Are you struggling with toothache? What is preventing you from taking a root canal treatment? Root canal treatment is normally done when a nerve or blood vessel in one or more teeth gets infected due to an injury, trauma, or other diseases. This procedure will remove the damage caused in the tooth and reduces the risks of tooth decay.
Often feared for the pain and discomfort, a root canal treatment is a mostly safe option to prevent tooth decay and loss. Fear not of the pain it causes and think about the relief it will provide. Root canal treatment will bring back your smile without many complications.
Are you still in doubt? Read more of this article as it will help to understand all the major aspects of a root canal treatment and its pain ranging from the overview of the treatment and its procedure to its recovery period and tips for alleviating pain.
Overview Of Root Canal
A root canal is a dental treatment performed to deep clean the infections inside the inner chambers of a tooth. By cleaning the infections in the initial stages, this treatment avoids the situation of tooth removal. A root canal will be concluded when your tooth pulp is affected by the bacterial actions causing pain and discomfort.
This problem which may spread to other teeth can be identified by pain while chewing, eating, and drinking hot or cold drinks. Although these symptoms may reduce with time even without treatment, they can lead to more complications with time.
A dentist or oral expert performs a root canal treatment. You will be given a local anesthetist before starting the treatment. Later, the dentist will place a thin piece of rubber on your affected tooth and nearby gums and drill a hole in your tooth’s crown.
The infected nerves, tissues, and blood vessels will be removed from your pulp and after cleaning, the pulp will be filled with a flexible dental material. As the last step of the root canal, your tooth will be sealed with a temporary dental filling and a crown placed on your treated tooth.
Understanding Pain After A Root Canal
Experiencing pain after a root canal treatment is quite normal. Even after a safe and successful treatment people experience pain.
This pain which lasts from three to five days may also be accompanied by sharp and intense pressure, mild inflammation inside or outside the mouth, and sensitivity to cold or hot things.
All these symptoms are normal after a root canal treatment and there is nothing to worry about if you experience it for the first few days of the treatment.
Reason For Pain After A Root Canal
Some of the most common reasons that lead to pain after a root canal treatment are:
- Inflammation in the tissue
The tissues around the gums may remain swollen even after the treatment. It occurs mainly because of the small nerves in the ligaments and tissue. Although the infected nerve is removed from the tooth root, these remaining small nerves lead to swelling causing pain and discomfort.
- Instrument damage
The damage caused to the surrounding tissue by the instruments used in the root canal treatment may lead to persisting pain and swelling.
- Temporary filling
If the temporary dental filling in the tooth is not leveled properly, it will stay elevated than the surrounding area. As a result, the chances of biting that spot while eating are higher. This can cause intense pain.
How Long Does It Take To Recover After A Root Canal?
Normally, it takes almost a week to recover from root canal treatment. Most people experience a reduction in pain and discomfort within three to five days. However, this recovery period may vary according to the patient’s health condition. Some people might take over a week to relieve the pain and discomfort. But, if the problems persist consult your healthcare provider to avoid further complications.
Can Root Canal Fail?
Root canal is mostly safe with over 90% success rates. However, like all other medical procedures, there are instances when a root canal might be a failure. Although rare, such instances can be mainly identified by the unimproved pain from the treated teeth. Some other common symptoms include:
- Bleeding and swelling in the gums
- Fluid discharge from the treated tooth
- Persistent tooth sensitivity
- Dark and discolored tooth
- The infection spreads to other body parts causing various issues like sinus infection
Tips To Manage Pain After A Root Canal
Although you inevitably have to tolerate a moderate amount of pain after a root canal treatment, there are ways in which you can reduce the intensity of it. Some of the self-care methods that help to relieve pain are:
- Eat soft well-cooked foods like mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, yogurt, and smoothies.
- Avoid chewing with your treated teeth.
- Avoid smoking as it will increase the recovery period of root canal treatment.
- Clean your teeth after every meal.
- Use antibacterial mouthwash.
When To Consult A Doctor?
As mentioned before, root canal pain will decrease over time. However, some people may experience swelling and pain even after a week of the treatment.
In some cases, people do not gain any improvements in their condition even after using painkillers and over-the-counter medicine. All these symptoms denote the possibility of infections or other problems.
So, if you face pain and discomfort after five days of treatment without any improvements, you must seek medical help.
Conclusion
A root canal is a common dental treatment that helps to prevent tooth removal due to bacterial infection. This process involves removing the infected nerves, tissues, and blood vessels from the root of the tooth and cleaning that spot. A temporary dental filling will be used in the disinfected area as part of this process. It is normal to experience pain and discomfort during and after the root canal treatment. The pain which lasts for three to five days will reduce over time.
The pain after a root canal persists for several reasons including inflammation in the tissues, damage caused by dental instruments, or uneven filling of the temporary dental filling. However, if the pain remains for over five weeks disrupting your daily activities by causing immense pain, you must consult your healthcare provider. In such cases, there are higher chances of further infections.
As mentioned it is inevitable to experience pain after a root canal. However, eating soft and well-cooked foods, avoiding smoking, using antibacterial mouthwashes, and cleaning the teeth after every meal will help alleviate the pain after the treatment.
FAQs
In normal cases, the pain after a root canal treatment lasts for three to five days post-treatment.
Although the pain worsening after a root canal is rare, it happens when the nerve remains sensitive even after removing the affected nerve.
A root canal takes one to two weeks for initial recovery.
Yes. A throbbing pain is normal for three to five days after a root canal. However, if the pain lasts longer you must consult a medical professional.
Although chances of root canal failure are rare, symptoms like persisting tooth sensitivity, jaw swelling, tooth discoloration, and pain in the tooth that has undergone a root canal denote that the root canal has failed.
Using home remedies like applying ice packs, using salt water, eating cloves, and altering your lifestyle by avoiding alcohol and smoking will help reduce root canal pain.
