My previous root canal has failed, Should I have the tooth extracted?

[Bez]

Hi

I had root canal treatment carried out on my back molar tooth about three years ago by a dentist in Germany and he said at the time that a file fractured in the tooth when he was doing the procedure and said that the likelihood of the tooth surviving was 50%.

I now have tremendous pain from the tooth when I chew on that tooth and recently a lump has come up on the side of tooth and bad tasting pus seems to be coming from the hole on the gum when I push the lump with my thumb.

I would like to know if at this point, I should have the tooth removed or have the root filling done again? Is there much hope of success if I have the root filling redone?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Thank you for your question.

The success rate with the re-root canal treatment very much depends on where in the canal the file has fractured and how much infection is present, how much of the tooth is left and how much bone loss has occured.

Some file fractures occur in very difficult to reach places in the canal and if this occurs, sometimes the tooth should be extracted especially if there is very little of the tooth left to restore.

You will need to see a dentist to assess the tooth but generally speaking success rate of re-root canal treatment is not as high as implant placement and in this situation you may be better off having an implant.