
The most common tooth that I find to have a root canal failure is the upper first molar, specifically the mesio-buccal root, which has two canals more than half the time.

In other cases, the additional canal may only be present 75% of the time. For example, some teeth will have two canals 95% of the time, which means that if only one canal is found, then the practitioner better search diligently to find the second canal not treating a canal in a case where it is present 95% of the time is purely unacceptable. Our general understanding of tooth anatomy should lead the practitioner to be able to find all the canals. The most common reason I see for root canal failure is untreated anatomy in the form of missed canals.

This article discusses five reasons why root canals fail, and how seeking initial root canal treatment from an endodontist can reduce the risk of root canal failure. When a root canal failure is present, root canal retreatment can often solve the problem. Do root canals work?” Although root canal failure is a reality, it happens more often than it should. I often hear patients say, “My neighbor says to not get a root canal, because he’s had three of them and each of those teeth have been pulled.
