The chance of a root canal tooth becoming reinfected is slim, but not impossible. Reinfections can occur for several reasons, including a mistake during the initial procedure or a tooth injury years after treatment, but the source always boils down to the presence of bacteria.
Non-removal of a dead tooth from your mouth is not wise because it can harm your remaining teeth and jaw, which is significantly dangerous. Depending on the extent and type of damage, the tooth may remain in your mouth for days, months, and even years before falling out by itself.
Most first-time root canal treatments achieve their purpose in saving an internally decayed tooth and extending its life to match those of the patient's non-decayed teeth. Occasionally, though, a root canal-treated tooth may become re-infected by decay.
How to save a dying tooth? In many cases, the two most effective courses of action for a dying tooth are either a root canal treatment or full tooth extraction.
Possible Symptoms of a Reinfected Root Canal or Other Issues
Constant pressure or pain. Pain when tapping teeth together, Swollen gums. Pimple on the gums near the tooth.
How Many Times Can You Get A Root Canal Procedure On The Same Tooth? A dentist can repeat a root canal treatment on a tooth two or more times. While teeth that undergo a root canal procedure can last a lifetime, some of these teeth may not heal properly due to salivary contamination and other reasons.
With proper care, even 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.
The root canal procedure removes the dead pulp and replaces it with a plastic-like material. Because a dead tooth can become brittle, the dentist may fit a crown over the tooth after the root canal treatment to strengthen and support it.
The empty space inside dead teeth is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, the perfect setting for an infection. You could also end up with a painful abscess. With treatment, you can avoid both these issues.
Once a tooth is damaged or decaying, it's only a matter of time before it dies. Depending on how heavy the damage, the tooth could die within a matter of days or even a couple of months. Darkened or discolored teeth are often the first sign that your tooth is on its way out.
Retreatment has a 50 – 75% success rate. And if a highly skilled dentist performed the first root canal treatment, a second one might not work.
An additional endodontic treatment, called a retreatment (a second root canal procedure), can be performed, which could again, allow a patient to keep his or her tooth for a lifetime. Root canal treatment is like any other medical or dental procedure.
Endodontically treated teeth can last a lifetime if the procedure is successful, generating no complications for the removal of the nerve and the reconstruction of the tooth. Oral health care is also influential. Oral hygiene must be thorough and progressive.
Treatment Options For a Dead Tooth
The two main dead tooth treatment options are: Root canal therapy. A root canal is the only way to save a dead tooth and involves removing the pulp and cleaning the site to prevent infections.
Tooth Sensitivity or Pain – As the nerves that lead to a dying tooth begin to die away, they may become extra sensitive, causing you a tooth ache or sensitivity to hot or cold foods. You may experience pain while chewing at or around the site of the dead tooth.
A dying tooth may appear yellow, light brown, gray, or even black. It may look almost as if the tooth is bruised. The discoloration will increase over time as the tooth continues to decay and the nerve dies. If you experience any symptoms of a dying tooth, it's important to see your dentist right away.
Dead or dying nerves in the pulp can lead to a dead tooth. A dead tooth will also no longer have any blood flow to it. A dead nerve in a tooth is sometimes referred to as a necrotic pulp or a pulpless tooth. Once this happens, the tooth will eventually fall out by itself.
People believe a root canal is a painful process. This is the biggest myth ever. Generally, we use anaesthetic in a root canal procedure, even in cases where the tooth is dead.
However, if the tooth is lost through accident or decay, the root or roots may be retained within the jawbone and gums, causing problems such as mouth infections and pain. If this is the case, the roots need to be surgically removed.
When your tooth is dead, it can't fight off bacteria. This can put you at greater risk of infection, especially because your tooth's pulp reaches the root of the tooth. Symptoms of bacterial infection include bad taste, swelling, and bad breath.
Root canal therapy is recommended when teeth can be saved with treatment, while an extraction is performed when the tooth's structure is too damaged, or a crack goes beneath the gum's surface, not leaving enough structure for stability or use after the repair.
With proper care, you'll keep teeth that have had root canal treatment for a lifetime but it's possible for those teeth to heal improperly, becoming painful or diseased months or even years after treatment. If this happens to your treated teeth you have a second chance to save the tooth with retreatment.
Root canal reinfection isn't common, but it isn't unheard of either. Root canal procedures are overwhelmingly successful; however, a previously treated tooth can become reinfected days, weeks, months, or even years after the initial procedure.