When a previous root canal becomes reinfected or fails to heal completely, it can feel devastating — especially if you've already invested in treatment and crown placement. The good news: retreatment offers an excellent opportunity to save your natural tooth rather than extracting it and replacing it with an implant. At Dental Sedation Ottawa, Dr. Anatolij Koniouchine, DMD specializes in endodontic retreatment with a 70-80% success rate. With comprehensive sedation options and advanced techniques, we help patients who thought they'd lost their tooth get a second chance at comfortable, natural function.
Root canal retreatment is a specialized endodontic procedure performed when a tooth that has already received root canal therapy becomes reinfected or the original treatment didn't fully resolve the problem. During retreatment, we carefully remove the old filling material from inside the root canals, re-clean and disinfect the canal system, and place new filling material to prevent future infection.
Think of it as a "do-over" of the original root canal. The main difference is that removing old filling material is more technically challenging than treating an untouched tooth. The gutta-percha (rubber-like filling material) from the original procedure can be difficult to remove completely, and calcium deposits may have formed inside the canals. This is why retreatment typically takes longer than initial root canal therapy and requires skilled endodontic expertise.
Success rates for root canal retreatment are 70-80% when properly performed — excellent odds that save 7-8 out of every 10 previously treated teeth. The remaining cases may progress to extraction and implant replacement, but many patients prefer to attempt retreatment first because it preserves the natural tooth at a lower cost than implant replacement.
Retreatment is a more involved procedure than initial root canal therapy. We offer comprehensive sedation options to ensure you're completely comfortable throughout the process.
If you've had a root canal and notice any of these signs, contact us immediately for evaluation. Early intervention often makes retreatment more successful.
When a root canal fails, you have two primary options: retreatment to try to save the tooth, or extraction followed by implant replacement. Natural teeth always function better than replacements, and retreatment offers several significant advantages.
Preserve Natural Function: Even a retreated tooth with a crown functions better than an implant. Natural teeth transmit sensory information, distribute bite forces naturally, and maintain normal chewing efficiency.
Preserve Jawbone: Natural tooth roots continue to stimulate the jawbone, preventing bone loss. When a tooth is extracted, the bone supporting that tooth begins to resorb immediately.
Cost Effectiveness: Retreatment costs $1,200-2,000. Extraction plus implant placement costs $3,000-5,000 or more — often double or triple the retreatment cost.
Faster Treatment: Retreatment typically takes 1-2 visits. Implant treatment spans 6-12 months from extraction through final crown placement.
Fewer Complications: While retreatment has a 70-80% success rate, implants have their own potential complications: implant failure (2-5%), bone loss, sinus problems, and nerve damage.
We begin with a comprehensive examination including X-rays and sometimes 3D imaging (CBCT) to understand why your original root canal failed. Did a canal get missed? Is there new decay? Is the crown compromised? Understanding the reason for failure helps us address the root cause during retreatment.
The most technically challenging part of retreatment is safely removing all the old gutta-percha filling material without damaging the canal walls. We use specialized instruments, sometimes including ultrasonic devices and rotary files, to carefully remove the old material layer by layer.
Once the old material is removed, we thoroughly clean and shape the root canals again, removing any debris, bacteria, or calcium deposits. We use fresh disinfecting solutions — sometimes including medicaments like calcium hydroxide left between appointments — to eliminate infection.
Once completely clean and disinfected, we fill the root canals again with fresh gutta-percha and sealing cement. Modern sealing techniques and materials provide excellent long-term results. The goal is a completely sealed system that prevents any possibility of future reinfection.
We place either a temporary or permanent filling in the access opening. If your original crown is being reused, we recement it. If a new crown is needed due to decay, we place a temporary restoration and schedule the crown for a subsequent appointment.
Transparent Retreatment Pricing
Most dental insurance plans cover root canal retreatment at 50-80% when medically necessary.
We provide comprehensive documentation supporting insurance claims and offer direct billing to major insurers.
We also accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) for eligible patients.
Our patients consistently rate us 5 stars for gentle, anxiety-free care. Read verified patient experiences on Google.
View All Reviews on Google