Root Canal

Question
Dear Dr. Conner,

  I have sporadic pain in a tooth that received a root canal about 20 years ago.  X-rays showed that it is now infected slightly at root and my dentist suggested that I go to an endodontist and have a rootcanal.  I am just realizing that means that the first root canal did not remove the root completely??  I thought a root canal was supposed to remove any possibility of future infection?? The pain comes on me just briefly, sometimes during the day but mostly at night when I am sleeping and wakes me up for a few minutes, but I can live with it. It is not constant. Should I just hope that it goes away, or have the tooth extracted, or go thru the root canal process again?  

                   Thank you so much,

                         Barb


Answer
Hello Barb,

Thanks for your question.  Root canals are usually successful in preventing further infection in the area, but occasionally do not.  And since the nerve is now removed, you are less likely to notice any pain & therefore it may progress to infection before being detected.  It may go away on its own, but it's probably not likely.  Keep in mind there's possibility it might spread and it will place some burden on your immune system to have a chronic infection.  It is your choice, and you can certainly work to improve the immune system & fight the infection, and it's good idea to search out other alternatives or dentists who may offer a different approach.  But there's often not a whole lot of natural options for dental care--many people find they get the procedure then repair the damage & try to prevent future problems.  

Good luck,

Dr Conner