Asked and Answered: Will I Have Pain After a Root Canal?

How can one tooth cause so much pain? You hang up the phone with your dentist having scheduled an emergency appointment, anticipating that you’ll need a root canal. Perhaps this idea worries you. As bad as your toothache is now, you wonder if it’ll be any better after root canal treatment. Will it hurt afterward? Will the procedure be painful and have a long recovery?

Answering these questions can give you peace of mind about the treatment you’ll receive and help you know what to expect.

What Happens During Root Canal Treatment

Before you consider pain after a root canal, you should be familiar with what happens during this treatment. Unlike in the past, this treatment itself doesn’t hurt; you may feel pressure in your mouth while your dentist works, but it shouldn’t be painful. After numbing your mouth with a local anesthetic, your dentist delves into the tooth enamel and removes the decayed or damaged interior structure. This includes the tooth’s nerve, which extends into the tooth’s roots. For molars, this step usually takes more time to remove the pulp from each root properly.

How the Aftermath of Root Canal Treatment Should Go

As the anesthetic gradually wears off, it’s not uncommon to feel soreness or even mild to moderate pain. However, you should easily manage this discomfort with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Over the course of a couple days, the pain should subside.

In the days following your root canal, you shouldn’t eat hard or crunchy foods because these can heighten the discomfort. As you resume a normal diet, you should be able to tolerate these foods without pain.

What Pain After Root Canal Treatment Could Mean

If you experience significant or lasting pain following root canal treatment, it could mean that the infection wasn’t completely cleared from all of the roots. Sometimes, treatment requires two appointments to finish the entire process.

Substantial pain also could mean that an adjacent tooth has become infected and is now hurting, but your dentist would likely have identified the cavity sooner.

When to Seek Help

In any case, pain that lasts more than a few days, that is accompanied by a fever or increasing swelling, or that is not manageable with over-the-counter medication shouldn’t be ignored. You need to contact your dentist, so you can overcome the discomfort and have a functional smile again.

In the end, after treatment, your toothache should feel much better. Although you could face some discomfort for a few days, your mouth should feel back to normal soon. So hold on—root canal treatment is coming to relieve your pain!

About the Practice

At Creative Dental Concepts, Dr. Gregory Craybas and Dr. Donald Crumb have years of clinical experience and advanced training and apply this knowledge in every appointment. They are happy to see patients on the same day for emergency treatment and offer root canal treatment to relieve pain. If you have a toothache or another dental emergency, you can contact the Syracuse office online or call 315-475-6641.