Solving Root Canal Problems At Dental Care of Riverside

When Old Root Canals Go Bad

For various reasons, root canal treatment may occasionally be unsuccessful, at which point additional treatment becomes necessary. One purpose of an endodontist evaluation is to identify the specific causes of a dental problem and determine whether or not they will be able to correct it. A 3D image (CBCT scan) is beneficial when evaluating teeth that have already had endodontic treatment.

What Can Make Root Canal Treatment Fail?

One of the main reasons root canal treatment can fail is when the tooth canals need to be treated or thoroughly cleaned. Problems like this can often be corrected with retreatment. Another way treatment can become compromised is through leakage of salivary bacteria, which can contaminate the treatment area and lead to infection of the root canals and, eventually, the surrounding bone and gums. This leakage can either result from an ill-fitting crown or filling or through new tooth decay. With poorly-sealed root canals, contamination will occur rapidly, unlike a well-sealed root canal, which effectively slows or prevents contamination and infection. This problem can also be corrected with retreatment in most cases.

Retreatment Goals At Dental Care of Riverside

Retreatment aims to achieve the same results as initial root canal treatment. Dr. Sheth will mechanically remove debris, tissue, and infection from within the canal spaces, chemically disinfect those spaces and finally seal them off with a root canal filling so that recontamination will not occur. Before Dr. Sheth can do this, she must disassemble the existing restoration and previous root canal treatment, which can involve removing or making an access opening through the existing crown or removing existing posts or cores. After disassembly is complete, Dr. Sheth removes the previous filling material so that she can clean and disinfect all canal spaces. Sometimes she will fill the canals with a temporary medication before completing treatment in a separate visit. Dr. Sheth seals the canals with a root filling to complete the retreatment. You will need to return for a permanent restoration after a few weeks of healing. A damaged or leaking restoration will need to be replaced, because a well-fitting final restoration is crucial for the treatment’s success.

Call Dental Care of Riverside today at (951) 666-8998 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Sheth.