Root Canal Injuries

Common Root Canal Errors

• Perforation: an instrument creates an unintended hole in the root or tooth structure, which can lead to infection or destabilize the tooth.
• Instrument separation: a small file or instrument breaks off inside the canal. This can sometimes be managed without long-term consequences, but if it isn't identified and addressed appropriately, it can lead to persistent infection.
• Missed canals: leaving an infected canal untreated because it wasn't identified, allowing infection to persist or spread.
• Overfilling or underfilling: filling material extruded beyond the root tip, or a canal left incompletely filled, both of which can lead to ongoing pain or reinfection.
• Missed diagnosis of a cracked tooth: treating a tooth with a root canal when the actual problem was an undiagnosed fracture, which a root canal alone cannot fix.

Was It Negligence?

General dentists routinely and successfully perform root canals, and endodontists (root canal specialists) handle more complex cases. Whether an error rises to malpractice generally depends on whether the dentist followed accepted procedure — including using adequate imaging, identifying the tooth's canal anatomy, and referring complex cases to a specialist when appropriate — and how they responded once a problem became apparent.

If the concern is a spreading infection rather than pain alone, see dental infection malpractice. For the broader legal question, see can I sue my dentist.