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Dental Instrument broke and left behind after a root canal.?
I had a root canal in February. It took about 2 months for the tooth to fully recover. I was in a ton of pain. when I went back to the Dentist b/c the pain was just too much he said it was b/c the tooth needed to be shaved down. Well it took 2 months and TONS of Advil for it to finally feel better. I recently went back b/c of excrutiating pain and it turns out a canal was left in the first time and the tooth was infected. The Endodonsit (different Dentist) found a piece of metal from an instrument jammed in my mouth and couldn't remove it. Is this why I got the infection? Is this malpractice? How common is this? Thanks for your answers. I really appreciate it!!
4 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
It is not unheard of for a dentist to brake an instrument in a canal. It can be left there with no problem and then sometimes it can create a problem.
The fact that makes me sounds suspicious is that after the root canal the dentist is supposed to take another x-ray and review his work. The dental instrument SHOULD have been noticed then and you SHOULD have been informed. I would ask for a copy of his dental notes (by law they must give this to you) and see if he noted it but never said anything. Also, get a copy of all x-rays taken that day. There should at least be two: pre operative & post operative. If it was noted but not told to you I would ask Dentist #2 to write a letter stating his findings and if he can professionaly express that Dentist #1 was at fault you have a malpractice case.
Source(s): Dental Staff Professional - ponyboy 81Lv 51 decade ago
If one of the instruments from the original treatment broke in a canal, it may have prevented the canal from being properly cleaned and sealed. If an endodontist could not remove the instrument, the prognosis for that tooth is questionable at best. (It may continue to get re-infected). Endodontic files are small and can break. I hope your tooth can be saved.
Source(s): Endodontics 101 at UMKC School of Dentistry - DebiLv 41 decade ago
Yes, that is probably why you got an infection. Yes, that is malpractice. No, this is NOT common. I would suggest asking the endodontist to make sure he has totally noted all of this in your record and see an attorney. The dentist who did this to you is the one who scares most people from seeing a dentist in the first place!
