What could cause severe pain a week after a root canal?!
Question: Usually, infection still present and active around the root tip of the tooth. When a root canal is performed, they clean out the roots of the tooth, but cannot clean out the bone area surrounding the tip of the root. This area many times has infection present before the root canal. After the root canal, the body is supposed to clear this infection, but does not always. Usually, you need to get a round of antibiotics from your dentist and let him/her check it. Usually, the round of antibiotics will clear this up. Rarely, this does not do the trick and an apicoectomy or retreatment of the root canal can be needed from an endodontist (specialist). There could have possibly been an extra root left untreated during the root canal procedure. This is a hidden canal a regular dentist may miss and an endodontist goes in with special cameras to find it and clean it. Or, the endodontist may need to do an apicoectomy procedure where the area around the tip of the root is cleaned to clear the infection in the bone area.
Answers: Usually, infection still present and active around the root tip of the tooth. When a root canal is performed, they clean out the roots of the tooth, but cannot clean out the bone area surrounding the tip of the root. This area many times has infection present before the root canal. After the root canal, the body is supposed to clear this infection, but does not always. Usually, you need to get a round of antibiotics from your dentist and let him/her check it. Usually, the round of antibiotics will clear this up. Rarely, this does not do the trick and an apicoectomy or retreatment of the root canal can be needed from an endodontist (specialist). There could have possibly been an extra root left untreated during the root canal procedure. This is a hidden canal a regular dentist may miss and an endodontist goes in with special cameras to find it and clean it. Or, the endodontist may need to do an apicoectomy procedure where the area around the tip of the root is cleaned to clear the infection in the bone area.
infection or a stumb that was left in.