How do you know that a root canal has failed ? what are the symptoms ?

[DaveDogge]

How do you know that a root canal has failed ? what are the symptoms ?

I'm asking because in 3 days time I'm having 4 root canals done on my front 4 lower incisors in preparation for a bridge to be inserted (I suffer from bruxism and my lower incisors are worn down to small stubs) and I was surprised to hear from some people on the web that some root canals fail and often have to be corrected.

I asked my dentist about this and he said 'well the nerves can be microscopic and veer off to the sides, partially inaccessible etc.'.

My question is just say a dentist doesn't get all of the nerve pulp out, supposedly this can have a negative impact in the future; how will I know that they haven't got all the nerves, necrotic tissues out of a tooth that they are doing a root canal on ? will I get a constant pain in a day, weeks after the procedure ? I don't want them to fit a bridge and then find out 4 months later that the root canal wasn't adequate and I have to have the entire bridge removed and then have another root canal done and then after this have the bridge to be refitted.

Note that because my lower incisors are so worn down there was talk that I would have to have a gum reduction performed on the lower incisors and have 'posts' inserted into the incisors but that will come later in this 'raising the bite' procedure which will take several months.

 

[Dr M]

Good day
Usually a failed root canal, will either be asymptomatic, and then turn symptomatic after a while. Sometimes you can also pick up radiological changes on the x-ray, associated with the root of the tooth.

 

[honestdoc]

Swelling, bumps with drainage like a pimple (fistula), and or pain. Sometimes the lesion on x-ray may stay present. I had a colleague surgically accessed the lesion only to find scarring in the bone and no disease.