• Dental Phobia Support

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Re-treating a root canal.

D

Dillinger

Junior member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
17
Location
UK
Hello, its been a good while since Ive been on here but have found this site very helpful so here I am again! I wondered if anyone could help answer some questions/queries I have.

I had a root canal done around 9/10 years ago. I had to change dentists after this but found a great nhs one who has been brilliant and knows how nervous I get about dental work. He crowned the treated tooth and its been fine for around 5 years, until a couple of months ago I started feeling that familiar twingy/hot/almost 'itchy' feeling in the area I imagine to be the base of the tooth.

I couldn't see my lovely dentist straight away so saw a different one at an emergency appointment. She took xrays and gave me antibiotics. I was gutted to be told that the root canal was failing and my choices were extraction or re-treatment, though she said she'd be surprised if I could get an nhs dentist that was willing to do that, as many advise removing the tooth (especially seeing as it'd been treated previously.) She gave me the name of a root canal specialist (sorry the correct term escapes me) but said that it isn't covered on the nhs. I looked into it and Im looking at around £800 for the re-treatment, not including the initial appointment, xrays etc. This isn't possible for me at all.

I saw my dentist a week or 2 later, by which time the antibiotics had worked and things seemed to have settled down. I was able to have a good chat with him about my fears, and we decided that a) as my tooth seemed okay at this point we could play it by ear but to come back if it started to niggle again, and b) that if I had to come back he was happy to have a go at re-treatment if I was happy. I said I was, he explained that the success rate wouldn't be as high as with the specialist but that if it meant I had a chance of saving the tooth then it was worth the attempt, rather than just extracting it straight away.

Still with me? Sorry for the rambling!

Ok so for the past week or so Ive been feeling those familiar twinges etc... Ive made an appointment to see my dentist next week but in all honesty I think Im going to have to phone for an emergency appointment tomorrow and get in asap.

1. Should I be as worried about the pain during treatment as I was the first time around? Im under the impression that it shouldn't be painful as the root has already been removed but am I wrong in thinking this?! Im worried that I'll feel pain, even though I know Id be able to have a top up etc. Im telling myself 'its just a big filling' but still... Even though Ive already been through it! Such is the way of the phobia I guess.

2. With a re-treatment - would it be carried out during 2 appointments or all in one go?

3. Would you say a re-treatment was easier to do than the initial treatment?

4. What is likely to happen at tomorrows appointment?

Its funny - writing all of this down brings some clarity, like I don't quite know why Im so worried. My dentist is worth his weight in gold, is aware Im anxious, and I know deep down I could go through allsorts to not feel the pain of toothache! It all stems from some truly awful experiences at the dentist as a child but that's by the by.

Any help gratefully received! :)
 
You need more antibiotics asap so do call for an appointment
You've obviously got a caring dentist so well done and look after your relationship.

to try and answer your questions

1. Should I be as worried about the pain during treatment as I was the first time around? Im under the impression that it shouldn't be painful as the root has already been removed but am I wrong in thinking this?! Im worried that I'll feel pain, even though I know Id be able to have a top up etc. Im telling myself 'its just a big filling' but still... Even though Ive already been through it! Such is the way of the phobia I guess.

no, it shouldn't hurt, you'll see still need some anaesthetic though

2. With a re-treatment - would it be carried out during 2 appointments or all in one go?
depends on the circumstances and the individual dentist so hard to say. certainly two visits if the tooth is hurting.

3. Would you say a re-treatment was easier to do than the initial treatment?
no, it's harder for the dentist though shouldn't be anymore difficult for yourself.
4. What is likely to happen at tomorrows appointment?
if this is the scheduled root treatment visit then it's much the same as last time you had a root treatment. long and dull (take some earbuds and play music) but shouldn't hurt
best of luck

 
Thank you very much for your reply.

At the appointment we had a chat and I came away with an appointment booked for a re-treatment on dec 1st and a prescription for antibiotics if I felt I needed them between then and the appointment (as obviously quite a wait.)

So anyway, Ive got the appointment on Monday, and Im now wondering if it should be cancelled/postponed. Ive had no pain this few weeks, just an occasional niggle if Im thinking about whether I can feel any aching or not! Im aware that really the dentist would probably only try and do a re-treatment the once, and if that failed Id lose the tooth. This is why Im wondering if while its not uncomfortable we should be leaving it alone?! Im not letting the phobia cloud my judgement, but I would like to keep the tooth as long as possible.

Id appreciate any dentists opinions please, would you recommend waiting? Or just getting on with it, bearing in mind that a failure would mean extraction? Ive phoned to chat with my dentist, however he isn't in today but will call me back over the next few days.

Thanks very much :)
 
so your heart is saying ...i don't need a retreatment root canal but your head is saying that deep down you know the pain will recur!....follow your head.
It's best to do the retreatment whilst the abscess is quiet and not hurting so cross fingers and go for it.
best of luck
 
Thanks for your reply. I know that you're right in saying that, the niggles aren't going to go away are they! If anything I imagine it will get worse. Ive spoken to the dentist this morning and Im pretty sure I'll be in the chair on Monday... Cant keep putting it off and hoping that it'll go away by itself.

Trying to tell myself its just an hour or so of lying in the chair, I wont feel anything, and it may fix things.

Wish me luck, I may be back freaking out before then.. Thanks again for your help :)
 
take some music and headphones. hope it goes well
 
Do yourself a favor and take Dr. Wain's advice. He's right. I wish I had mine retreated sooner rather than later. It wasn't any worse second time around...maybe a smidge longer but NO PAIN. You'll be glad to get it over with too...and not be worrying about the tooth going bad on you at a later date with a nasty abscess. Trust me.
Good luck on Monday. You'll be okay...you will.
 
Thanks for your reply, and that's a good point you make. I'll be forever waiting for it to 'kick off' properly if I don't get it looked at asap. Its encouraging that you also say I wont feel anything, and Ive read that a lot so Ive NO IDEA why Im quite as anxious as I am :redface: Its all the waiting around isn't it!

Thanks again for all of the replies, its been most helpful and I really appreciate it.
 
Hi I had a re-treatment last year and as Mugz says no pain at all. It is a bit longer to do and when I had mine done because it was infected but calmed down as yours is at the moment the dentist put a dressing in and a bit of temp filling. This was repeated until it was infection free. Once they are satisfied that it will be fine they will fill the roots and put a perm filling in. Maybe some months later they will crown it, not all rct'd teeth need a crown from what I understand but if it is a back biting tooth it probably will, but they will want to make sure it is settled down and symptom free first.

I was terrified and trying to think of ways not to go as well but don't worry no pain or discomfort and they will probably numb you up as well. They did me :butterfly:

GOOD LUCK FOR MONDAY :clover::clover::clover::clover::clover:
 
Hi all, I just wanted to pop back to say thanks again for the support and to let you know how I got on.

Well just as you all said, I didn't feel any pain and Im so glad I had it done. My dentist asked me if Id like him to numb me anyway so I did, just in case lol Then after that I just felt pressure and movement of the little files etc. I was happy with how thorough my dentist was, and he said along the way how it was going etc. At the end he said he was happy with the result and that it had gone as well as could be hoped. So fingers crossed that's that sorted now... I was a bit sore afterwards and that carried on until this morning but wasn't anything that painkillers couldn't sort. Needless to say after all the worrying for weeks etc last night once Id stopped I realised how exhausted I was and went to bed at 9.15pm!

Thanks again very much, and Id also like to say if anyone is reading this and in the same position then please try not to worry too much, it really was pain free. I just lay there listening to the radio, thank god for Popmaster on radio 2 :giggle:
 
Me again....

Its been 2 weeks today since I had the re-treatment and Im experiencing some discomfort. Naturally Im assuming the worst and that I will need the tooth removing at some point in the near future. Its not enough to need painkillers, Im just aware its there. It hasn't been constant.

Anyway whilst Im hoping to see my dentist soon, I just wanted to ask if anyone thought I should use the 'just in case' prescription for antibiotics that my dentist gave me for the 6 weeks wait previous to my last appointment?! (I am obv hoping to speak to my dentist asap, Im just worried this is going to get worse.)

Im assuming that I shouldn't be feeling any discomfort at all by now?! Ive read that some people find it can take longer for the tooth to settle down completely, experiencing the odd niggle but Id really appreciate advice and opinions please.

Thanks
 
I'm not a dentist, but I have had 8 root canals over the past couple of years, all of which have taken varying lengths of time to settle down in between appointments and also after each root canal was completed. One of the root canals was actually a re-treatment on a lower molar that had had a root canal about 3 or 4 years ago. All the root canals were done by an endodontist.

There seem to be various things that can affect the level pain or discomfort that you experience afterwards and for how long it lasts. In my case, none of the teeth were infected and they didn't have any signs of decay, but I did have irreversible pulpitis due to several years of acid reflux, tooth grinding and erosion (unbelievably painful - the only treatment is either root canal or extraction), so I was in a fair amount of pain before each treatment as well.

Each tooth had 2 or 3 appointments and I would say that it took between 2 to 3 weeks after an appointment before the tooth settled down to the point where I could comfortably bite on it again. The pain was quite bad for the first 2 or 3 days and then gradually began to subside. I had a lot of inflammation going on inside the teeth as well, so taking decent painkillers including anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Ibuprofen helped. Once the pain and discomfort subsided, I could bite on the teeth again and they felt just like any other tooth. Some people find that ice packs ease the pain as well.

The discomfort should continue to subside - if it doesn't or if it gets any worse, or if you're worried, then go back to your dentist; they won't mind having a look, if only to set your mind at rest. :)
 
I had a root canal done on 5th November, and I am still experiencing some pain and discomfort, some days worse than others.
On the day of the treatment I felt no pain after the anaesthetic wore off, and the same the next day, Fantastic, I thought. But then the next day I woke in the night with pain, this continued for around a week. Then I had two weeks pain free, then the discomfort came back.
So who knows? I don't even have an idea what's causing the pain. I doubt it's infection or the pain wouldn't lessen some days.
 
Thank you very much for your replies. I guess I need to keep an eye on how often its bothered me and then decide. I was fine after the initial soreness, but on 2 occasions since Ive felt that familiar feeling and thought 'oh hell...' Say I'll try and forget about it for a couple of weeks to give it a bit more time, unless it really kicks off. Does that sound sensible?
 
If you had a lot of inflammation and pain before you had the root canal, then perhaps it's more likely that it would take a bit longer to settle. Also, don't forget that there's been a lot of poking and prodding going on inside your tooth, so it's bound to be sore for a while, but it should settle down.

I remember when I started all the root canal treatment last year, at the end of the first couple of appointments, I was told that the pain might appear to settle fairly quickly but then come back about 48 hours later and that this was due to the tiny bits of tissue that can get pushed out of the end of the root canals during treatment (or something along those lines - I had taken some diazepam for the appointment :p!).

I think everyone's different; some people are really lucky and have no pain afterwards at all, some have a bit of pain but it settles within a few days and for others (like me!) it can take a few weeks but it settles down eventually.

If it gets worse and/or you develop any other symptoms such as swelling or anything that you're worried about, then definitely see your dentist. Otherwise, go easy on the tooth until it's settled down (nothing crunchy or hard), keep everything clean and take painkillers if you need to. Hope it gets better soon :thumbsup:.
 
So months later I'm back yet again...

A few days ago I started feeling an occasional twinge in this tooth, today I have made an appointment to see my dentist but he is booked up until May except for emergency appointments. I'd be due a 6 month check around then anyway so I've taken the appointment.

Anyway basically I guess this just means extraction now? Can a re-treated root canal ever flare up for a simple reason and then be ok again? I've read that stress can play a part and right now we have a lot of stress in the household. I'm not being kept awake by the tooth but I have taken painkillers on 2 occasions. It's not sensitive to hot and cold, and my gum isn't swollen or sore.

I also wanted to ask advice on implants - what are we talking, price wise? (im in the uk). The tooth is the 3rd one from the back of my mouth (sorry I don't know the name) so would you bother with an implant or just take it out? How long is left between extraction and then having an implant?

if you were me, and you had to make an emergency appointment in the next few days, and your dentist said "I think we should take it out" would you go with this? Or are there other things I need to consider before something so final?

The tooth directly below this one but forward one was removed years ago due to an infection but the dentist (different dentist) didn't attempt to root canal it, he just removed it. I'm concerned about having yet another tooth removed, and really saddened by it. I'm only 32 and I've always been careful to look after my teeth yet going through dental work makes me feel really depressed and anxious, and that I must be quite disgusting or rubbish at keeping them clean or I wouldn't need any work done, if that makes sense. An extraction is exactly what I didn't want to happen.

Im pretty scared about extraction, the thought of it being pulled out makes me feel ill. I know when I had it done years ago I obviously got through it but it's not helping my present anxiety. I've also read that removing a tooth that's been root canalled can sometimes be tricky with bits breaking off etc! Wish I hadn't read that!

thanks so much xx
 
They may be able to try to save the tooth again. But if an extraction is the only course try not to worry things have changed a lot in the last few years. They don't pull teeth out they prepare the gum and lift them out. If the tooth did break it isn't a big deal they will just lift the pieces out.

Make it known to the dentist that you really want to keep the tooth. I have a re-treated rct'd tooth and my dentist told me that if it played up at some point she will refer me back to the hospital for it to be seen. So there may be some hope for your tooth.

If you get a lot of pain and pain meds don't help, or this tooth keeps you awake at night then ring for an emergency appointment that is what they are there for.

I am in the UK too. I think implants cost about £1000.00 to £2000.00 each. They are a private treatment maybe if you look them up on dentists websites it will give you an idea of the cost.

All teeth have the potential to break when being removed so don't stress yourself out over it. I know you know that looking things up on the internet are not very good for the nerves, DON'T DO IT :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: we are always here and will give you a non frightening and truthful explanation to any queries you have.

Good luck :clover::clover::clover: I hope your tooth doesn't play up too much before your appointment but if it does ring and say you need to see a dentist. Don't be fobbed off by the receptionist :butterfly:
 
Thanks for your reply. I told my dentist before that I really wanted to keep the tooth but unfortunately he was only prepared to re-attempt the treatment once, and as I think that's failing now I guess that's it for me. It's a bit niggly at the moment so I don't think it's going to quieten down, I'm going to get through the weekend and then phone first thing Monday to see my dentist. I'm gutted! :shame:

Its interesting what you say about how they take teeth out now, I was imagining the dentist with his knee on the chair, yanking like hell to pull the damn thing out lol is it a quick process? I don't want to google to find out more and end up freaking myself out.

wow implants are very expensive! I wish there were more options within my reach tbh.

Thanks again
 
Hi the time it takes to extract a tooth varies with each tooth, the last twice I had a tooth removed it took me longer to go numb than it took them to remove it. It was very quick, I was sat there as they said they were just going to prepare the tooth and I thought okay I can do that, I was waiting for it to start bracing myself when to my surprise they said there it has gone. I was amazed they did say to ignore any sounds I heard and I did hear a tear like sound for a second. I was terrified before I went and just could not believe it when it was done. One of the teeth I had removed had broken before I went to the dentist and had a very bad abscess under it for a long time, it came out in one piece with no problem.

Another option for your missing tooth might be to have a bridge/crown to fill the gap I have one that is a crown over the tooth next to the gap with a false looking tooth attached to it. I can eat normal with that side of my mouth and it just feels normal. It does mean using a healthy tooth to do this but it looks fine and I am really happy with mine. On the nhs from extraction to fitting it should cost the £219.00 top price but it is less than an implant. Not everyone can have implants as it depends on the bone and gums etc... You could also have a small denture made but this isn't very good as I think it might feel very different and you would have to remove it to clean.

Would your dentist be prepared to refer you to a dental hospital for them to have a look, this wouldn't cost you a penny if they treated you. Ask the dentist if he thinks if you waited a bit longer if the tooth would settle down sometimes they can take months to settle. There is someone on here I cannot remember their name at the moment and they were still getting little niggles after a year. I have a rct'd tooth that sometimes can give me a little reminder it is there but nothing to keep me awake or needing pain meds.

All the best to you :butterfly:
 
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