Why Is My Root Canal Tooth Hurting Years Later?
A root canal relieves the severe pain you experience because of a damaged or infected tooth. But then why is your tooth that had a root canal years ago starting to hurt now? It can happen for different reasons. If you’re feeling concerned about your root canal tooth hurting years later, this blog will help you out.
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Possible Reasons Why Your Root Canal Tooth Hurts After Years
You’re probably thinking that a root canal is supposed to “fix” the tooth, so why is there pain now? It might be happening because of these reasons:
Reinfection
One of the most common causes is reinfection. What happens at times is that some of the bacteria survive even after a deep disinfection. This is more likely to happen if you have a complex canal system (curved canals or an extra hidden canal).
These bacteria proliferate and cause infection in the treated tooth. Your tooth may feel perfectly fine for years, while the bacteria keep building up.
In other cases, the bacteria may re-enter the tooth later from another opening.
Cracks or fractures in the tooth
A root canal tooth is more brittle than a healthy one. If you didn’t get a crown on your tooth soon after treatment, there’s a chance that a crack or fracture may develop, sometimes months or years later.
Decay around the treated tooth
Yes, it’s possible that a root-canal-treated tooth can still get cavities. Even though the pulp has been removed, new decay around the treated tooth gives access to harmful bacteria.
This can happen if routine oral hygiene is not maintained.
Damaged or loose crown
The reason dentists suggest putting a crown on a root canal tooth is to protect it. If the crown itself gets damaged or becomes loose, bacteria can easily enter the tooth.
Bite issues
Sometimes, the problem is not directly with the treated tooth. Instead, you might be having pain in your root canal tooth because of an uneven bite.
This type of pain gets triggered when you bite down on your teeth.
What to Do If You Experience Root Canal Pain Years Later?
Pain in any tooth is alarming, even more so if it’s a root canal tooth that’s hurting. Whether you’re having post-root canal pain months or years later, you should seek immediate dental care for it.
Trying home remedies or DIY ways won’t solve the issue. Reach out to your dentist as early as possible. They’ll do a clinical exam and take X-rays to find out the reason your tooth is hurting.
If the underlying problem is a reinfection, your dentist may suggest endodontic retreatment. Many retreatment cases are successful and help keep the tooth intact.
If there’s a problem with your crown fit or bite, your dentist will address it to relieve the pain in your treated tooth.
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Wrapping Up
Root canal treatment has a very high success rate. But sometimes, it’s possible to develop pain years later because of an underlying issue. If you feel there’s something wrong with your root canal tooth, reach out to our dental team at Ace Dental of Temple. Call us today.
Medically Reviewed
Aditi Gupta, D.D.S.
Dr. Aditi Gupta is a renowned family dentist, specializing in general, restorative and cosmetic dentistry at ACE Dental with 9 locations across central Texas. She has been an esteemed practitioner for over 12 years and earned her board certification from the American Board of General Dentistry as well as memberships in both the American Dental Association and Texas Dental Association.