Q)
Q)Rct therapy with pain 2-3 days after, normal PA; 2 yrs later PA radiolucency but asymptomatic. Treatment?
RETREATMENT
Principal Causes Why Root Canal Treatment Had Failed:
Missed Canals
Coronal Leakage
Post Placement Errors
Blocks, Ledges, Perforations, and Transportations
Restoration Failures
Fractures
Inadequately Filled Canals
Separated Instruments
Incomplete root canal treatment is a common cause of endodontic failure. Decay can lead to bacterial contamination of the root canal filling and a new infection.
Although there have been many advances in current root canal therapy, success still depends on a sound restoration. Coronal microleakage caused by caries or a failing restoration will allow bacteria-laden saliva to enter the canal, undoing even the most thorough root canal treatment.
Endodontic failures must be carefully evaluated so that a decision can be made among NONSURGICAL retreatment, SURGICAL retreatment, or EXTRACTION.
Nonsurgical retreatment is an endodontic procedure used to remove materials from the root canal space and if present address deficiencies or repair defects that are pathologic or iatrogenic in origin. This disassembly and corrective procedures then allow the clinician to clean, shape and pack the root canal system (Cohen).
Careful treatment planning sets the stage for a successful outcome. A win-win treatment plan is a strategy in which everyonethe patient, the restorative dentist, and any specialists involvedcollaborates. A comprehensive assessment of a patient's dental health enables practitioners to evaluate failing endodontics and determine whether to watch, retreat, perform endodontic surgery or extract. Biological, clinical, esthetic, functional and financial factors must also be considered.
Prior to undertaking retreatment, it is important to assess the tooth's overall health and restorability, as well as its significance in the comprehensive treatment plan. Even if the patient is asymptomatic, consider retreating teeth with questionable root canal fillings if a new restoration is planned. Prosthetic intervention can precipitate endodontic problems although the case may have been successful for many years. Retreatment is always more challenging than the initial procedure. If no new restoration is planned, however, and clinical or radiographic evidence of pathosis is absent, it may be prudent to defer retreatment.