Follow-up appointments that confirm your root canal treatment has healed, at Highfield Dental Clinic, Edgbaston.
Healing after root canal treatment happens gradually and often silently. A review confirms objectively that the tooth is settling as it should.
An endodontic review is a follow-up appointment after root canal treatment, usually arranged around a year afterwards and sometimes again later. Its purpose is to confirm that infection has resolved and the bone around the root tip is healing.
Bone healing takes months to appear on an X-ray, which is why reviews are scheduled well after treatment. A comfortable tooth is encouraging, but it is not proof of healing, as infection at the root tip is often entirely painless.
Due a follow-up after root canal treatment in Birmingham? Our experienced team will check that your tooth is healing as expected.
The appointment is short and straightforward. It usually involves:
Your clinician will show you the comparison so you can see how the area around the root has changed.
A root-treated tooth relies on a well-sealed permanent restoration. If the filling or crown leaks, bacteria can travel back down the canals and cause reinfection, however well the root treatment was carried out.
For this reason, the review checks the restoration closely as well as the root filling. Teeth that were temporarily restored and never definitively rebuilt are at particular risk. Where healing is incomplete, options include continued monitoring, retreatment or root canal surgery, and your clinician will explain which applies to your tooth.
Typically around a year after treatment, as bone healing takes time to become visible on an X-ray. Some teeth are reviewed again later.
Yes. Infection at the root tip is often painless, so a comfortable tooth is not proof of healing. The X-ray provides the objective answer.
Usually, as comparing images is the only reliable way to assess healing. Your clinician will explain why it is needed before taking it.
Options include continued monitoring, root canal retreatment or surgery such as an apicectomy. Your clinician will explain which is most appropriate.
Yes, if they have the original images to compare. Where treatment was carried out here, reviewing it here allows direct comparison.
There is a fee for the review appointment and any X-ray taken. Our team will explain the cost when you book.
