Nonsurgical retreatment of teeth with periapical lesions previously managed by either endodontic or surgical intervention

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of nonsurgical retreatment of teeth with periapical lesions, which had been previously managed by either endodontic or surgical intervention, and to identify factors that might influence the prognosis. Study design. Seventy-five endodontically and 11 surgically treated teeth with persisting periapical lesions ranging in size from 2 to 11 mm in diameter were included in this study. The teeth were nonsurgically retreated, using calcium hydroxide as intracanal medicament, and were followed for a period of 2 to 8 years. Results. Clinical and radiographic assessment of retreatment showed that complete healing for all cases was 61.6% with an additional category of incomplete healing of 14%; 24.4% failed. The size of the periapical lesions and previous surgical treatment had marginally negative influences on the prognosis, but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion. The favourable results of this study demonstrated that nonsurgical root canal retreatment is an alternative to surgical intervention of postendodontic or postsurgical failure.