
You know a root canal is a big procedure. It involves treating the tooth whose nerve is damaged due to infection or decay. You go for this treatment to preserve the natural tooth, avoid any harm to the gums and keep away the use of an artificial teeth. Naturally, the procedure will be complex, so pain after a root canal is quite normal.
The dentist will do a deep cleaning inside the canals of your teeth which can cause irritation to the nerves and gums in the surrounding area. The pain you experience can be severe, but it won’t last forever. In the fact, the treatment is there to save you the very harsh pain in future that a fractured or decaying tooth may cause.
So, if you’re going for a root canal, it’s better to be prepared for mild to moderate pain for a few days at least. And even the discomfort does not go away, you must consult the dentist and seek help.
Here are some tips to use when having pain after root canal treatment –
- Take antibiotics as prescribed by the dentist
You just can’t wish away pain after undergoing a root canal treatment. Some discomfort will always be there even if the procedure has largely been pain-managed. Your tooth and gums will be tender for a short time after the procedure and they will remain the same throughout the recovery process. You however must take the antibiotics prescribed the dentist. Such medication becomes necessary when the tooth is infected. You however need to understand that it generally takes 1 to 2 days for antibiotics to work. You should nonetheless take it and go for the desired recovery.
- Relieve pain with anti-inflammatory medication
Pain will be there during your recovery with root canal. To relieve the discomfort, you can take anti-inflammatory medication and reduce inflamed periodontal fibres. This is how your tooth heals and you gradually start feeling comfortable. The ligaments that anchor the tooth to the bone get inflamed and thus cause pain. You however can rely on the anti-inflammatory medication prescribed by the dentist and make your healing comfortable. To get quickest possible healing and pain relief after the treatment, you can also go for gentle yet through cleaning of the infected areas that caused the need for the treatment.
- Wait for some time for pain to go away
Your dentist won’t have any magic wand to make the pain go away immediately after a root canal. It takes time and you must understand that well. Unless the concerned tooth and areas around get settled, the pain and discomfort won’t go away. All this takes time of at least 2 to 3 days. You should know the dentist has removed infected nerves so that your tooth needn’t be taken out completely. You should also stay away from either grinding your teeth or cleaning your jaw muscles else it can further aggravate the pain and make elongate the recovery by a day or two.
- Eat soft foods and chew on the opposite side
There will be some eating-related restrictions to follow when you have undergone a root canal treatment. Naturally, the dentist will ask you to stay away from hard or tough or crunchy foods for a few days else they could damage the tooth further and cause severe pain along the way. To reduce the pain, stick with softer foods and start chewing on the opposite side. You must avoid putting extra stress or pressure on the recently treated tooth else there might be danger of your brittle tooth getting chipped or fractured and causing more pain.
- Keep your tooth safe with a crown
It’s good to have a crown coated around the treated tooth to keep it safe and put it away from the harm’s way. Getting a crown placed over the root canal treated tooth can not only keep it functional but will also avoid it from further pain and fracture. Unless the crown is placed, your tooth will always be at a risk from some foods or your habits of grinding or clenching. So, it’s always recommended to get a crown around the tooth and let it heal so that it can return to being its functional best earlier than you anticipate.
- Look for more ways of pain management
Your pain may persist even after you take medications and follow what the dentist prescribed. And if you continue to feel discomfort, it’s always better to consult the dentist and see what can be done more. For pain beyond root canal, it’s good to look for other ways of pain management. You can quit smoking, consider yoga or meditation or tai chi to take focus off the pain. All this won’t add up to your root canal cost, but they will help greatly for sure.