When a Root Canal Fails: Retreatment, Apicoectomy and What Happens Next for the Tooth

The crown had been on for six years. Then, one Sunday, biting into a slice of toast sent a dull, surprising ache through a tooth that was supposed to be “done.” By Tuesday there was a tiny pimple on the gum above it. The dentist took an X-ray, pointed to a dark shadow at the tip of the root, and said the words nobody wants to hear twice: the root canal has not healed.

If that scene feels familiar, you are not unusual, and the tooth is not necessarily lost. Failed root canal retreatment is a routine part of modern endodontics, the dental specialty that deals with the inside of the tooth. Most people simply never hear about it until it applies to them.

This explainer walks through why a treated tooth can flare up again, what retreatment and apicoectomy actually involve, what the first weeks afterward tend to look like, and the honest questions worth asking before you decide anything.

Signs of a failed root canal: what your dentist is looking for

A root canal removes the pulp, the soft bundle of nerve and blood vessels inside a tooth, then cleans and seals the empty canals so bacteria have nowhere to live. When it fails, bacteria have found a way back in, or were never fully cleared, and the bone around the root tip reacts with inflammation.

Your dentist is not relying on how you feel alone. The assessment usually combines a conversation about symptoms, gentle tapping and pressure tests on the tooth, a check of the gum for a small drainage opening called a sinus tract, and X-rays. On a film, a healing tooth shows bone filling back in around the root tip; a failing one shows a persistent or growing dark area, which is bone being lost to infection. Many practices now add a three-dimensional scan, cone beam CT, when a plain X-ray leaves doubt, because it can reveal a missed canal or a crack the flat image hides.

Two points deserve emphasis. First, pain is an unreliable witness. A tooth can be quietly failing on X-ray for years without any ache, and a tooth can hurt for reasons that have nothing to do with the root canal, such as a cracked cusp, gum disease or clenching. Second, tenderness in the first few days after treatment is expected, not a sign of failure; the NHS notes the tooth may feel sensitive for a few days as the tissues settle.

What this means in practice: if a treated tooth starts to feel “wrong,” the useful step is an examination and imaging, not a self-diagnosis. The pattern on the X-ray, more than the pattern of the pain, tells the team what the tooth needs.

Why does a root canal fail in the first place?

Root canal anatomy is the heart of the problem. A tooth that looks like it has one or two neat tunnels on an X-ray often has a branching network: side channels, fins, and canals that split and rejoin. Upper molars in particular frequently hide a fourth canal that is easy to miss. Any space left uncleaned keeps a reservoir of bacteria.

The common reasons a treatment does not hold, as described by Cleveland Clinic and the NHS, fall into a handful of groups:

• Missed or untreated anatomy: an extra canal, or a canal that curves so sharply the instruments could not follow it to the tip.
• Leakage from above: a delayed or poorly sealed crown, a new cavity under a filling, or a crack lets saliva and bacteria seep down into the sealed canals. This is why endodontists stress a timely, well-fitting final restoration.
• Persistent bacteria: some organisms survive in biofilm, a slimy protective layer, or lodge in the tiny tubules of the root wall and reactivate later.
• Cracks and fractures: a vertical root fracture creates a path infection follows no matter how well the canal was filled.
• Technical issues: a filling that stops short of the tip, extends beyond it, or an instrument fragment left in the canal.

Notice that only some of these relate to the original work. A beautifully treated tooth can still fail because a crack appeared a decade later, or because a new cavity crept under the crown margin. That distinction matters when you are deciding what to do next, because it determines whether cleaning the inside again is likely to solve the problem or whether the trouble lies in the structure of the tooth itself.

Can a root canal go bad after many years? Root canal pain years later

Yes, and late failure is one of the most searched questions for good reason. The NHS reports that root canal treatment is usually successful and that in about nine out of ten cases a treated tooth can survive for up to ten years, provided it is properly restored and cared for. The flip side of that reassuring figure is that a minority of teeth develop problems well down the line, sometimes with no warning.

Late failure tends to arrive by three routes. The first is slow leakage: crown cement washes out over years, a margin opens, and bacteria drift into the canal system. Infection at the root tip then builds gradually, which is why a tooth can be symptom-free until a cold or a stressful week tips the balance. The second is a crack. Root-treated teeth are drier and more brittle than living teeth, and years of chewing can propagate a hairline fracture. The third is reactivation of bacteria that were sealed in but never eliminated.

Root canal pain years later is not always the root canal. Gum disease around the tooth, a cracked cusp, sinus pressure above an upper molar, or pain referred from a neighboring tooth can all mimic endodontic failure. A treated tooth has no pulp and so cannot feel hot or cold the way a living tooth does; if it does, the pain source is often somewhere else. Your dentist will test adjacent teeth for exactly this reason.

The practical takeaway: a root-treated tooth deserves the same routine check-ups and periodic X-rays as any other, especially once a crown is a decade old. Catching a shadow at the root tip before it hurts gives you more options than waiting for the toast moment.

What failed root canal retreatment actually involves, step by step

Nonsurgical retreatment is, in plain terms, doing the root canal again, but with the added job of undoing the first one. It is usually performed by an endodontist, a dentist with additional specialist training in treating the inside of teeth, though some general dentists carry it out.

After local anesthetic numbs the area, a rubber sheet called a dental dam isolates the tooth to keep saliva out. The clinician then makes an opening through the crown, or in some cases removes the crown and any post, a metal or fiber pin anchoring the core filling. With an operating microscope, the old gutta-percha, the rubbery material used to fill canals, is softened or mechanically removed. Any instrument fragments are retrieved if safely possible, and the canals are searched for the missed branch the first treatment did not find.

The canals are then shaped slightly wider, flushed repeatedly with disinfecting solutions, and often dressed with a temporary medicament for a week or more before the final filling. That interval lets the irrigants and dressing act on stubborn biofilm. At the second visit the canals are refilled and sealed, and a new permanent restoration is planned.

Expect retreatment to take longer than a first root canal, often across two appointments, because removing old material and hunting hidden anatomy is painstaking work. MedlinePlus notes that the tooth may be tender for a few days after treatment and that over-the-counter pain relief is usually sufficient; your dentist will advise what suits you.

Retreatment makes sense when the X-ray suggests the problem is inside the canals and accessible from the top of the tooth. When the barrier is a post that cannot be removed safely, or a sealed canal that cannot be re-entered, the team starts thinking about the surgical route instead.

What is an apicoectomy and when is it used?

An apicoectomy, sometimes called root-end surgery, approaches the infection from the outside rather than through the crown. The name comes from “apex,” the tip of the root, and “ectomy,” removal. It is a minor oral surgery usually performed by an endodontist or an oral surgeon under local anesthetic, with sedation available in many settings for people who prefer it.

Here is what happens. A small incision is made in the gum near the affected root, and the tissue is lifted to expose the bone. A tiny window is opened in the bone over the root tip. The infected tissue around the tip is cleaned out, and the last few millimeters of the root are removed, because that is where side branches and bacteria concentrate. Under a microscope, a small cavity is prepared in the cut end of the root and filled with a biocompatible sealing material. The gum is stitched back, and stitches typically come out within a week or so.

Why choose surgery over retreatment? Cleveland Clinic and the NHS describe the usual circumstances:

• The tooth has a well-fitting crown and post that would be damaged or impossible to remove safely.
• Retreatment has already been done and infection persists.
• A canal is blocked by calcification, a fragment or a sharp curve.
• The clinician suspects a cyst or a lesion that needs to be removed and examined.

Apicoectomy does not clean the canal system itself, so it works best when the canals are reasonably well filled and the problem is confined to the root tip. It is less suitable where the root is already short, where surgical access would endanger a nerve or sinus, or where a crack runs along the root. For a lower back molar near the nerve that supplies the lip and chin, the team will weigh that anatomical risk carefully before recommending it.

Root canal retreatment vs apicoectomy: how the two compare

People often assume surgery is the “stronger” option and retreatment the gentler one. In reality they address different problems, and endodontic guidance generally favors retreating through the crown first when the canals can be reached, reserving surgery for cases where that route is blocked or has already been tried. The table below summarizes the practical differences as described by the NHS and Cleveland Clinic.

Feature	Nonsurgical retreatment	Apicoectomy (root-end surgery)
Route into the tooth	Through the crown, down the canals	Through the gum and bone at the root tip
What it treats	Bacteria inside the whole canal system, missed canals, leakage	Infection confined to the root tip and surrounding bone
Existing crown and post	Often need removal or drilling through	Usually left in place
Number of visits	Commonly two	One surgical visit plus a check
Typical recovery feel	Tender for a few days	Swelling and bruising for several days; stitches removed in about a week
Main limitation	Cannot fix a root crack or an unreachable canal	Does not clean the canals; not suited to short roots or nerve-adjacent sites

A few teeth end up having both. A retreatment may resolve most of the problem but leave a stubborn pocket at the tip, which a later apicoectomy addresses. Equally, a surgeon may discover a crack during an apicoectomy and advise that the tooth is not salvageable.

What matters most is matching the procedure to the cause. Ask the team to explain, with the X-ray in front of you, where they believe the infection lives and why the chosen route reaches it. That single conversation prevents more disappointment than any other step in the process.

Who is usually offered retreatment, and who is asked to wait or consider other options?

Retreatment is generally offered when three things line up: the X-ray or scan shows a problem that cleaning the canals again could plausibly fix, enough sound tooth structure remains to hold a durable restoration afterward, and the tooth is worth saving in the context of the whole mouth. A strategic molar that anchors your bite scores higher on that last point than a tooth already loose from gum disease.

Several situations usually prompt a pause or a different route:

• A suspected vertical root fracture. No amount of cleaning seals a crack. If the fracture is confirmed, extraction is typically advised.
• Very little tooth left above the gum. A tooth that cannot support a crown is unlikely to survive chewing even if the infection resolves.
• Advanced gum disease around the same tooth. Bone lost to periodontal disease will not return after endodontic treatment.
• Acute swelling or fever. Mayo Clinic describes a tooth abscess as an infection that can spread; the immediate priority is drainage and control, with definitive retreatment planned once the acute phase settles.
• Medical factors. Certain blood-thinning medicines, a history of radiation to the jaw, some bone-modifying medications, or uncontrolled diabetes do not rule out treatment but change how the team plans it. Never adjust a prescribed medicine for a dental procedure without the prescribing clinician’s involvement.

“Wait” is also a legitimate answer for a tooth that shows a small, stable shadow on X-ray but no symptoms. Some clinicians monitor these over several months with repeat films before intervening, because a lesion that is shrinking is healing, however slowly. The point of waiting is not to avoid treatment; it is to gather the one piece of evidence, change over time, that an initial X-ray cannot provide.

What are my options after a failed root canal?

Four paths exist, and an honest consultation will put all of them on the table even if one is clearly favored.

Nonsurgical retreatment. The first choice when the canals can be reached and the tooth is structurally sound. It preserves your natural root, which keeps the surrounding bone stimulated and maintains your bite as it is.

Apicoectomy. The surgical alternative when access through the crown is blocked, or when retreatment has already been tried. It can also be combined with retreatment in a staged plan.

Extraction with replacement. When the tooth cannot be saved, the usual replacements are a dental implant (a titanium post placed in the jawbone to carry a crown), a fixed bridge supported by neighboring teeth, or a removable partial denture. Each has its own timeline, healing demands and maintenance; an implant, for example, generally requires months for the bone to integrate before a final crown is fitted. Your dentist and, where relevant, a periodontist or oral surgeon will discuss which suits your bone, gums and health history.

Extraction without replacement. Sometimes appropriate for a back tooth that is not needed for chewing or appearance, although neighboring teeth can drift over time.

What the evidence does not support is doing nothing with an actively infected tooth. Mayo Clinic notes that an untreated tooth abscess can spread to the jaw, neck or beyond. A silent, stable lesion can be monitored; an infected tooth with drainage or swelling should be treated or removed.

A useful question to carry into the appointment: “If this were your tooth, with my X-ray and my health, which of these four would you choose, and what would make you change your mind?” A seasoned clinician will have a clear answer and a clear list of caveats.

How many times can a root canal be retreated?

There is no fixed number written into any guideline. The practical answer is that most teeth are retreated once, occasionally twice, and each round removes a little more tooth structure, which is the real constraint. Every time a canal is re-entered it is shaped slightly wider; every time a crown is drilled through or removed, the core beneath is weakened. At some point the tooth simply has too little dentin, the hard tissue beneath enamel, left to resist chewing forces, and a crack becomes more likely than a healed root.

Clinicians therefore think in terms of “restorability” rather than counting procedures. After a first retreatment has not resolved the problem, the conversation usually turns to surgery (apicoectomy) rather than a third pass through the crown, because surgery leaves the remaining structure of the crown and core untouched. If surgery also fails, or the root is found to be cracked, extraction is typically the recommendation.

Two things improve the odds that a single retreatment is the last one:

• Having the work done with magnification, because finding the missed canal is the most common reason a second attempt succeeds where the first did not.
• Fitting a well-sealed permanent restoration promptly afterward. The NHS is explicit that the tooth should be crowned or filled without delay, because leakage from above is a leading cause of recurrence.

If you are facing a second retreatment, it is reasonable to ask for a cone beam scan if one has not been taken, and to ask directly whether the clinician believes the tooth is restorable in the long term. A frank “this tooth has one more chance” is more useful than vague optimism, and most endodontists will give it to you.

What is a root canal flare-up and how is it managed?

A flare-up is a sudden onset of pain, swelling or both within the first few days after a root canal appointment, whether a first treatment or a retreatment. It is not the same as treatment failure; it is an acute inflammatory response to the procedure itself. Retreatment carries a somewhat higher chance of a flare-up than a first root canal because disturbing an established infection can push bacteria and debris beyond the root tip into already irritated bone.

The mechanism is straightforward. Instruments and irrigants stir up the canal contents; the immune system responds with inflammation; pressure builds in a space with nowhere to expand. The result can be throbbing pain, tenderness to bite, and sometimes visible swelling of the cheek or gum.

Management is the clinician’s call, and it generally follows a few principles described by Cleveland Clinic and MedlinePlus:

• Reassessment. The dentist checks that the temporary filling is intact and that the tooth is not in a high spot on the bite, which can be adjusted in minutes.
• Pain control. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, which reduce prostaglandin production and therefore inflammation, are commonly used where safe for the individual; your dentist or pharmacist will advise what is appropriate for you and for any other medicines you take.
• Drainage. If pus has collected, reopening the tooth or making a small incision in the gum relieves pressure quickly.
• Antibiotics. Reserved for signs of spreading infection such as fever, swelling that is enlarging, or difficulty swallowing. They do not treat the tooth itself and are not routine for pain alone, in line with antibiotic stewardship guidance.

Most flare-ups settle within a few days once pressure is relieved. What a flare-up does not tell you is whether the retreatment will ultimately work; that answer comes months later, on an X-ray.

What the following days and weeks usually look like after retreatment or apicoectomy

The two procedures have different recoveries, and knowing which to expect spares a good deal of worry.

After nonsurgical retreatment. The NHS and MedlinePlus describe tenderness for a few days, particularly on biting, while the tissues around the root tip settle. Numbness from the anesthetic wears off over a few hours; chewing on the other side until then prevents an accidental bite to the cheek. If the tooth has a temporary filling between visits, it is softer than a permanent one, so sticky and hard foods are best avoided. The second appointment, typically within one to a few weeks, completes the filling, and a permanent crown or restoration follows.

After apicoectomy. Expect swelling and sometimes bruising of the cheek that peaks around the second day and fades over about a week. Cold compresses in the first day help; so does keeping the head slightly raised when resting. The stitched gum is tender, so soft foods and gentle rinsing rather than vigorous brushing at the site are the rule until the stitches are removed, usually in about a week. Avoid lifting the lip to inspect the wound, which strains the stitches.

The longer view. Bone heals slowly. Your clinician will usually schedule a follow-up X-ray at several months and often again at a year to confirm the dark area is shrinking. A tooth can feel completely normal long before the film shows full healing, and occasionally the reverse. Do not read too much into a single early X-ray.

Throughout, routine brushing and flossing of the rest of the mouth continue as normal. The retreated tooth is only as safe as the seal above it, so keeping the crown margins clean is part of the treatment, not an afterthought.

What people often get wrong about failed root canals

Myths cluster around this topic, partly because the original procedure already has an undeserved reputation. Here are the ones worth correcting.

“If it hurts, it has failed.” Tenderness for a few days after treatment is normal, and a flare-up is an inflammatory event, not a verdict. Equally, a tooth can be failing without any pain. The X-ray, not the ache, decides.

“A failed root canal means the dentist did a bad job.” Hidden anatomy, late cracks and leakage under an aging crown are responsible for a large share of failures and are largely independent of operator skill. Cleveland Clinic lists missed canals, delayed restoration, new decay and fractures among the usual causes.

“Root canals cause illness elsewhere in the body.” This idea traces back to discredited early twentieth-century research. Current mainstream evidence, as summarized by major health bodies, does not support a link between a properly treated tooth and systemic disease; an untreated infection is the actual risk.

“Pulling the tooth is simpler, so it is better.” Extraction ends the infection but starts a new project: replacing the tooth. Implants and bridges involve their own surgery, healing time and maintenance, and bone remodels after a tooth is lost. Keeping a restorable natural tooth is usually the preferred option in endodontic guidance.

“Antibiotics will fix it.” Antibiotics cannot reach bacteria sealed inside a dead tooth. They are used to control spreading infection while the tooth is treated or removed, not as a substitute.

“Once retreated, it is fixed for life.” The same forces that caused the first failure, especially leakage and chewing stress, still apply. Prompt crowning and routine check-ups are what protect the result.

Questions to ask your care team before you decide

A good consultation leaves you able to explain, in your own words, what is wrong with the tooth and why a particular plan was chosen. These questions get you there.

• Where exactly do you think the infection is, and can you show me on the X-ray or scan?
• What do you believe caused the first treatment to fail, and does the chosen procedure address that cause?
• Is there any sign of a crack, and how confident are you that the tooth is restorable?
• Why retreatment rather than apicoectomy for my tooth, or the other way round? Would a cone beam scan change the plan?
• Will my existing crown be removed, drilled through or kept, and what restoration will I need afterward?
• How many visits are involved, and what will I feel between them?
• What is the plan if the pain or swelling flares up in the first few days?
• How will we know it has worked, and when is the follow-up X-ray?
• If this attempt does not succeed, what is the next step, and would you still recommend trying?
• Are any of my medicines or medical conditions relevant to the plan? Should my physician be consulted first?
• What happens to the neighboring teeth and my bite if this tooth is eventually extracted?

Bring a list of your medicines and any allergies, and mention if you take blood thinners, bone-modifying drugs, or have a heart condition that has required antibiotic cover in the past. Those details shape the plan, and they are far easier to raise at the consultation than on the day of surgery.

If you are offered a referral to an endodontist, it is reasonable to ask what the specialist can do that the general practice cannot, such as microscope work or surgical options. The answer should be concrete.

When to call your doctor

Most discomfort after retreatment or apicoectomy is mild and fades over a few days. A smaller set of signs means contact your dentist, endodontist or, if they are unavailable, urgent medical care the same day. Mayo Clinic’s guidance on tooth abscess is the backbone of this list.

Seek care promptly if you notice:

• Swelling of the face, jaw or neck that is increasing rather than settling, or that makes it hard to open your mouth fully.
• Fever, chills or feeling generally unwell alongside tooth pain.
• Pain that is severe, worsening after the second or third day, or not responding to the pain relief your dentist advised.
• A temporary filling or crown that has come out, leaving the tooth open.
• Bleeding from a surgical site that does not stop with gentle pressure after about twenty minutes.
• Numbness of the lip, chin or tongue that persists well beyond the expected wearing-off of the anesthetic, especially after surgery on a lower tooth.

Go to an emergency department or call emergency services if you have:

• Difficulty breathing or swallowing, drooling, or a muffled voice. Swelling that spreads under the jaw or toward the throat can compromise the airway and is a medical emergency.
• Swelling that reaches the eye, closing it, or a high fever with confusion or a stiff neck.

These are rare, but they are the reason an infected tooth should never simply be left. Between appointments, a tooth that becomes more tender rather than less, or a gum pimple that reappears, is worth a call even if none of the red flags above are present. The treating team would always rather hear from you early. Every decision about further treatment, medication or extraction sits with them, informed by what they see on examination.

Protecting a retreated tooth so it does not fail again

The final step of failed root canal retreatment happens after the endodontist is finished, and it is the one patients most often postpone: the permanent restoration. A root-treated tooth has lost its pulp and much of its internal structure. Without a crown or a well-sealed filling, two things happen. Bacteria leak back into the canals, and the weakened tooth can split under chewing load. The NHS advises that the tooth be restored promptly, and Cleveland Clinic names delayed restoration as a recognized cause of failure.

Beyond the crown, the habits that protect the tooth are unglamorous and effective:

• Keep the margins clean. Decay starting at the edge of a crown is a quiet route back to the canals. Daily flossing around that tooth matters more than anywhere else in the mouth.
• Address clenching and grinding. If you wake with a sore jaw or your dentist sees wear facets, ask about a night guard. Root-treated teeth are more brittle and fracture under repetitive load.
• Avoid using the tooth as a tool. Ice, hard candy, pens and bottle caps are the classic ways a treated molar cracks.
• Keep the follow-up X-rays. Healing is confirmed radiographically, usually at several months and again around a year. A lesion that is still present at that point prompts a conversation about surgery before symptoms force the issue.
• Tell every future dentist which tooth it is. A treated tooth cannot respond to cold tests, so a new clinician needs to know its history to interpret any later pain correctly.

None of this guarantees a tooth will last a lifetime. It does stack the odds in favor of the figure the NHS quotes, the nine in ten treated teeth surviving a decade, and it costs nothing more than attention.

Frequently asked questions

What are my options after a failed root canal?

The four options are nonsurgical retreatment, apicoectomy (root-end surgery), extraction with a replacement such as an implant, bridge or partial denture, and extraction without replacement for a non-essential tooth. Retreatment is usually preferred when the canals can be reached and enough tooth remains. Your treating team will base the recommendation on why the first treatment failed, the X-ray or scan findings, and your health history.

How many times can you get a root canal retreated?

There is no set number in any guideline. Most teeth are retreated once, occasionally twice, because each attempt removes more tooth structure and raises the risk of a crack. After an unsuccessful retreatment, clinicians usually recommend apicoectomy rather than another pass through the crown, and extraction if surgery also fails or a root fracture is found. The deciding factor is whether the tooth remains restorable.

Can a root canal go bad after many years?

Yes. Late failure usually follows slow leakage under an aging crown, a crack that develops after years of chewing, or bacteria that were sealed in and later reactivate. The NHS notes that most properly restored treated teeth survive up to ten years, but a minority develop problems later, often without warning. Routine check-ups and periodic X-rays catch these changes before they cause pain.

What is a root canal flare-up and how is it managed?

A flare-up is sudden pain or swelling within a few days of a root canal appointment, caused by inflammation from disturbing the canal contents. It is not the same as failure. Management by the dentist may include checking the bite and temporary filling, anti-inflammatory pain relief where appropriate for you, drainage if pus has collected, and antibiotics only if there are signs of spreading infection such as fever.

What are the signs of a failed root canal on an X-ray?

The key sign is a persistent or enlarging dark area at the tip of the root, which represents bone lost to infection. A healing tooth shows bone gradually filling that space back in. Dentists also look for a widened ligament space, a filling that stops short of or extends beyond the root tip, missed canals, and, on a cone beam scan, cracks or lesions a flat X-ray can hide.

Root canal retreatment vs apicoectomy: which is better?

Neither is universally better; they treat different problems. Retreatment cleans the entire canal system from inside the tooth and is generally the first choice when the canals are accessible. Apicoectomy removes infection confined to the root tip without disturbing an existing crown and post, and is used when access is blocked or retreatment has already been tried. The right choice depends on where the infection lives.

Why does my root canal tooth hurt years later?

Pain years after treatment can come from reinfection through a leaking crown, a crack in the brittle root-treated tooth, or persistent bacteria at the root tip. It can also come from somewhere else entirely: gum disease, a cracked neighboring tooth, sinus pressure or clenching. Because a treated tooth has no nerve to sense hot or cold, that type of sensitivity often points to a different tooth. An examination and X-ray sort this out.

How long does recovery take after apicoectomy?

Swelling and sometimes bruising of the cheek typically peak around the second day and fade over about a week, when stitches are usually removed. Soft foods, gentle rinsing and cold compresses in the first day help. Bone healing beneath the gum continues for months and is checked with follow-up X-rays, often at several months and around a year. Your surgeon will give instructions tailored to your procedure.

Do I need antibiotics for a failed root canal?

Usually not on their own. Antibiotics cannot reach bacteria sealed inside a tooth that has no blood supply, so they do not treat the underlying problem. They are used when infection shows signs of spreading, such as fever, enlarging facial swelling or difficulty swallowing, while the tooth is retreated, surgically treated or removed. Whether they are appropriate for you is a decision for your dentist or physician.

Is it better to retreat a failed root canal or extract the tooth?

Endodontic guidance generally favors saving a restorable natural tooth, because extraction starts a new project of replacement with its own surgery, healing time and maintenance, and bone remodels after a tooth is lost. Extraction becomes the better choice when a root is cracked, too little tooth remains to support a crown, or advanced gum disease has loosened it. Your treating team weighs these factors with you.

References

• NHS: Root canal treatment
• Cleveland Clinic: Root Canal

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.