Root canal treatment becomes essential when the pulp inside a tooth (which is the tooth's primary nerve) experiences infection and inflammation. This inflammation can be so extensive that the pulp expands and presses against the wall of the pulp chamber, which is extremely unpleasant for the patient. The pulp's chance of recovery (the condition is called irreversible pulpitis) is so low that it must be removed, after which its chamber is irrigated and filled in. This eliminates the source of infection and inflammation within the tooth, and also eliminates your discomfort. So, how long do the results last?

Misconceptions About the Results

There are some misconceptions about how long the results of a root canal will last. These misconceptions are often anecdotal, and perhaps you've heard from various family members, colleagues, friends, or friends of friends about how their root canal problem returned—leading to the assumption that this treatment only delivers temporary results. This is not unheard of, but it's not standard either. For most patients, the results of a root canal are permanent. So, why isn't this the case for everyone?

The Complexity of Dental Pulp

Dental pulp is not a self-contained unit of tissue. It's actually a complex part of your anatomy, containing multiple nerve endings and blood vessels across multiple layers. Root canal treatment doesn't simply involve your dentist opening the tooth and scooping out the problematic pulp. The pulp extends down to the tooth's roots, and many teeth have multiple roots, along with the pulp branching off from its main chamber. Removing the pulp is an intricate and delicate process. Occasionally, root canal treatments fail to remove the entire pulp, meaning that the initial infection and inflammation can return.

Additional Treatments

Root canal treatment should offer permanent results, but when the initial treatment was not as successful as hoped, re-treatment will be necessary. This requires an additional root canal treatment. Nobody will be overjoyed at this development, but re-treatment is the only effective course of action at this stage. Should your case prove to be more complex than initially thought, your dentist may recommend an apicoectomy. This is a surgical procedure which applies a filling to the tooth's roots, isolating it from the underlying soft tissues and preventing re-infection. 

It's not as though the effects of a root canal will wear off, and once a successful treatment has been performed on a tooth, the results will be permanent.

Contact a local dentist to learn more about root canal treatments.