Is there any risk associated with root canal treatment?
There is a possibility that the root canal treatment will not be successful the first time. If infection and inflammation recur and a radiograph of the tooth indicates retreatment is feasible, the old filling material is removed and the canals are thoroughly cleaned out. The dentist will try to identify and correct problems with the first root canal treatment before filling and sealing the tooth a second time. In cases where a radiograph indicates that retreatment cannot correct the problem, endodontic surgery may be performed. In a procedure called an apicoectomy, or root resectioning, the root end of the tooth is accessed in the bone, and a small amount is removed. The area is cleaned of diseased tissue and a filling is placed to reseal the canal. In some cases, despite root canal treatment and endodontic surgery, the tooth may have to be extracted when there is a non healing lesion or failure of endodontic treatment.
