Root canal treatment is a dental procedure recommended for bacterial infection that has progressed on to rot the teeth.
This can be due to a number of reasons such as decay, a leaky filling or trauma from a fall. The treatment requires all infected pulp inside of the tooth to be removed and cleaned. The tooth is then filled and sealed with a rubber-like material and then restored with a crown or filling for protection.
Like every dental procedure, it comes with risks: root canals can be tricky for dentists, and any mistakes can lead to negative consequences for the patient.
Dentists may encounter several problems when performing a root canal procedure. Despite their best efforts to clean and seal a tooth, new infections might emerge. This can be due to a number of factors, such as:
- A higher than anticipated number of root canals in a tooth (leaving one of them uncleaned).
- An unidentified crack in the root of a tooth.
- A defective or inadequate restoration that has allowed bacteria to get past the restoration, into the inner aspects of the tooth and recontaminate the area.
- A breakdown of inner sealing and material over time, allowing bacteria to contaminate the inner aspects of the tooth.
- Having to perform the surgery again for one of these reasons is more complicated, as the dentist would need to remove fillings/crowns that were replaced in order to get to the root.
Patients may have some issues following root canal treatment. For example, if some bacteria remains in the tooth for the reasons stated above, this could cause problems when biting/chewing, swelling in the gum, puss oozing from the affected tooth, face swelling and the tooth becoming darker in colour.
To help prevent these issues from arising, it is vital to follow after-care instructions very well to promote adequate and proper healing. Furthermore, the importance of getting the procedure done at a reputable practice, by a dentist with experience, should not be underestimated.
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