My daughter had a root canal treatment a little over a year ago. Since then, she has had two salivary gland infections near where the root canal treatment was. Is it possible this root canal has failed and is leaking in a way that is causing her salivary gland to become infected?
Laurie
Dear Laurie,
It is theoretically possible. There is a super easy way to find out. I would take her to the dentist and have him do an x-ray on the area that had the root canal treatment. If the root canal failed, the x-ray will make that known. If the root canal has not failed, then that will not be the cause. In that case, an ENT would be my next step.
What to do about Root Canal Failure?
When a root canal treatment fails, you have a couple of options. The first is to have a re-treatment done. It’s not a dental emergency if she is not in pain, then I would not consider it a dental emergency. Just getting a re-treatment can often solve the issue. Be aware, however, that with each re-treatment your chances of a successful outcome go down.
Your second option is to have the tooth extracted and then replaced. This is usually considered a last resort treatment option because it is always better to have a natural tooth in place. If after a couple of root canal failures, it really may be time to give up on that tooth. Tooth replacement options have really improved. In your place, depending on her age, I would get her a dental implant. If she is too young for a dental implant, then you can get her a dental flipper and replace it with an implant when she is old enough.
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