root canal retreatment is less likely to be successful.
This is no longer true because there have been certain advancements in dentistry, such as the use of operating microscopes that are a game-changer. This allows detailed work to be carried out on the teeth, exposing any infections and root canal complications that were left undetected thirty years ago.
Some of the cases that failed initially were complicated and required magnification for successful treatment.
In today’s age, you can ensure that retreatment procedures are very successful by using new techniques and proper equipment. The patient does not require any additional visits if they correctly follow the laid out plan for dental care instructed by their dentist.
You can expect to pay around $200 for a root canal treatment, but it depends on individual circumstances.
How to Avoid a Root Canal
You may need a root canal if your tooth starts to decay and the infection spreads to the root of your tooth.
A root canal effectively saves your tooth from needing to be removed, and you can expect your dentist to remove the infected pulp found under the crown of your tooth, fill the cavity, and restore it.
To avoid needing a root canal retreatment Long island, you should ensure that you brush your teeth at least twice a day because bacterial thrives in the mouth and uses sugary foods to multiply, which can eventually lead to infection.
Flossing is a crucial aspect of dental hygiene because toothbrushes cannot get in between the teeth to remove the build-up of plaque, which requires consistent flossing.
Using mouthwash with toothpaste and flossing is an excellent combination that will improve your dental hygiene and improve your dental habits so that bacteria cannot survive for long.
You should also visit your dentist bi-annually so that you stay ahead of the curve and prevent any complications from arising.
You should check out any development of cavities immediately because if left untreated, you can expect bacteria to spread and eventually cause an infection.
Consider wearing a mouth guard if you are in the habit of grinding your teeth because bacteria are more likely to find their way into the tooth pulp if you have already sustained a tooth fracture.
Final Verdict
Root canal retreatment is necessary if the initial procedure was unsuccessful due to an error made by the dentist or your failure to improve your dental habits.
Long Island Endodontics provides excellent service to their patients who will be well on their way to healing if they develop a nasty infection.
