4 Tips For Dealing With Pain After A Root Canal

A root canal is a procedure that your dentist will want to do for you if you have an infection that goes all the way to the root of the tooth. Since this procedure is very intensive and invasive to the tooth, you can experience some pain afterwards that you will want to know how to deal with properly. This will ensure that you recover properly. Here are four tips for dealing with pain after having a root canal:

  1. Take the Antibiotics: When you have a root canal done, your dentist is likely going to prescribe antibiotics for you to take in order to remove the infection completely. Without taking antibiotics, the infection can quickly grow back even after the root canal procedure is done. This is going to cause more pain and lead to even more oral health problems. The infection can spread to other areas, as well, which can lead to more root canal procedures or your dentist may even want to pull teeth at this point. 
  2. Take Anti-Inflammatory Medicine: After the procedure, your dentist will either prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine, or you can ask what over-the-counter medicine you can take to help the inflammation go down. Taking this type of medication can reduce swelling significantly, which is going to help you be more comfortable after the root canal procedure has been done.
  3. Eat Soft Foods for a Few Days: For a few days after the root canal procedure, try not to irritate the tooth with hard foods. You should be eating soft foods that are of a neutral temperature. Extreme hot or cold foods or drinks can make you uncomfortable, as well. Even while eating soft foods, avoid chewing on the tooth that has had a root canal to further prevent irritation.
  4. Use a Night Guard: If you grind your teeth at night, this can irritate the tooth that has had a root canal. The best thing to do is tell your dentist that you grind your teeth at night so they can provide you with a mouth guard that is going to protect the tooth that has had a root canal. This is also helpful in general since grinding your teeth can cause other problems with your oral health. A mouth guard is something that you can use every night from this point on. 

When you follow these four tips, you are sure to recover from a root canal with as little pain as possible. Contact a dentist, such as Samuel D Knight, DDS, for more information.   


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