Retreatment of root canal

hyacinth003 · ‎03-12-2010

I had one started today. I had this root canal done several years ago. Can't even remember when. I started to get pain in the tooth, and it went away for a long time. But after several months, I started to get pretty intense pain again.

My dentist referred me to an endodontist as he said they now have good results doing this. Never had heard of it before! Options are to try to re-treat the original root canal, drilling through the crown. Other option is to extract the tooth and consider an implant. Most people feel saving the tooth is the better option. I was told there is no guarantee of success for the retreatment, and that additional work MIGHT be needed.

Been on antibiotics and dexamethasone over last week, still having pain, but less. Today I went in for about an hour of drilling and rodding out and whatever else they do! I guess it is cleaned out, antiseptic stuff put back into the canal for sealing anything open, and sealed. I go back in three weeks, I think to look and restore the crown. Cost was about $1500 - expensive tooth (a molar, bottom left).

Anyone had this?

Hyacinth

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@hyacinth003 Never heard if this and I have had a mouth full of root canals. I don't understand how it could start hurting since during the original procedure, the nerve should have been removed, thus no pain. Makes me wonder if the dentist who did it, did an inadequate job. I've never had any problem with any of mine. So sorry you have to go through this trouble and expense.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Pink123 · ‎07-10-2019

@hyacinth003 Yep it happened to me about 5 years ago. It was also a crowned tooth and they drilled through the back. I originally had the root canal

done about 25 years earlier.

It's not often and percentage of retreats is small but an infection or inflammation can reoccur with time

no matter how good the dentist is.

Best of luck to you.

PS. I did not need a new crown.

Snooky60 · ‎11-14-2017

@hyacinth003 - I'm sorry you're going through this. I know how you must feel. I have a mouthful of dental problems. Hope you feel better very soon.💗

lulu1 · ‎03-29-2011

I had a similar problem with a root canal. The dentist sent me to a specialist. At the consultation, I asked why not just pull it then go with an implant. I was assured that was not necessary. He went through the cap. A year later I needed it extracted and then an implant. I wasted $$ and time by not going with my gut feeling.

cotton4me · ‎03-09-2010

This happened to me last year. They tried to save my tooth by redoing the root canal, drilling a small hole in the crown, but in my case it wasn’t successful. I’m halfway through the implant process now. Good luck to you. I hope all goes well.

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

I cracked the back tooth of my bridge. My dentist game me his option which was to pull it but before he did it he made me go to a specialist which had the same suggestion. We pulled the tooth and now I'm about a third of the way through a dental implant. I've had the first gum surgery and follow up. Won't get the tooth till later this year.

LindaSal · ‎05-15-2014

@hyacinth003 This can and does happen. It is nothing out of the norm. While the canal is sterilized and the nerve is removed you still have multiple nerve endings around the root of the tooth. There are no guarantee's in life in general. I had an accident as a child and my first root canal at age 12. In my 40's that tooth became reinfected. Since it had been many years and my root had resorbed a bit, an implant was a better option for me. But if you can save your original tooth, that is almost always your best option.

IMW · ‎06-15-2014

I've had several cavities where my dentist successfully

drilled through crown years after root canal. I know this

is not the same situation as yours.
IMHO it is ALWAYS better to save the tooth if possible.

GoodLuck!

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

@hyacinth003 wrote:
I had one started today. I had this root canal done several years ago. Can't even remember when. I started to get pain in the tooth, and it went away for a long time. But after several months, I started to get pretty intense pain again.

My dentist referred me to an endodontist as he said they now have good results doing this. Never had heard of it before! Options are to try to re-treat the original root canal, drilling through the crown. Other option is to extract the tooth and consider an implant. Most people feel saving the tooth is the better option. I was told there is no guarantee of success for the retreatment, and that additional work MIGHT be needed.

Been on antibiotics and dexamethasone over last week, still having pain, but less. Today I went in for about an hour of drilling and rodding out and whatever else they do! I guess it is cleaned out, antiseptic stuff put back into the canal for sealing anything open, and sealed. I go back in three weeks, I think to look and restore the crown. Cost was about $1500 - expensive tooth (a molar, bottom left).

Anyone had this?

Hyacinth

@hyacinth003 Yes i've had an issue with two teeth that had had root canals years ago. Both are on the right side of my mouth. One is an upper molar and the other is on the bottom.

About a year ago I had them redo the one on the bottom. They redrilled through and with new technology were able to see where the problem was to fix. Years ago when I first had the root canals they didn't have the imaging that they do today. Knock on wood though that this tooth give me no more problems!

However the upper one has been bothering be suddenly the last week. I've been on Clindamycin which has cleared up the pain and infection. Now I'm not sure what to do about this tooth.

I had been having problems with it for a few years. Had an apicectomy (will be two years in July) where they go into the side of the gum to clean it out, etc. (can be done on upper but not as well on lower) but had a problem last year and was told it was still filling in with bone growth. So why after all this time is there still a problem?

Since I've been on antibiotics, the infection is cleared and if I watch what I'm eating and take good care of my teeth I figure I have probably another year before I might have another problem. At this point though I'm afraid that the tooth will have to be pulled...

As you can imagine...this has all been very painful and expensive. I can have the tooth pulled (It's sort of in the back) and be done with it, or get an expensive implant.

I need to see my dentist to discuss options (once again!) but I don't feel comfortable at this time.