When patients talk to a dentist about the prospect of getting a root canal, they’re often corrected pretty quickly on some of the incorrect ideas that they have about the procedure. They usually discover that root canals aren’t nearly as scary as they’re made out to be and that the treatment itself is entirely painless.

But what about after the treatment? You thankfully won’t have a toothache anymore, but what will the weeks after the root canal itself entail? If you’re wondering, here’s what you should know.