Tooth Abscess After Root Canal

Root canal treatment is undoubtedly one of the most painful procedures that any individual has to go through. The same is initiated when the tooth infection has crossed the enamel and dentin, and has reached the pulp. In this treatment option, the entire pulp of the tooth is removed, and the crown and root is cleaned. Ideally, most root canals are successful in ensuring that the person wouldn't suffer from any sort of infection here on. But sometimes, a person may end up with a tooth abscess after undergoing root canal treatment, and that can cause further complications when left unattended.

Causes of Dental Abscess After Root Canal

Basically, tooth abscess is pus formation which can be attributed to bacterial infection which has accumulated in the soft pulp of the tooth. In case of root canal, it can occur when the procedure is not carried out properly or when a faulty crown is used. Discussed below are some of the most prominent causes of tooth abscess after root canal procedure that you need to be aware of.

Improperly Done Root Canal
An improperly done root canal is one of the most common causes for a tooth abscess. There exist several different factors that come into play when one opts for this treatment option. At times, the canals may be very curved or at times, the filling inside the root canal may not extend right up to the tip and may fall short. Sometimes, the filling in the canal may even extend into the bone. Among others, the most common cause is the non-treatment of a missing canal which is most likely to happen when there is an extra canal present in the root which the dentist fails to anticipate even after opting for an X-ray. Even if one canal of the tooth is not filled, then it becomes an open ground for the multiplication and proliferation of bacteria, which - in turn, leads to the formation of dental abscess.

Cracked or Perforated Root
Sometimes - in a last ditch effort to save the tooth, the dentist may opt for a root canal, despite knowing that the chances of success are only 50 percent. This is especially the case with front teeth, where there are chances of fracture or cracks in the root due to trauma to the teeth. In such cases, these cracks may become pathways for bacteria to pass into the tooth even after proper root canal procedure. Similarly, the dentist may at times unintentionally perforate the tooth while doing a root canal of a posterior tooth, which - in turn, makes the tooth vulnerable to dental abscess.

Reinfection
Reinfection can occur even when the treatment procedure is properly carried out. There can be many causes of reinfection in the tooth, whether with or without a properly done root canal. First of all, the tooth is still present in the vicinity of bone and therefore, an infection can also spread from teeth present next to it, resulting in the root canal treated tooth getting infected as well. When an infection spreads from neighboring teeth, it usually shows in the form of a swelling in the oral cavity, like an abscess on gums. Another cause for reinfection is if the infected tooth was lying in the oral cavity for long and due to which, there was a large infection present in the bone before root canal therapy was initiated. No matter how well the root canal is done, if antibiotics are not taken and certain other precautionary measures are not followed, then the risk of such infection leading to a dental abscess cannot be ruled out.

No Crown or Faulty Crown
In most cases, your dentist will recommend you to go for a dental crown after your root canal treatment to protect the tooth from the onslaught of germs and bacteria that are present in the oral cavity and saliva as well as the ones which come - not to forget, from the food we eat. If you do not get a crown fitted, then there are chances that the tooth will get infected once again and your root canal will fail. Problem may also arise if you get a faulty crown fitted, or if after many years the crown has got a few cracks and has worn out a bit. In both these cases, there are chances that bacteria will seep in and cause an infection once again in the root canal treated tooth.

Tooth abscess treatment mostly depends on the underlying cause. In most likelihood, antibiotics will be prescribed to curb the infection and a re-root canal will be required. However, if the infection is too deep and the dentist feels the tooth is not salvageable, then the only option left will be to extract the tooth. Taking that into consideration, if you feel pain or find that there is a swelling associated with your root canal treated tooth, then a wise thing to do would be to pay a visit to your dentist before it is too late.