Tooth Pain Years After Root Canal Treatment
If you experience tooth pain years after root canal treatment, it is certainly time to schedule a consultation or treatment with an endodontist. The most important thing to keep in mind is professionalism, which is by no means lacking in endodontics in Flint, MI.
Do your research wisely. Don’t rush to solve the problem too fast. If someone’s approach doesn’t sit well with you, look for a more professional place.
People usually won’t send enough questions their dentist’s way, so they might not see this coming. Everyone can get a delayed root canal infection on a treated tooth. So, if you are thinking about root canal retreatment or need it, here are a few things you should know.
Why Does Tooth Pain Appear Years After Root Canal Treatment?
Nothing about teeth is black and white. Even when the root canal treatment is well done by a professional, and you leave the office satisfied, smiling, and pain-free, the problem may be waiting for you and surprising you months or years later.
Common Causes
Tooth pain months after root canal treatment is nothing new. Actually, it’s quite a common problem. What are the most common causes people report?
We’ll exclude post-procedure inflammation, which is one of the most common and obvious causes. It is a “healthy” pain that doesn’t last for long. But there are more serious types of pain that you should not ignore — for example, infection.
It is possible for bacteria to linger after the treatment, causing re-infection. But, before you scold your dentist, know that the bacteria can hide deep so that the dentist cannot see it. Usually, it is that bacteria that is the main culprit behind old root canal infection symptoms.
Also, if the dentist uses too much filling material to fill the hole after removing the pulp from inside your tooth, it will cause you discomfort. In many cases, due to too large a filling, you will feel pain every time you bite.
Molars can have multiple canals, and the doctor can miss one or two of them. In that case, the pain will not go away. That is not alarming, but you should also not neglect it. Contact your chosen dentist for more information and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
It’s also possible to bite down and crack the root. Furthermore, during the procedure, the bacteria may accidentally infect the surrounding tissue. However, don’t panic. The pain will disappear once the damaged tissue heals.
Is There a Reason to Worry?
Although this kind of problem occurs often, and although you should not panic about it, you should still seek medical advice with any sign of discomfort. Your tooth can potentially last forever after root canal treatment. But, not everyone is that lucky.
In addition to all the problems we mentioned in the text above, sometimes, the tooth simply does not heal properly. And then hell breaks loose. What now? Should you ignore it? By no means. Procrastination only makes the situation worse. The more you wait, the bigger the chances of more serious problems.
Root Canal Therapy and Treatment
Whether it is unhealed bacteria or new ones that have emerged, discuss your treatment options with your chosen endodontist. Sometimes, the only option is to reopen your tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material and see the problem from there.
The next thing to do is clean the canal again and check the inside of the tooth. The doctor must be more careful this time to avoid the bacteria staying inside or getting stuck to some tissue. They must use the most modern methods and techniques.
After placing a temporary filling in the tooth, you will get a recommendation for endodontic surgery if the channels are narrow or blocked. But in the right hands, you won’t have to worry, even if you schedule surgery.
After retreatment with an endodontist, you return to the dentist for a new crown or other restoration placed on your tooth. There is certainly no time to waste here. Hurry to the dentist immediately after the treatment.
But it also happens that retreatment fails. So what to do then? In that case, you may need what’s called an apicoectomy. That is a procedure during which the doctor takes out the tip of the root to supplant it with a seal.
Experiences With Tooth Pain Years After Root Canal Treatment
So we just have to point out that you are not alone in this. People all over the world go to root canal retreatment. And only a few will ignore it. Root canal therapy has been safe and effective to more than 95% of patients, but the other 5% of them might get a “failed root canal” diagnosis.
Although we have repeatedly emphasized that with the right care and the people around you, you have no reason not to sleep through the night, we still have to do it again. Is the pain sharp? Is it dull? Are you used to it? Behind whichever answer code you are hiding, you need endodontic therapy.
Persistent tooth pain occurs in 3% to 12% of cases. And as we mentioned, you can even get a delayed root canal infection years after. A tooth treated with a root canal may not heal fully, and it could become painful and even diseased.
Symptoms of a failed root canal are reactiveness to tension, thermic sensitivity, feeling sore, or bloody discharge from the canalled tooth.. You may also have a problem with the pain appearing, disappearing, and then coming back.
Final Words
It bears mentioning that no one should blame their dentist. A good dentist will do their best when treating you, as all dentists learn about endodontic procedures in dental school. But still, the right way is probably to go straight to endodontics.
An endodontic specialist will look at your problem in detail and suggest potential further steps. Only that way will you know that your teeth are in safe hands and that your health problems will disappear in the long run.