apico after root canal?

[Former member 34119]

i have an appointment this thursday to get x-rays done after having a root canal done on my top front tooth 4 weeks ago.
my dentist told me that there was a possible cyst at the root of the tooth, and that if the root canal doesn’t work i would have to get referred to then hospital for further treatment.
my dentist put a temp filling over it until further treatment.

My question is- is it normal to still experience sensitivity? It is more sensitive when i drink/eat anything hot. I had this problem before but it got better after the first half of the root canal treatment. i’m scared that it’s failed and i’m gonna have to get it redone or something.

i did the mistake of google an apico and i’m really scared about it.

 

[drhirst]

Hi there,

Unfortunately, it is possible for root canal treatments to fail. However, if the problem was a cyst at the end of the root that was not resolving, your symptoms would not include sensitivity to hot things. I suspect therefore, the sensitivity is coming from another tooth.

By apico, I presume you are referring to the apicectomy procedure. When infection is not eliminated by root canal treatment, the problem is often bugs remaining in the very last millimetre or two of the root. The apicectomy procedure involves removing the end of the root and sealing the stump at the same time. In the UK, this is done much less than it used to be as having a root canal specialist redoing the root filling often resolves the problem.

I guess, in your case your dentist is referring you for a specialist opinion to ascertain the exact diagnosis. If you do have to have an apicectomy, it is often not that bad when done by an experienced specialist.

Hope it gets resolved easily for you.
Lincoln