Can my root-canal-treated tooth get infected again?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had a root canal done, and a crown was placed on the tooth. The crown had fallen off, so when I took the crown to the dentist to fix it, they took an X-ray of the tooth (the X-ray is attached below) and said that the tooth is infected again and needed a root canal.

Can the tooth that has already undergone a root canal be infected again? If yes, how can it be treated? Do I have to undergo a root canal again? I did not have any pain when the crown fell off, but now, after the crown is fitted again, I have severe pain when I bite on that tooth.

Could you please help me with the query?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I had gone through the reports (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity). The tooth can be infected even after the root canal, as there is a blood supply in the periodontal ligament.

In the X-ray, the distal root of the tooth shows an infection, and the crown is not fully prepared.

I suggest you take the following antibiotics:

Take the tablet Amoxicillin 500 mg twice a day for five days.
Take the tablet Aceclofenac twice a day for five days.
Do a warm saline rinse for five days.

The infection has to subside, then only crown preparation and crown placement can be done. After two or three weeks, once the infection has subsided, a temporary crown can be placed to maintain occlusion, and placement of a permanent crown can be done.

I hope this helps you.

Thank you.