Endodontic Retreatment

With proper care, teeth that have had root canal treatment can last a lifetime. But sometimes, a tooth that has been treated doesn’t heal properly and can become painful or diseased months or even years after treatment. If your tooth failed to heal or develops new problems, you have a second chance. An additional procedure may be able to support healing and save your tooth. If you have pain or discomfort in a previously treated tooth, talk to an endodontist about root canal retreatment.

Why do I need another endodontic procedure?

As occasionally happens with any dental or medical procedure, a tooth may not heal as expected after initial treatment for a variety of reasons:

Narrow or curved canals were not treated during the initial procedure.
Complicated canal anatomy went undetected in the first procedure.
The placement of the crown or other restoration was delayed following the endodontic treatment.
The restoration did not prevent salivary contamination to the inside of the tooth.

In other cases, a new problem can jeopardize a tooth that was successfully treated. For example:

New decay can expose the root canal filling material to bacteria, causing a new infection in the tooth.
A loose, cracked or broken crown or filling can expose the tooth to new infection.
A tooth sustains a fracture.

During retreatment, the endodontist will reopen your tooth and remove the filling materials that were placed in the root canals during the first procedure. The endodontist then carefully examines the tooth, looking for additional canals or new infection. The endodontist then removes any infection, cleans and shapes the canals, and places new filling materials. The opening is then sealed with a temporary filling. Once the tooth heals, a new crown or other restoration is placed on the tooth to protect it.

SCHEDULING

We will schedule your appointment as promptly as possible. If you have pain or an emergency situation, please let us know. We do have times set aside for emergencies. Please arrive on time and honor your scheduled visit. We have a 24 hour cancellation policy. To avoid the $75 cancellation fee, please notify us in advance of your need to change a scheduled appointment.

Please call us at 808-218-6650 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.

REGISTRATION FORM

IMPORTANT

A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN MUST ACCOMPANY ALL PATIENTS UNDER 18 DURING THEIR VISITS.

PLEASE ALERT THE OFFICE IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT MAY BE OF CONCERN PRIOR TO SURGERY (I.E. DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, ARTIFICIAL HEART VALVES AND JOINTS, RHEUMATIC FEVER, ETC.) OR IF YOU ARE ON ANY MEDICATION (I.E. HEART MEDICATIONS, ASPIRIN, ANTICOAGULANT THERAPY, ETC.) OR REQUIRE MEDICATION PRIOR TO DENTAL CLEANINGS (I.E ANTIBIOTICS, FOR PRE-MED.)