If the treated tooth has new holes or cavities and decay starts to occur, it can infect the filling material used in a root canal. This leads to a new infection. So, the answer to the question, “Can root canals decay,” is yes. The best option for treating pain, infection, and decay after a root canal is retreatment.
Just because a tooth has had a root canal that does not mean the tooth is safe for as long as it remains in your mouth. That tooth can still get a cavity. Since the nerves are no longer present in that tooth you will not feel any pain or experience any other signs of a cavity.
Root canals.
This is a treatment to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth instead of removing it. The diseased tooth pulp is removed. Medication is sometimes put into the root canal to clear any infection. Then the pulp is replaced with a filling.
Infected root canals cause acute pain as the inner tooth material is extremely sensitive. In some cases, the root canal infection has a tendency to thrive and give rise to a dental abscess. The tooth pain becomes unbearable and it must be treated promptly.
Treatment of Root Cavities
If you do get root cavities, your dentist will treat them in a way that is, on the most basic level, the same as the procedure he or she uses to treat a tooth cavity in the crown. The dentist removes the decayed, damaged part of the structure and then replaces it with filling.
If the decay reaches your tooth's main structure, called dentin, then a filling can replace the lost tooth structure after your dentist has cleaned the cavity of bacteria and infection. However, if it reaches the tooth's center chamber, called the pulp, a filling may no longer suffice to address it.
Fixing a Cavity Under a Dental Crown
If a cavity is along the margin of a dental crown and does not go very deep into the tooth, it might be able to be fixed with normal dental filling material. In most other cases, the dental crown probably will need to be removed, the cavity filled, and a new crown placed on top.
In short, when you need a root canal, it may feel like throbbing pain due to infection inside of the root of your tooth. A visible fistula, swelling, or temperature sensitivity might be present.
A root canal infection brings severe pain in its wake. The pain intensifies when you bite down or place pressure on the affected tooth. Additionally, you may experience tooth sensitivity when you eat hot or cold food and drinks. The pain can also originate from inflammation of the gums.
While rare, an infection in the bone or an infected root canal are the most common reasons for ongoing post root canal pain. These infections can happen days, weeks, or even years after the procedure.
Root canal reinfection isn't common, but it isn't unheard of either. Root canal procedures are overwhelmingly successful; however, a previously treated tooth can become reinfected days, weeks, months, or even years after the initial procedure.
In most cases, root canal therapy is a better way to treat an infected tooth than an extraction. However, there are exceptions, such as if the tooth has suffered extreme damage. Your dentist will carefully analyze your oral health before making a treatment recommendation.
Breaking down the root canal data
Teeth that receive a root canal, and a subsequent filling and crown last about 20 years. Teeth that receive either a filling or a crown after a root canal last around 11 years. Teeth that receive no restorative work after a root canal only last about 6.5 years.
With the proper care, a tooth that's been treated with a root canal can last a lifetime. However, while this treatment is over 95% successful, there is a remote possibility that your dentist will recommend that you have yours redone.
Dentists or root canal specialists called “endodontists” may be liable for dental malpractice if they breach the standard of care in performing a root canal procedure.
An Infected Tooth Is Not A Problem To Take Lightly
The tooth itself may change color, and you may notice swelling in the surrounding gum tissues. If too much time passes, bacteria can spread far enough, and do enough harm, to leave extraction as the only treatment option available.
When you have tooth pain such as a tooth infection, antibiotics can go a long way in helping to address the infection, but unfortunately, antibiotics cannot completely heal an infected tooth. What's more, if you're dealing with an infected root canal, antibiotics really are not going to cut it.
When you need dental fillings, you may have a throbbing pain in your tooth, especially when you chew. When you need a root canal, the pain can be much more severe, and that pain may worsen when your tooth is exposed to hot or cold temperatures.
It can take as long as five years from the time a cavity begins to develop to when the tooth needs treatment to prevent the cavity from spreading further.
How to tell if your tooth is rotting beneath a crown. If the affected area is quite small, it can be hard to detect any cavities or decay underneath it. To determine this, the dentist will usually use an x-ray. It will be up to him or her to know whether the teeth underneath are rotten or has any damage.
What happens if I get a cavity under my crown? If you get a cavity in the tooth your crown is attached to, the tooth will need to be treated by your dentist. Depending on the situation, you may need to have your crown replaced.
Developing a cavity underneath your crown may cause you to experience pain within your tooth. If left untreated, it may spread throughout your remaining tooth structure. Decay stems from the food that is left within your mouth after eating, which the bacteria living in your mouth thrives on.