Root Canal Failure  Changing Your View Of Root Canals

Fortunately root canal failure is not a common occurrence. However, it does happen and when it does it can be very frustrating; not to mention uncomfortable and expensive.

There is a great deal of confusion as to how you can even have a failed root canal.

During my 20+ years of performing root canal treatments I have been referred many patients who had already had root canal therapy. After someone has already gone through having a root canal they usually aren't very happy when the tooth starts causing problems for them.

Patients with a root canal that seems to be failing usually have plenty of questions about root canals.

I discuss the failed root canal more in The Relaxed Root Canal but I wanted to answer some of the questions you might have on this topic here on the website.

Root Canal Failure – Frequently Asked Questions

• How frequently do root canals fail? Root canal treatment is a very successful dental procedure approaching the 95% success rate in some studies. Each year millions of teeth are saved around the world through root canal treatments. A 5% failure rate makes it an exceptionally predictable procedure

• When will I know if I have a failed root canal? Some root canals work fine for years before they begin failing. Other patients experience post root canal pain that never resolves and requires further attention.

• How will I know if I have a root canal failure? Here are some of the possibilities. More than one may be present.

1. Spontaneous and throbbing pain.
2. Swelling in the gums or jawbone.
3. Small blister area in the gum adjacent to the tooth.
4. Can’t chew on tooth without pain.
5. No symptoms. An x-ray taken by your dentist reveals the failed root canal.

• What are some of the possible causes of a root canal failure?

Leaking crown or filling. This can expose the root canal filling to bacteria in your saliva that leads to a failed root canal.

Extra root canals in the tooth that were not initially treated. There can be variations of the anatomy of the root canal system that may result in a failing root canal. For example there may be a branching of the pulp within the root that cannot be adequately cleaned with root canal instruments.

Inadequate cleaning and filling. Bacteria left inside the root can result in a root canal abscess forming.  Success of root canal therapy depends mainly on sufficient cleaning and filling of the root canal space.

How is a root canal failure treated?

Here are the options for failing root canal treatments:

• Retreatment of the root canal therapy.
• Apicoectomy. This is a root canal surgical procedure.
• Extraction. On occasions this is the best option. There are those few teeth that cannot be saved with root canal therapy.

Fortunately most root canal treatments are effective and teeth are saved. Knowing this might not help you with your fear and anxiety about root canals.

After performing thousands of root canal treatments and retreatments I know the intense nervousness about having a root canal. That’s why I wrote The Relaxed Root Canal.

In the The Relaxed Root Canal I answer over 80 of the commonly asked questions about root canal therapy and root canal failure.

For more information CLICK HERE.

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