I have had root canals on 2 molars. The first one was done twice and failed twice and was extracted. The 2nd was done two weeks ago and like the first one is sore to touch and unable to eat on that side. Any suggestions? Should I get this repeated? And what are the chances of saving the tooth? – Kathleen from Ireland
Kathleen,
Whether a root canal treatment is successful or not depends a lot on the techniques used and the skill of the dentist. It doesn’t sound like your dentist has a strong track record with root canal treatments.
But even when the treatment is done skillfully, sometimes they don’t work. But the chance that it will work should be a good 90 percent. But if that tooth never healed and is still sore to the touch and it hurts to where you can’t eat on it, and it is two weeks later – that isn’t a good sign. I’d go somewhere else and get a second opinion. If something is wrong, yes, I would have it re-treated if that can be done, preferably by a root canal specialist, but at least by a different dentist.
Root canal treatments can be done by general dentists with excellent success. But your dentist should refer you to a specialist when the difficulty of the case is beyond their ability. For a re-treatment, I would recommend going directly to the specialist.
I hope your dentist has at least reduced that tooth so that you don’t touch it when you clench your teeth. That’s a simple procedure that can make it a lot more comfortable right now.