While modern root canals are safe, effective procedures that usually eliminate tooth discomfort, if you’ve never had one, you may not know what to expect immediately after your procedure.
Here is a list of things to look for and be aware of in the days, weeks and months after your root canal treatment.
The first few days
- Don’t eat anything until the local anesthetic wears off, to avoid biting your cheek or tongue.
- Take over-the-counter or prescription pain relief medication as directed by your endodontist to deal with any discomfort after the procedure.
- To reduce post-operative swelling, you may apply ice on the cheek on the side of the face that is impacted. Try applying the ice for 10 minutes on, then 20 minutes off.
- Eat a soft diet for the first two days after the root canal. Avoid chewing directly with the tooth that received the root canal until a crown or other permanent restoration is in place.
- Brush and floss the affected tooth as you normally would.
The next few weeks
- Any discomfort you feel from the procedure itself should abate within 3 or 4 days. If it doesn’t, contact your endodontist immediately.
- If the temporary filling placed in your root canal comes out, have it replaced immediately. It’s normal to have a thin layer of filling wear off, but if all of it has come out, re-infection is a real danger.
- Make an appointment within two weeks of the root canal to receive a permanent restoration. A permanent filling or crown must be placed to ensure that bacteria don’t leak into the canal.
6 months and beyond
- It’s important to visit your endodontist occasionally after your root canal. He or she can monitor the impacted tooth and ensure the healing is continuing to progress properly.
- Although 95 percent of root canals are a success, it’s possible for a tooth to need retreatment later. The treated tooth can be damaged by injury, or become infected, or suffer extensive tooth decay, and need a root canal retreatment years or even decades later.
“Root canals are an easily tolerated procedure that is the treatment of choice to save an injured or infected tooth,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen of the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Understanding what to watch for during the post-op period will increase its likelihood of success.”