Root canal retreatment in Rugby

When a root-treated tooth becomes painful or infected again, retreatment can usually save it. The earlier root filling is removed, the canal system is cleaned thoroughly — including any canals missed first time — and the tooth is sealed and restored once more.

Why root fillings fail

The usual causes are a canal that was not found or not cleaned to its full length, a root filling that stops short, a leaking crown or filling that lets bacteria back in, or a long delay before the tooth was restored. Occasionally a crack in the root is responsible, and that cannot be repaired. Finding the cause comes first, because it decides whether retreatment, microsurgery or extraction gives the tooth the best chance.

What retreatment involves

Assessment. The tooth is examined and tested, new X-rays are taken and the quality of the existing root filling and restoration is evaluated. You receive a written plan with the likely outcome and the fee.
Access. Under local anaesthetic the tooth is opened through its crown or filling; a post, if present, is removed carefully.
Removing the old material from each canal.
Finding what was missed. Untreated canals are located and blockages negotiated where possible; the whole system is re-cleaned and disinfected.
Dressing and sealing. A medicated dressing is usually left for a week or two before the canals are sealed at a second visit.
Restoration by your dentist protects the result.

What to expect

Visits are typically around 90 minutes, usually two in total. Mild tenderness for a few days afterwards is normal. Healing of the bone around the root is checked on an X-ray some months later.

Is the tooth worth it?

Usually, yes: retreatment keeps a tooth that is already restored and working, at a lower overall cost than extraction and replacement. The exceptions are a split root and a tooth with too little sound structure to crown — in those cases we will say so. Our guide to what happens when a root canal fails explains the warning signs.

Treated elsewhere?

Many of the teeth we retreat were originally treated at other practices. No referral is needed — contact us, bring any recent X-rays and we will give you an honest view.

Related endodontic care

Root canal treatment

Root canal treatment ends the pain of an inflamed or dead nerve, clears the infection and keeps the tooth. In Rugby it is carried out under magnification, with the tooth fully numbed and isolated, and most teeth are completed in a single visit.

Microscope-assisted endodontics

Root canals can be finer than a hair and hide behind calcified dentine. Working under an operating microscope gives bright, magnified sight of the inside of the tooth — the difference between guessing and seeing. It is how every root canal treatment and retreatment is carried out here.

Endodontic microsurgery

When infection lingers at the tip of a root and cannot be treated through the crown of the tooth, a small surgical procedure — an apicectomy — removes the infected root tip and seals the canal from the outside. Under magnification it is a gentle, predictable way to keep a tooth that would otherwise be lost.