Dental Retreatment in Silver Spring & Hyattsville, MD

Root canal therapy is one of the most successful procedures used in dentistry to save a decayed or damaged tooth. A lot of people choose to undergo root canal treatment nowadays because it helps them keep their natural teeth and smile. Millions of people around the world have benefited from the advantages of root canal therapy over other procedures like tooth extraction and dental implants.

While the success rate of root canal therapy is considerably high, i.e. around 95%, there are some cases however, that the treatment does not produce the expected results because of several factors and causes. When the initial root canal therapy does not succeed, a retreatment is necessary.

Endodontic retreatment at Silver Spring and Hyattsville, Maryland

If your initial root canal treatment does not succeed, don’t worry because Stellar Dental offers endodontic retreatment to solve your dental problems. Our team of dental care experts in Silver Spring and Hyattsville, Maryland, are ready to provide the necessary treatment to help ensure that your root canal treatment is successful.

When is a retreatment necessary?

Retreatment is necessary when your initial root canal treatment fails. Normally, a tooth that has undergone root canal therapy would last a lifetime provided you take proper care of your teeth with good oral health practices. However, there are some cases in which a curving root structure or otherwise challenging case may not be completely disinfected and the remaining pulp material may become re-infected. When this happens, an additional procedure must be performed to save the tooth the second time around.

Some of the common reasons why initial root canal therapy may fail are the following:

Cases in which a canal was missed during the initial treatment.
The tooth has a complicated root canal anatomy like narrow and curved root canals that are not detected during the first procedure.
A blocked canal or ledge formation exists, impeding instruments in reaching the root ends.
New decay that necessitates a new procedure becomes present in the tooth.
The placing of the crown or other restoration after the treatment was delayed causing a reinfection to be present in the tooth.
The crown becomes loose, cracked or broken, posing risk of reinfection on the tooth.
There’s inadequate filling which allowed recontamination in the tooth.
The crown or roots of the tooth become fractured.
Saliva has contaminated the internal structure of the tooth.

A root canal therapy may become unsuccessful for any of these reasons and a retreatment will be necessary. If you’re initial root canal procedure didn’t turn out as it should have, don’t wait until your tooth is beyond saving before seeking retreatment. Visit Stellar Dental at Silver Spring and Hyattsville, Maryland as soon as possible.

What happens during a retreatment?

During a retreatment, dentists at Stellar Dental will first administer a local anesthetic to ensure that the procedure will be virtually painless. Afterwards, any restorative materials like crowns and bridges will be removed so that the tooth can be reopened once again to gain access to the root canal filling material.
Next, the filling material will be removed and the root canals will be cleaned. Instruments will be used to probe deeper into the canal to ensure that no canal is missed and that every canal is properly cleaned. In case of blocked or very narrow canals, endodontic surgery may be recommended to ensure that the canals are properly cleaned and sealed.
After searching for additional canals and cleaning each one, they will then be sealed by using a dental filling. Afterwards, a crown or other restorative materials will be placed as soon as possible to restore the tooth to its proper structure and function.

Is there an alternative to retreatment?

Because retreatment is a time-consuming and meticulous procedure, some patients may ask about any alternatives to this treatment. However, the only alternative to retreatment is tooth extraction. If not treated, the tooth will eventually “die” and extraction will be necessary. After the tooth extraction, you can then opt to have dental implants, bridges or partial dentures to replace your missing teeth.
If your initial root canal treatment has failed and is giving you problems, visit Stellar Dental at Silver Spring or Hyattsville, Maryland, today. Dr. Allen Gotora at Stellar Dental will examine your tooth, take X-rays and discuss your treatment options with you. If results show that retreatment is the best option for your tooth, an appointment will be scheduled for the retreatment procedure.

Stellar Dental boasts an excellent team of professional and patient dental care experts that can meet your dental needs. Whether you need retreatment, endodontic or general dentistry services, Stellar Dental commits to give you the kind of dental care that you deserve.

To book an appointment, call our Silver Spring branch at (301) 754-1900 or our Hyattsville branch at (301) 853-1567 now!