What is endodontic retreatment?

Teeth that have had root canal treatment can last just as long as other natural teeth. However, occasionally, a treated tooth continues to cause pain or has a difficult time healing completely following treatment. Sometimes, the pain doesn’t occur until months or years after. In this case, you may need to have a procedure called “endodontic retreatment.”

To perform endodontic retreatment, we will first numb the tooth with anesthesia. We will then reopen the tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material. This restorative material will be removed to enable access to the root canal itself. We will then clean the canals again and carefully examine the inside of the problematic tooth. Once cleaned, the canals will be filled and sealed and a temporary filling will be placed in the tooth.

After retreatment, you will need to return to your dentist as soon as possible in order to have a new crown or restoration placed on the tooth to restore full functionality once again.

Most patients are relieved to find that after endodontic retreatment, the pain that they were experiencing is gone, as the infection has been removed from their tooth.