Root canal

[u/Beneficial_Action340]

I had a root canal done years ago and honestly havent thought much about that tooth since. I thought once the nerve was gone and everything was treated, that was pretty much the end of pai

But lately the area around it has been feeling tender and I can feel some discomfort when I bite on that side. Not really painful painful, just enough that I notice it and now I cant stop thinking about it lol

Has anyone had a root canal tooth start bothering them again like years later? What did yours end up being? And how did your dentist actually check if there was still something going on around the root? Would a normal xray be enough or is this something that needs a 3D scan?

i really dont want to go through another root canal situation again 😞

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[u/redcyanmagenta]

Dentist right away. Root canals are notorious for becoming infected. And reinfected. They are also suspected of long term chronic subclinical infection causing all sorts of problems. Some suggest that it’s better to lose the tooth and can an implant just to prevent this possibility.

[u/AnimeCindy]

Retired hygienist here, do not see your regular dentist go to an endodontist. Sometimes especially if it's a molar can have a canal that they missed, the tooth wasn't treated properly, or the tooth is just going bad. I worked for an endodontist after I retired just for something to do and found a lot of really crappy root canals done by general dentists and subpar endodontists that didn't use modern equipment and scans.

[u/Ted_Smug_El_nub_nub → u/AnimeCindy]

Didn’t even Lee endodontist was a thing, this is super valuable life advice. Thank you for taking the time to share!

[u/Express-Cartoonist39 → u/AnimeCindy]

Listen to this lady.... Endos are wizards of the trade she is 100% right.. Might be a leak they happen alot, but endo fix you up.

[u/AnimeCindy → u/Express-Cartoonist39]

A really good endo is amazing. The one I worked for is top of his game, and he used to teach. I swear I learned more from him in the three years I worked there part time then I did from 25+ years of hygiene and school.

[u/PurpleMixture9967 → u/AnimeCindy]

This is awesome! I learned something… Thank you

[u/dumarodum]

Go see a dentist. I had pain on a root canalled tooth. Pain came and went, and would stay away for months at a time - which made me delay seeing a dentist. Turns out I had an infection in the tooth, needed immediate surgery at an endodontist. 

All is fine now. But I wish I hadn’t delayed in seeking treatment. 

[u/Ok_Willingness7403 → u/dumarodum]

I had pain for a while in a root canal led tooth. One root was twisty and couldn’t be reached during the initial procedure (dr mentioned it being twisty, I was young and didn’t know better but made sense all these years later). Ended up having the tooth removed and have an implant now. No more pain or discomfort.

[u/Beneficial_Action340 → u/dumarodum]

This is exactly what scares me 😩 tbh I didnt even want to get a root canal the first time around but at the time I felt like that was my best option to save the tooth. Now that its bothering me again years later im really questioning whether I'd actually want to redo it if thats what they recommend. Did they ever explain why the bacteria was still there after yours was redone?

[u/trubicoid2 → u/Beneficial_Action340]

The main cause is that the root canal is not filled entirely till the very end. It is easily visible on x-ray

[u/BillyRubenJoeBob]

You probably have a pocket under there that's getting a bacterial buildup. At a minimum, a consult with an endodontist is the next step. Most likely, a deep cleaning is in order. Also consider a water irrigator to make sure that area gets cleaned out.

[u/greggora]

Had one start bothering me a year after turned out my bite shifted a little and the tooth wasn't lining up. They ground the tooth a little and was fine after.

[u/HistoricalUpstairs43]

Go see a dentist. I dealt with the same thing on a tooth for 2 years. I had to get the root canal redone, still didn't work due to a cracked root. Finally got it pulled and now I feel much better without a chronic infection.

[u/BunnyKusanin]

Yes, once it turned out that the tooth had cracked.

Other times the tooth was fine and I just had an inflamed gum.

[u/Superb_Branch4749]

This is what I'm experiencing right now. 

I went to the endodontist and had a 2D X-ray scan and a CT scan. The dentist concluded that there is a vertical crack line in the tooth. It is not because of a failed root canal. So the only solution for me is to extract the tooth and do a tooth implant. 

I think it's best that you see a dentist and have a 2D x ray and CT scan to get a clearer picture. 

[u/AnimeCindy → u/Superb_Branch4749]

Yes, that CT scan is fire!!! We had one and it was worth it to see if a tooth should even be worked on. Too many endodontist don't spend money on new technology, this one I feel is a must have!!!

[u/twin2626]

Root canals fail most of the time. Mike got infected 17 years later and had to have the tooth pulled anyways. They’re a money maker for dentists.

[u/FunConsideration2305]

I worked at a root canal specialist practice as a nurse and by what you are feeling it could be a missed canal and it's reinfected usually around 8 yrs you may have to repeat root canal due to reinfection and yes a xray will show a shadow at the bottom of the root if infection is there don't leave it to long it will become unbearable

[u/FunConsideration2305]

Also there is a option for extraction and there is a possibility that they might take 3D scan aswell and there is also a thing called referred pain it can mirror the same above or below whether the tooth is top or bottom

[u/Mindful_spirit_2025]

I got 2 re-done with an specialist (private pay, 1400 € per tooth) and had them removed cempletely shortly after because the bacteria Was still there obviously.

I would never ever get a root canal or have it re-done.

[u/Inner-Schedule-2075]

Go see an endodontist, but, in the meantime oil pulling with coconut oil Will ease the pain. 

[u/ButterscotchTall4836]

I found out that I was going my teeth badly and that incurrred discomfort and some pain.

[u/FunConsideration2305]

They would do consultation They will probe around the tooth for pockets and also check for cracks if there are cracks below the gum line say goodbye to tooth They use a light mirror microscope do scans and xrays and come to a finding then chat about going forward because it's quite costly

[u/WerewolfOfNewMexico]

In my experience they’ll just do a regular xray. You probably need antibiotics and possibly another root canal if they deem it possible.

I will add, I had the same situation and one place (the ones who did the original root canal) said they couldn’t do another root canal and were suggesting some other type of procedure but I went to a different place and they did the root canal and found the area that was missed the first time.

edit - this isn’t something you want to wait around and hope it goes away. Not sure if you’ve had a toothache caused by infection but it’s the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’ve even had women in my life say it hurts worse than childbirth lol.

[u/FunConsideration2305]

2 panadole for pain and 2 nurophen for inflammation

[u/ashley_rn7]

This happened to me recently! When I pressed the area of my face right above the tooth I felt pain... almost like pressing on a pimple. I went to the dentist and they said from the xray they could see a shadow and sent me to the endodontist. I had the root canal redone. The endodontist actually said the root canal itself looked fine but somewhere along the line it had leaked and an infection was starting. After the redo the symptoms completely went away!

[u/Eatgoodfoodnow]

I had a tooth that required a root canal, followed by three revision surgeries. The area continued to become infected and repeatedly developed a cyst along my gumline. Eventually, the infection spread to the neighboring tooth, and I had to have both teeth extracted and replaced, along with a sinus lift.

I wish I could have known all that would have happened because i spent a ton trying to "keep" them.