How long soreness after root canal

As your body heals, the area around the tooth might feel a bit sore and tender, explains Bupa. Some people also have a sore jaw after their root canals, since the procedure requires them to have their mouths open for a longer period of time. If you have moderate pain, over-the-counter pain relief may help. Your dentist might prescribe you stronger pain relief, which you can take as directed. Just remember that prescription pain relief can make you drowsy and might interfere with your ability to work, drive or go about your day.

How you care for the tooth and the rest of your mouth after a root canal can play a role in how much discomfort you experience. It's common for a dentist to place a crown or restoration over the affected tooth after a root canal. You might not receive the restoration the same day, so be careful about chewing on the treated tooth until the crown is placed.

When it's fine to brush your teeth again, consider brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush. It's also a good idea to wait until any anaesthetic the dentist gave you during the root canal wears off before you resume eating and drinking.

If you eat while your teeth and gums are still numb, you might accidentally bite your inner cheeks or tongue. Although it is normal to expect some discomfort as your body heals after a root canal, how do you know if you're experiencing too much pain? There are a few ways to tell. If the pain you're feeling is so severe that you can't go about your normal life, you should definitely contact your dentist. If the final filling or crown is even a fraction too big, it hits the opposite tooth with too much force compared to surrounding teeth, which can cause pain after a root canal.

Fortunately, this is an easy fix. The dentist simply needs to adjust the filling or crown to remove the high spot on the tooth, though the pain may still linger for three to five days. During a root canal treatment, the dentist washes the tooth roots with sodium hypochlorite, a solution that kills bacteria, dissolves any remaining nerve tissue and washes away the slurry that accumulates during the process.

In rare cases, some solution can leak out of the root tip, causing immediate pain, even with the area still numb. After the dentist flushes and dresses the area, you may need to take antibiotics and painkillers for a few weeks until the pain subsides. Teeth have several canals and some of them are difficult to detect, especially in molars.

If a nerve is left behind, your tooth will remain sensitive to hot and cold as it was before the procedure. If bacteria are causing an infection, the tooth will be sensitive to pressure. Sometimes, the spaces left for bacteria to reside in are microscopic and found in the very tip of the root. Is pain normal? Should you be worried if your tooth hurts after a root canal? This is normal and a relatively common issue. Soon, the discomfort will go away, but until then, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

There are a few reasons that you may experience some pain even though the nerve of your tooth has been removed during root canal therapy.

First, the surrounding nerves in the nearby ligaments and tissue may be swollen or inflamed, which can cause some discomfort and pain. In addition, root canal therapy requires the use of sharp dental instruments to clean out the root canal. Gary P. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget.

Call us at to make an appointment. Get Directions.