Your dentist’s best advice and information after this procedure
Dental pain before, during, and after dental procedures is one of the more common reasons why people avoid the dentists. And this goes double for root canals, because they’re one of the most feared dental procedures out there. But there’s no reason for this, because dental procedures have improved a lot over the years.
In short, it isn’t uncommon for patients to experience pain post-procedure. It can take several days for ongoing and new pain to subside. It is important to remember that root canal treatment is invasive and requires time to heal. We encourage all of our patients to keep our phone number handy and keep in touch post-procedure so that we can provide ongoing advice and reassurance.
If you have a root canal and experience pain afterwards, here’s why and what to do about it.
1. Inflammation
When you have a root canal, it’s usually because of decay that has caused infection in the pulp of a tooth. Your dentist will remove the infected pulp and clear away the cause of the pain and inflammation. But if the infection has spread to the gums or surrounding tissue, it will still take time before the swelling around the tooth subsides. The procedure itself may also cause some inflammation. Just make sure you follow your dentist’s instructions about taking anti-inflammatory medications after your procedure and the pain should ease in a few days.
2. Too Large Fillings
When the pulp is scooped out of your infected tooth, your dentist will fill it with a rubber like material. If too much is used it will cause pain every time you bite. Fortunately, this is a simple problem to fix. Your dentist will just need to adjust the filling.
3. Surrounding Tissue Damage
Your dentist performs root canals all the time, and chances are that everything will go as normal. However, there’s always a chance that the surrounding tissue will be damaged by the procedure. This can occur in a variety of ways. The file used to clean the tooth can slip and poke into the tissue below, the bacteria can escape into surrounding tissue, or the filling can overflow. In all these cases you will just need time for the tissue to heal and then the pain will vanish.
4. Infection
5. Follow Pre-op Instructions
Your dentist will give you a list of instructions to follow in the hours leading up to your surgery. Make sure that you follow them to avoid problems during or after your treatment. Here are some instructions your dentist will give you:
Don’t eat or drink for between 6-12 hours before the surgery.
You mustn’t drive for 24 hours after, so make sure that someone is coming to pick you up afterwards.
If you’re anxious before your surgery, then let the dentist know because they have treatment options that can help.
Get plenty of rest in the week after your surgery.
Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:
Pain following root canal treatment can occur and is not an indication of a failed treatment. Give your mouth time to heal and keep in touch with your dentist for advice and reassurance.