Pain after the root canal treatment is quite normal. It is expected because of the steps involved in the procedure. However, the pain should only be mild and tolerable. Severe pain even after the root canal treatment, might be an indication of possible post-treatment complication. Although it’s quite rare, there are still existing reports of people who experienced severe pain following the procedure.
The root canal treatment has a very high success rate, that is why it is recommended by your dentist as one of the best solutions to save the tooth from extraction. The possibility of complications is always present even with an efficient method such as this. Please visit this website: woononadentists.com.au to read more.
The Root Canal Treatment in a Nutshell
The root canal treatment is a major dental procedure that involves the thorough cleaning of the inside of the tooth to kill the nerves and remove the soft pulp. This procedure’s primary purpose is to save the tooth from extraction and prevent the spread of the infection. Once the infected pulp has been removed, and the tooth’s canals have been thoroughly cleaned, the tooth will be filled by a dental filling to prevent bacterial exposure and reduce the risk of re-infection. Depending on the severity of the case, the root canal treatment may require several appointments to complete.
How It’s Done
To better understand why you’ll experience tooth pain after a root canal, you must learn the steps involved in the actual procedure. That way, you can determine if the pain is typical or something that the dentist needs to check. Keep in mind that the root canal treatment area will feel pain and discomfort for a couple of days, but you should never feel severe pain. So, here’s a summary of the step-by-step procedure of the root canal treatment:
- Initial Diagnosis: Initially, your dentist will interview about your medical history. This step is to determine if you have specific allergies to antibiotics and other prescription medication used after the root canal treatment. Then your dentist will examine your mouth to check the status of the tooth that needs the therapy. X-rays are often required so that your dentist can get a better view of the inside of the tooth, to isolate which one needs to be appropriately treated. As soon as your dentist completes the initial diagnosis, the treatment plan follows.
- Anesthetic Administration: Anesthesia is administered to numb the gums for the procedure. In the past, the root canal treatment causes severe pain for the patients; that’s why it is often feared and avoided. But nowadays, the procedure is virtually painless. In some cases where the patient is too anxious to undergo the process, the dentist may recommend oral sedation to keep the patient relaxed during the entire procedure. This option is ideal for people with high levels of anxiety about dental work.
- The Crown Opening: The dentist will open the tooth using a dental drill attached with a dental burr. The saliva is drained to prevent microbial exposure. It is imperative to keep the spittle from getting into the teeth during the entire root canal treatment. Saliva may carry microbes that can increase the risk of infection.
- The Removal of the Pulp: The pulp inside the tooth is removed with small dental instruments. All canals are thoroughly cleaned to make sure that all possibilities of infection are eliminated. The roots, nerves, and cell tissues are all removed.
- The Tooth Shaping and Polishing: After removing the pulp, the tooth is shaped via the dental burr to smooth out the sharp edges. All signs of decay are polished until the tooth is cleaned all over. This step is done to make sure that all signs of deterioration are shiny.
- The Irrigation: The tooth is flushed with a disinfecting irrigant. This method is to ensure that all debris and blood are flushed-out from the hole of the tooth. The irrigant also acts as a disinfectant to kill the germs that caused the infection.
- Dental Filling: When the dentist is sure that the tooth is thoroughly cleaned and free of debris, a dental filling is prepared to fill the tooth’s hole. Gluta-percha is used to fill the tooth before the permanent filling. It is derived from the percha tree and can be absorbed by the body for natural healing purposes. In some cases, a temporary filling is applied if the root canal treatment requires multiple appointments. The filling is used to prevent microbial exposure.
Tooth Pain After Root Canal Explained
Now that you understand how complicated the root canal treatment procedure is, you’ll also realise that pain and discomfort are expected after the procedure. But as we mentioned earlier, the pain should last for a couple of days, and it should only be mild and tolerable. Your dentist will provide you with prescribed medication to alleviate the pain. However, if you encounter severe pain even after taking painkillers, please go to your dentist as soon as possible. Here are the possible causes of severe pain:
- Incomplete pulp removal
- Poor application of dental filling
- Inadequate cleaning of the canals
- Infection due to unsanitised dental instruments
Final Word
We highly recommend that you conduct a little background research of the dentist you chose to perform the root canal treatment. The procedure is highly complicated, and it requires expert execution. One of the possible causes of tooth pain after the root canal is shoddy dental work. If the dentist is under-qualified or lacking the experience, you are at risk of post-treatment complications. A little research will not hurt, so, please be sure to check the dentist’s credibility first. You can do this by checking the dentist’s certifications, reputation, and reviews online, about his/her past dental work. Keep in mind that previous patients’ testimonials will tell you a lot about what you need to know. The root canal treatment should be taken seriously every time.