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.
Patching Up The Tooth
Root canals require making a hole in the tooth too large for a dental filling to handle long-term. For that reason, it’s typical for root canals to be finished off with a dental crown.
Some practices use CEREC same-day dental crowns, which makes the process fairly simple. The dental crown will be milled in-house, and you’ll leave the office after your procedure with the restoration in place.
However, not every practice has this technology. Some of them rely on a lab to construct their restorations, which takes a few weeks. It’s typical for these dentists to give the patients a temporary crown for a while that’s being done. This will be adhered with a much weaker cement than your final dental crown will be, so it’s usually necessary to be gentle with the root-canaled tooth until the final restoration comes in.
This may entail adopting a soft food diet for a few weeks, though you can ask your dentist in more detail how you can protect your temporary restoration once you get it.
Aftercare Discomfort
Much like the procedure itself, you may have heard some scary things about root canal aftercare. This aspect of the procedure is also a little bit misunderstood—the truth is that there will be some tenderness for a few days, especially in the area of the gums around the dental crown, but this should be fairly mild and go away on its own.
Until then, it’s typically enough to use over-the-counter pain relievers to manage the discomfort. If you find that this isn’t enough, or if you have symptoms of infection, you should contact your dentist and see if there’s a problem.
Ultimately, root canal aftercare isn’t all that scary. The toothache is gone, so you should bask in the much-needed sense of relief that comes from a healthy tooth.
About the Author
Dr. Teresa Knott knows that great care isn’t one-size-fits-all. She centers her dentistry around listening closely to what her patients need and making use of the latest dental technology to help them. Dr. Knott received her degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio before opening Town Center Dental in March 2006. In the interest of continuing her studies, she works with the Texas Dental Study Club, a branch of the Seattle Study Club.
If you have any questions about root canals, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (972) 530-5200.