Endodontic Retreatment

With the appropriate care, the teeth that have had endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural teeth. However, a tooth that has received treatment on rare occasions, may not heal properly and pain may persist. Sometimes, the pain commences months or even years after treatment. If so, Endodontic Retreatment may be needed.

Improper healing may be caused by: Curved or narrow canals were not treated during the initial treatment. Complicated canals went undetected during the initial treatment. The crown or restoration did not prevent saliva from contaminating the inside of the tooth.
In some cases, new problems can influence a tooth that was successfully treated: New decay can expose a root canal filling material, causing infection. A cracked or loose filling or crown can expose the tooth to new infection.

Once retreatment has been prescribed, Dr. Hoffer will reopen your tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material. This restorative material will be removed to access the root canal. He will then clean your canals and carefully examine the inside of the problematic tooth. Once cleaned, he will fill and seal the canals and place a temporary filling in the tooth.

At this point, you will need to return to your dentist in order to have a new crown or restoration placed to restore full functionality of the tooth.