I have a problematic tooth that has already been root-canaled and had an apicoectomy done, and it still has problems.

What are the pro and cons of retreating the root canal vs. getting it pulled? It is the second to last molar on the lower jaw.

Please share your experiences and thoughts! I don't want to go through um-teen procedures to try and "save the tooth" to only have it pulled in the end anyways.

FWIW, went through a nasty root canal, lower left, 2nd to last molar. It woudn't settle down. Dentist swore that I was not brushing properly and that there was no reason why it wouldn't settle down, other than it had to be my fault. After a few weeks, it did settle down. A couple of years later, it started up again and the decision was made (new dentist) to just pull it. There was a shadow on the xrays that looked like there was a small fracture in the root. Well, it turned out that the shadow was not a fracture, but an extra root that was growing horizontally into my jaw. That was what had caused the problem all along. Might be worth looking at.

Well I saw the endodontist again today. He took an x-ray, and says he sees no reason why I should be having pain in this tooth. But when he does the heat test, I have searing pain that shoots through the tooth, a tooth that is root canaled and has the root tips sealed off from the apicoectomy I had done a month ago! Go figure!

So he says he is "intrigued" and has offered to retreat the root canal for free. I figure it is worth a shot, since otherwise I'll end up pulling it anyways. I don't know what good can be acccomplished with the retreatment. He's going to have to go through the crown, and work around a post that is already in the tooth. He says the procedure should only take an hour, which seems fast to me.

So has anybody had success with a retreatment? Please, there have to be some stories with happy endings out there!

Indy Gal, maybe not a good story, but at least some company for your misery. I am still waiting for my apico to heal. The gum is still swollen and has seemed to stall at this point for a couple of weeks now.

Well, I can offer this. There is no good substitute for the original. I would try it again. besides, even if they do pull it, you still have to deal with the empty space. Just a different set of problems.

Good luck.

My experience: Had r/c performed by general dds, he messed it up so bad I ended up in emerg. room. Went back a week later, he did an apio and finished r/c with crown several weeks later. Still bothered me, kept returning and complaining to him, he gladly took my money ($2500)but did not stand behind his work. Eventually went to specialist,started apio and discovered first one was all messed up. This helped alot but still was not right, so he did retreat, helped even more, feels good majority of time, feels strange once in a while, but I think it continues to improve, does not control my life like before, hope this helps, get it retreated!

Indy gal,

The news about the heat test hurting is actually good news: There is another canal that the endo didn't find last time - that's the only way to still feel temperature in that tooth. So chances for success are quite good, and your endo is fair in doing it for free (it may be that all your problems with the tooth were due to this additional canal, and that the apico wasn't needed). Sometimes these little canals are really difficult to locate, as root canal anatomy varies (it has happened to my endo on me). Congrats!

Well that does sound somewhat encouraging. The truth is that this endodontist isn't who did my root canal in the first place, so he really didn't have to offer to retreat it free of charge. I guess he feels bad that I am still in pain after having the apico (which used up all my dental coverage for the year), plus he is curious to see what is going on in that tooth.

All I can say is I have nothing to lose, and that hopefully, the "third time will be a charm".

UPDATE: I just got back from having the retreatment done. First of all, it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I was nervous, but just numb (no laughing gas, no valium, nada) and honestly it wasn't that bad.

The good news is, there was some untreated canal that was only visible with the microscope. Turns out my back canal was kinda tear-drop shaped, and the "fin" off the top wasn't cleaned out or filled. So, hopefully now that that has been done I won't have any more problems with that tooth. (If I do, then it is definitely getting yanked!)

Right now it is still numb, so I don't know if it will feel anything tomorrow.... but at least there seems to be an explanation to the problems I was having.