Root canal therapy has a bad reputation. In the media, it is often portrayed as an extremely painful experience. You should not believe those exaggerated depictions. In reality, root canal therapy can be a surprisingly comfortable treatment, though you should expect some soreness and achiness after your appointment. Exactly how much pain is normal after a root canal? Continue reading to find out what you might experience during your recovery.
Soreness and Tenderness Are Expected
During your procedure, your dentist will remove the nerve from inside your tooth. That should put a complete and total end to any toothache that you were experiencing before your appointment. However, the treatment itself is likely to cause a different form of discomfort.
The use of dental instruments inside your mouth is likely to cause inflammation and tenderness, regardless of how gentle and careful your dentist is. Plus, the filling material that gets placed inside a tooth as part of root canal therapy can contribute to soreness and discomfort, particularly if the tooth is slightly overfilled, leading to interference with your bite.
Fortunately, most people are back to feeling normal within a week or so of their procedure. In the meantime, you can minimize discomfort by taking over-the-counter pain medications and sticking to a soft diet. It is also important that you get enough rest; overexertion could slow down your body’s ability to heal.
Extreme Pain Is a Red Flag
You should not notice any debilitating or extreme pain after your treatment. If you do, do not attempt to simply tough it out. Instead, give your dentist a call. It is possible that some infected tissue was left behind in your tooth. It can start a new toothache and necessitate root canal retreatment. (Do not let this possibility scare you; the overwhelming majority of initial root canals are successful.)
The need for a second root canal can pop up at any time, even years or decades after the initial treatment. At the first sign of discomfort in your treated tooth, it would be smart to book a dental appointment.
Of course, it is also possible that elevated pain after root canal treatment is not due to infected tissue. If you are accidentally too harsh during your oral hygiene routine, or you attempt to resume eating tough foods too soon, you may experience significant discomfort. Try to be patient with yourself and give your body plenty of time to recover.
Root canal therapy is not as scary as most people believe. If you follow all posttreatment instructions from your dentist, you will probably have an easy and problem-free recovery.
Meet the Practice
The talented team at New Haven Dental Group in Hamden proudly offers root canal therapy in a welcoming, modern environment. We offer anesthesia and sedation to make treatments as comfortable as possible, and we are always ready to answer patients’ questions about what to expect following a procedure. To learn more about us and how we may be able to serve you, reach out to our office at 203-587-7327.