Gangdong-gu Tooth Root Inflammation: Can a Tooth That Has Had Root Canal Treatment Still Hurt?

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic.

It can be really surprising when a tooth that has clearly already finished root canal treatment

suddenly starts hurting again,,?

Since the nerve has been completely removed,

it seems like there should be no sensation,

so why does a throbbing pain come back?

Today, together with a case of a patient who was worried about tooth root inflammation,

I’d like to explain the reason step by step.

Why does apical inflammation occur? Gangdong-gu Tooth Root Inflammation: Can a Tooth That Has Had Root Canal Treatment Still Hurt?

A condition where inflammation occurs at the tip of a tooth’s root

is called apical inflammation.

In simple terms, it means bacteria that traveled down through the tooth’s internal nerve canal

have passed the root tip and invaded the gum bone.

It can be compared to moisture building up at the foundation of a building,

leading to mold appearing.

When bacteria attack the surrounding bone at the root tip,

the previously solid gum bone gradually starts to dissolve.

Why does inflammation occur again even after root canal treatment? Gangdong-gu Tooth Root Inflammation: Can a Tooth That Has Had Root Canal Treatment Still Hurt?

We may think the cleaning was completed perfectly,

so why do bacteria become active again?

Our root canals are

too tiny to be seen with the naked eye,

and they are

extremely complex and intertwined, like a spider web.

No matter how carefully they are disinfected,

very small amounts of bacteria hidden inside microscopic canals

can multiply again later.

Or inflammation can recur when

small gaps form in the crown or prosthetic restoration,

allowing bacteria to invade again through those spaces.

What symptoms appear when apical inflammation develops? Gangdong-gu Tooth Root Inflammation: Can a Tooth That Has Had Root Canal Treatment Still Hurt?

The most typical symptom is a throbbing or sharp pain at the root

every time you chew.

Even when you are at rest,

the tooth may feel especially painful when tapped.

If the condition progresses further, a small

pus-filled bump may appear on the gum.

This is the process in which gas and pus that have collected inside

find a way out and break through the gum.

A case of a patient who visited because of a throbbing molar

Recently, a female patient visited our clinic because the back molar on the left side

kept throbbing.

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At first glance, the crowned tooth

looked perfectly fine,

and the patient also had already undergone root canal treatment on that tooth

two years earlier, so she was very puzzled about why it hurt again～

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However, when we took an X-ray,

can you see the dark area at the tip of the tooth root?

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When inflammation develops at the root tip and the surrounding bone dissolves,

it appears like that on the X-ray,

as a dark shadow.

The throbbing pain the patient felt

was a signal from the inflamed area inside the gum bone.

Why we recommended an implant rather than retreatment Gangdong-gu Tooth Root Inflammation: Can a Tooth That Has Had Root Canal Treatment Still Hurt?

In fact, I prioritize preserving natural teeth.

However, in this case, even with retreatment,

the success rate was expected to be very low,

and the prognosis was not good.

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Retreatment is the process of cleaning a site that has already been treated once.

It requires removing the previously filled hard materials one by one,,,

and if bacteria have already settled deeper inside,

the chance of treatment success drops significantly.

Retreatment: the existing materials are removed and the disinfection process is repeated several times

In this patient’s case, the tissue at the root tip was already loosened,

so if we tried to force preservation,

she could end up suffering even more.

As a doctor, giving up a precious natural tooth

is a very difficult decision, but,,

sometimes, to prevent greater harm,

a bold decision becomes much more beneficial for the patient in the long term.

So this time, we decided to proceed with the definitive solution:

an implant.

Implant and bone grafting, a 3-month wait Gangdong-gu Tooth Root Inflammation: Can a Tooth That Has Had Root Canal Treatment Still Hurt?

To replace the gum bone that had been lost due to inflammation,

a bone graft was performed at the same time as implant placement.

You can think of bone grafting as mixing rich new soil

into dry, depleted soil

that has lost all its nutrients.

That way, the implant tree can take root firmly without wobbling,

and a strong foundation is created that can hold up for decades.

When the foundation is strong, the restoration placed on top

can also be used comfortably for a long time, just like my own tooth.^^

Fortunately, the surgery was completed very stably.

251015

After 3 months, once we confirmed that the gum bone and the implant had firmly bonded as one,

we completed the custom zirconia prosthetic restoration as well.^^ 251015

2050508(before) 251015(after)

When a tooth that has had root canal treatment hurts again,

everyone worries, and it becomes hard to bring themselves to go to the dentist.

However, if even a small amount of pain is ignored and left untreated,

the gum bone that could have been saved may dissolve even more.

Rather than simply extracting the tooth without reason,

we present the honest path that is most beneficial for the patient’s condition.

If you are feeling discomfort even now,

don’t worry alone and please feel free to come in for a consultation.

Thank you.^^

▼Check the dental clinic location▼

Gangdong-gu Tooth Root Inflammation: Can a Tooth That Has Had Root Canal Treatment Still Hurt?

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02-481-4278

| This post was written directly by Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The information provided is for reference only, and we recommend that symptoms and the exact method of care be explained by medical professionals after visiting a medical institution. All procedures/surgeries performed at the dental clinic may involve individual risks (inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make your decision after sufficient consultation with the medical staff in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |