How To Deal With Potential Root Canal Complications

24 November 2014
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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The goal of having a root canal performed is to save the tooth so that it will last the rest of your life. Unfortunately, complications do happen following a root canal. By being aware of these complications, it can help you seek help at the first signs of trouble to help save the tooth.

How To Tell If The Root Canal Has Failed

The best way to recognize potential trouble with a failed root canal is if you experience the same symptoms you had before you went in for surgery. This includes pain, swelling, and tenderness in the gums.

Many patients mistake these symptoms as a side effect of having the procedure done, but it could be a sign of an infection. It is important to have the tooth checked immediately following these symptoms, such as at Washington Township Dental Associates, to avoid even worse complications.

Why The Root Canal Failed

One reason why a root canal can cause pain afterwards is because the tooth was not cleaned properly. The damaged nerve may contain contaminants, which could potentially leak out from the tip of the nerve and irritate all the surrounding tissue.

The other reason is that the seal created for the root canal treatment was not successful in preventing those contaminants from seeping into the tooth. The seal could have been unsuccessfully applied from the very beginning, or it could have deteriorated over time.

Cleaning the tooth and stopping contaminants from entering the tooth are very important in the root canal process. This is because your tooth heals much different from the rest of your body, since white blood cells are unable to enter the area to fight off the bacteria.

How To Fix A Failed Root Canal

The most common solution to a failed root canal is to retreat the tooth with the exact same procedure. The main difference during the second time the procedure is formed is that the sealing materials will need to be completely removed to properly clean the tooth.

Having the tooth extracted and replaced is also a viable option. This could be because the tooth is beyond repair, the success rate of repairing the tooth is low, or it would not be cost effective to repair the tooth. Depending on which tooth was extracted, patients may decide to not replace the tooth with a dental implant due to it being located in the back of their mouth.

By being aware of these potential root canal complications, you can be prepared to act quickly if they happen to you.