Root Canal Aftercare: What To Expect

Root canal therapy is a dental procedure performed on an infected tooth. The dentist will clean out the infected tissue and work on the canals of the tooth’s root, after which dental filling is applied to fill in the opening and restore the full function of your tooth.

After getting this procedure, your Oak Creek dentist will give you some recommendations regarding aftercare. A root canal is considered a rather serious dental procedure, so it is possible to experience some discomfort and even pain in the following days.

Aftercare is that more important if the root canal procedure left you with only a temporary filling or a dental crown.

What to Expect After a Root Canal?

Right after the procedure, you will likely still feel numb from the anesthesia, but once it wears off, you will begin to slowly feel a bit of tenderness or pain in the tooth. Patients can sometimes feel some jaw pain because of holding their mouths open for a long time during the procedure.

The good news is that all these symptoms will wear down in the next few days as the tooth begins to heal. Usually, your dentist will recommend taking some over-the-counter pain medication to manage the pain, but in some cases, you might be prescribed something stronger if the tooth infection was more severe.

How to Care for Teeth After a Root Canal

Apart from pain management, it’s important to continue your at-home oral hygiene and take a few precautions to help your tooth heal without causing you additional discomfort. Some aftercare tips for a root canal can include:

• Brushing your teeth after every meal
• Gently brushing over the infected tooth as it could be sore to touch for a while
• Eating on the other side of your mouth to avoid putting extra pressure on the tooth
• Eating softer foods that require less chewing at least the day of the treatment
• Avoiding sugary drinks or sweets
  

For severe infections, the dentist can clean the dental pulp and then apply another treatment directly into the tooth. They will close the area with a temporary filling, and after a few days, you will need to come back in to get your permanent filling or a dental crown, depending on how much tooth tissue was lost. 

You should take the same precautions even with a temporary filling to make sure you give the tooth all it needs to heal and complete your treatment. If the pain persists more than 2-3 days and you start noticing swelling or a fever, contact your dentist right away.

Stop by Oak Creek Dental Care for Your Best Dental Healthcare

Dealing with a tooth infection? Oak Creek Dental Care’s root canal dental services can help fix that! Schedule a visit with Dr. Ehsan Saleki now or call our office at (414) 762-9010 to find out more about our services.