Bacteria is the primary reason for root canal problems. If our mouths were healthy, there would not be infections or decay, and damaged teeth could heal themselves somehow. Even though germs are the source of almost all root canal problems, I’ll address five other causes, four of which can be prevented.
Reasons Why Root Canals Fail
Initial root canal procedures should have an 85-97% success rate; however, 30% of an endodontist’s work is redoing a failed root canal. The majority of them fail due to the following reasons:
1, Missed Canals
The most frequent reason for failure that we have seen is untreated anatomy resulting from missing canals. Our knowledge of tooth anatomy should allow the dentist to identify every canal. The result is that canals should be considered since technology is available to determine their location.
Let’s suppose a dentist provides an endodontic treatment like root canals in Edmonton. In that scenario, they will need the equipment to treat the tooth’s complete anatomy. An endodontist’s root canal may be more expensive than a conventional dentist’s. Still, it’s worth doing it right the first time.
2. Incompletely Treated Canal
Canals that are not properly treated are the second leading reason for failure. This typically comes in the form of “being short,” meaning that when a canal is 23 millimeters long, the doctor can only treat 20 millimeters. Shorter canals increase the risk of failure due to the untreated or empty area for bacteria to thrive and result in infection.
3. Tissue
The third factor that causes failure is the tissue that remains inside the tooth following the initial root canal. The tooth’s tissue supplies food to bacteria that could cause infection within the root canal system resulting in severe toothache. Additionally, root canals have an irregular shape that is difficult to clean using our round instruments. Additionally, tissue can be removed due to inadequate lighting and magnification. This is possible using a dental microscope because it was performed too fast.
4. Fracture
A root fracture is a common cause of failure. Though it could impact the root canal-treated tooth, it is not likely to be directly connected with the procedure. However, cracks in the root allow bacteria to be introduced into places where they shouldn’t be. In addition, they can cause fractures in teeth that haven’t had a filling, which suggests that many of them are inevitable.
5. Leakage
The fundamental goals of root canal therapy are to remove tissue, eliminate germs, and ensure the area is sealed to avoid infection by bacteria. Leakage of bacteria occurs in all dental materials. We aim to minimize the amount of leakage. However, the balance may shift, and infection can occur at any point that is not known. Thus, the more precautions we take to avoid leakage, the greater chance we will achieve success.
Additionally, leakage can be minimized by having the patient visit their restorative dentist once their root canal treatment has been completed. This can be accomplished through efficient interaction between the dentist and your restorative dentist.
