Bacteria are the ultimate cause of root canal failure. If our mouths were clean, there would be no decay or infection, and damaged teeth could repair themselves somehow. So, while bacteria are responsible for nearly all root canal failures, We’ll discuss five common reasons why root canals fail, four of which are mostly avoidable.
Reasons Why Root Canals Fail
Although initial root canal treatment should have an 85 to 97% success rate, 30% of an endodontist’s work is re-doing a failed root canal. They frequently fail for the five reasons listed below:
1. Missed Canals
The most common cause of failure we often see is untreated anatomy in the form of missed canals. Our general understanding of tooth anatomy should enable the practitioner to locate all canals. Ultimately, canals should not be overlooked because the technology exists to detect and find their presence.
Assume a practitioner provides endodontic (root canal) therapy. In that case, they must have the necessary equipment to treat the entire anatomy of a tooth. Although a root canal from an endodontist is slightly more expensive than a general dentist, the long-term value of treating it correctly the first time is greater.
2. Incompletely Treated Canal
Incompletely treated canals are the second most common cause of failure. This usually comes in the form of “being short,” which means that if a canal is 23 millimeters long, the practitioner will only treat 20 millimeters of it. Being short increases the possibility of failure because there is untreated or unfilled space for bacteria to colonize and cause infection.
3. Tissue
The third cause of failure is the tissue that remains in the tooth after the first root canal. This tissue provides food for bacteria that can cause infection in the root canal system. Furthermore, root canals have irregular shapes that are difficult to clean with our uniformly round instruments. Finally, tissue is commonly left due to a lack of proper lighting and magnification, achievable with a dental operating microscope, and because it was done too quickly.
4. Fracture
A root fracture is another common cause of failure. Although this may impact the root canal-treated tooth, it may not be directly related to the treatment. Root cracks allow bacteria to enter areas where they should not be. Furthermore, fractures can occur in teeth that have never had a filling, implying that many of them are unavoidable. For more information about root canal therapy, you can visit this website.
5. Leakage
The fundamental goals of root canal therapy like an emergency root canal in Edmonton are to remove tissue, kill bacteria, and seal the system to prevent bacterial re-entry. Bacteria leakage occurs with all dental materials; we aim to limit the extent of leakage. However, the balance can tip, and infection can occur at some unknown point. Therefore, the more precautions we take to prevent leakage, the more likely we succeed.
Finally, leakage can be reduced if the patient sees their restorative dentist when the root canal treatment is finished. This is possible with effective communication between the endodontist and the restorative dentist.
