Endodontists perform millions of root canal procedures every year and, by doing so, preserve teeth for their patients who are rescued from pain and infection. Modern root canals are painless thanks to advances in dental technology and treatment. Root canals performed by our dentist in NW Calgary solve the pain of an infected tooth. Having a root canal procedure is the first step toward a pain-free smile. But it’s not the last one.
Before understanding what to expect following a root canal, let’s cover some basics. Understanding what happens during a root canal in NW Calgary can help you understand what you’ll experience afterwards and give you the information you need going into the procedure.
What is a root canal?
Every healthy tooth contains a pulp chamber that holds living tissue and an area called a root canal. That root canal comprises connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. The pulp chamber inside your tooth can become infected, inflamed, and even filled with pus due to repeated dental work, broken or otherwise damaged teeth, and tooth decay.
What does an endodontist do during a root canal? Your NW Calgary endodontist will remove the infected and inflamed pulp from the inside of the tooth. Then, your cleaned tooth will be sealed with a material called gutta-percha. The loss of that pulp inside your tooth does not affect your use of that tooth going forward. You’ll be able to bite, chew, and sense normally after fully healing.
What happens after a root canal?
There are three elements to remember about the days and weeks following a root canal procedure.
- You may experience pain. A root canal is painless thanks to the technology and equipment that dentists near you have access to. However, you may experience pain and discomfort in your jaw for a few days after the anesthetic wears off. Use over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil) or naproxen (e.g., Aleve) as your dentist recommends.
- Complications are possible. As with any medical or dental procedure, complications are possible but uncommon. Root canals have a success rate of approximately 95 percent. If the restoration of your tooth proves only to be temporary or develops a new crack, a new infection of the remaining pulp in your tooth is possible. Keep in touch with our dentist about any unexpected symptoms after your procedure.
- Even without complications, additional appointments will be necessary. The tooth treated in the root canal is left with a gap where the tooth’s interior was accessed. The tooth was sealed and likely filled with a temporary filling. A permanent restoration will be necessary. Our dentist in NW Calgary will recommend the best solution for you.
How can you speed up your recovery?
As we said, it’s normal to experience some pain from the physical experience of having undergone a dental procedure. That discomfort is temporary. You can do a few things to promote your complete recovery.
Don’t eat right away, and certainly not until the numbness in your mouth has disappeared fully.
Once you begin to eat, be careful not to chew or bite directly with the tooth that underwent the root canal until you feel no tenderness around that tooth.
Don’t prematurely end your root canal treatment by settling for the temporary filling placed in your tooth at the end of the root canal. Commit to a complete resolution of the pain that brought you to the dentist in NW Calgary in the first place — finish your treatment by getting a permanent filling.
If you’ve been living with the pain of an infected or damaged tooth, you’ve lived with it for too long. A root canal from a dentist in NW Calgary can solve that pain. With more information about what to expect, are you ready to take the next step toward a pain-free mouth? If so, call a dentist near you.
