If your tooth is infected or severely decayed to the pulp, you need to undergo a root canal. The therapeutic option safeguards your tooth and bone from further deterioration.
It’s rare for a tooth that has undergone root can be reinfected or decay. However, some scenarios may compel the dentist to perform a root canal again.
Some of the reasons why your tooth gets reinfected include:
- Delay in the placement of a crown that would protect the tooth against further decay allowing bacterial infection
- The original cover for the pulp cavity wasn’t sufficient to prevent the entry of bacteria.
- Disinfection of the pulp chamber wasn’t thoroughly done.
Why You May Need Retreatment After a Root Canal
Whilst you’ve undergone a successful root canal procedure, your tooth might experience hypersensitivity or reinfection. Various factors contribute to the failure of your root canal to heal appropriately, including:
- Missing out on tiny or hidden canals during the initial root canal may leave bacteria inside, leading to reinfection.
- Delay placing permanent fillings and using temporary fillings might heighten the chance of reinfection after a root canal.
- Entry of bacteria under the dental fillings before placing fillings leads to reinfection.
- Failure to maintain proper hygiene leads to decay and the formation of cavities after undergoing a root canal.
- The dental crown or fillings placed on your tooth may become loose, break or have cracks making the tooth vulnerable to infection.
Retreating a root canal with an infection can alleviate the risk of undergoing extensive dental procedures. A root canal removes infected pulp and addresses immensely decayed tooth roots.
The pulp holds the tooth’s connective tissues, nerves, and blood vessels; once damaged, your tooth doesn’t find nourishment like before.
Endodontic therapy preserves your natural tooth from permanent loss or extraction. Retreatment also alleviates pain that results from an infection or tooth decay.
How reinfection Occurs
A successful root canal procedure is when all the microbes available at the pulp are expelled. However, your tooth is made of tiny root canals, and the tooth’s anatomy is complex.
Therefore, some microbes might remain after disinfecting the tooth, triggering reinfection.
Below are the risk factors for root canal reinfections:
- Missing root canals- during the endodontic treatment, tiny and curved root canals may be unreachable. Bacteria that remain breed leading to reinfection. However, with technological advancement, a microscope-assisted root canal can help minimize the risk of recurring infection.
- Delay in placing protective fillings- Root Canal Therapy involves using specialized drills and other tools to access the infected pulp. Upon cleansing, your tooth has to be covered with fillings. However, before the permanent fillings are fabricated, temporary fillings are provided. The delay in having a permanent solution can lead to reinfection, and you require retreatment.
- Saliva entry-saliva may enter the pulp before treatment is complete, and saliva contains bacteria, leading to reinfection.
- Poor oral hygiene- Your specialist can perfectly accomplish root canal treatment. However, failure to maintain a proper oral hygiene regimen may lead to microbial invasion. Therefore, you need to observe appropriate hygiene after undergoing a root canal.
- Worn out, cracked, or loose fillings or dental crown-protective seals may have chips or cracks or may become loose for various reasons. Thus, bacteria are likely to infiltrate the tooth and cause another infection.
Retreating a root canal with infection is the surest way to prevent the infection from spreading and protect your tooth from further damage.
What You Should Know About Reinfected Root Canals
You can easily identify a reinfected tooth that has undergone the endodontic process since the symptoms manifest as before.
For instance, you can locate reinfection if you experience the following:
- A sensitive tooth with temperature variations
- Persistent pain or pressure
- Presence of lumps on your gum
If you face such symptoms, you need to visit the
dentist near you for root canal therapy.
Final Word
A root canal is an ideal procedure for preventing infection. At Family Dental Care – Evergreen Park, we provide quality root canal treatment to prevent infection and decay from recurring.
In addition, our endodontists perform retreatments after a root canal to preserve your tooth from infection. Please visit our experts today and safeguard your tooth from decay and infection.
