With proper care, most teeth that have had endodontic (root canal) treatment can last as long as other natural teeth. However, in some cases, a tooth that has received endodontic treatment fails to heal as expected. A root canal re-treatment is required when a previous root canal doesn't heal as expected due to re-infection or other complications. A retreatment is similar to an initial root canal but instead of removing the pulp tissue, Dr. Desir has to remove the old root canal filling material. The canals are cleaned and enlarged the same way.

With the appropriate care, your teeth with Endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural teeth. Yet, a tooth that has received treatment may fail to heal or pain may continue to exist. Sometimes, the pain may occur months or years after treatment. If so, Endodontic Retreatment may be needed. Improper healing may be caused by: 

• Curved or narrow canals were not treated during the initial treatment.
• Complicated canals went undetected during the initial treatment.
• The crown or restoration was not placed within the appropriate amount of time following the procedure.
• The crown or restoration did not prevent saliva from contaminating the inside of the tooth.

In some cases, new problems can influence a tooth that was successfully treated:

• New decay can expose a root canal filling material, causing infection.
• A cracked or loose filling or crown can expose the tooth to new infection.

Once retreatment has been selected as a solution to your problem, your endodontist will reopen your tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material. This restorative material will be removed to enable access to the root canal. The endodontist will then clean your canals and carefully examine the inside of the problematic tooth. Once cleaned, the canals will be filled and seald and a temporary filling will be placed in the tooth. At this point, you will need to return to your dentist as soon as possible in order to have a new crown or restoration placed on the tooth to restore full functionality.