Endodontic retreatment

Endodontics is a specialty of dental surgery that treats diseases of the interior of the tooth and their complications.

An endodontist is a dental surgeon who has acquired specific skills in endodontics and who works with a specific technical platform (apex locator, ultrasound, hot obturation system, 3D imaging, operating microscope, etc.) which allows him to treat complex cases. In certain clinical situations your practitioner may have to delegate treatment to a specialist.

It sometimes happens that a tooth becomes infected or does not heal following a first endodontic treatment for different reasons: complex anatomy not detected, final restoration of the tooth carried out too late following the initial treatment, new decay, a coronary restoration not waterproof or unsuitable.

It is then necessary to resume treatment of the roots. This is called endodontic retreatment. It involves removing the existing filling material, cleaning, disinfecting, looking for possible additional canals and sealing the entire canal network.

What are the stages?

Redoing an endodontic treatment is a meticulous intervention. Depending on the clinical situations, the retreatment is more or less long and complex.

• Removal of existing restorations: composites, amalgams, crowns, posts, inlay-core.
• Removal of root canal filling material.
• Search for possible additional channels
• New filling: once properly cleaned and disinfected, the canal inside the root is sealed with a waterproof paste.
• New prosthetic restoration.