Do you have a root canal scheduled soon? Or did you have one recently and are feeling the brunt of its pain at the moment?
We hear you. For the unfamiliar, a root canal is a dental procedure that involves extracting a pulp-filled cavity and infected nerve endings inside a tooth and then replacing the infected cavity with a special filling to seal the space.
While the dental procedure itself doesn’t cause immediate pain due to the administration of local anaesthesia (although slight pressure and discomfort can be felt by some), it’s normal for people to feel sharp pain up to two weeks following the procedure.
Furthermore, how deep an infection was could also prolong or shorten the recovery time. The deeper the infection is, the longer it’ll take for you to fully remove the pain coming from the procedure.
That said, it’s typically the case for the pain to subside over time, no matter how severe the initial infection was.
On top of that, you can also adopt some healthy dental lifestyle habits, based on your dentist’s advice, to speed up recovery.
Want to know what these habits are to heal from your root canal procedure faster? Here are seven helpful tips to help you speed up recovery from a root canal procedure.
1. Apply ice packs in the first few days
One of the most common complaints patients have the first few days after a root canal is sharp pain and discomfort. The area of the mouth that’s been operated on may start to swell and inflame in these early stages of recovery.
During this time, you can try using ice packs to minimise swelling intensity. Apply cloth-wrapped ice packs or cold compress for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, as often as six to eight hours throughout the day.
Icing an injury can numb the pain and reduce inflammation. The cold temperature constricts the blood vessels and can even stop bleeding. Continue icing your root canal until the pain starts to subside.
2. Avoid eating until the anaesthesia wears off
The applied anaesthesia can last for up to 5 hours post-root canal, causing your mouth, face, tongue, and lips to become numb.
The numbness can be deceptive, as your teeth are very much in a sensitive state a few hours after the surgery. They’re delicate and need to be treated with extra care. This means stopping yourself from giving in to food cravings and teeth grinding immediately after the surgery.
If you choose to eat food right after surgery, you risk causing further harm and complications to your operation. This can cause you to accidentally bite your newly-operated tooth, which can displace the temporary crown and the filling inside it.
3. Eat only soft and cool foods for the first few days
Once the anaesthesia wears out, you’re sure to feel a degree of pain in your mouth. Don’t try to push your luck and eat as you usually do during this state—your teeth are still hypersensitive and in recovery.
Up to five days after the surgery, consider eating only soft and cool foods. It may not sound like the most appetising thing, but trust us, your mouth will be happier that you’ve done it.
Yogurt, scrambled eggs, applesauce, and cold soup are great things to incorporate into your diet since they don’t interfere with your operated tooth as much. Cold desserts like ice cream and smoothies are also very much welcomed into your diet.
On the flip side, crunchy and chewy foods like nuts, steak, and crackers can damage the delicate tissue surrounding your tooth, which can complicate your operation and delay the healing process.
With that, it’s a good idea to sacrifice your foodie temptations if you want to recover from your root canal quickly.
4. Continue to brush and floss regularly
Your recent root canal operation is no excuse for skipping basic dental hygiene. However, if you feel pain when attempting to brush normally, then consider using a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently stroke your treated tooth.
The rest of your mouth can be brushed as normal and at normal intervals of about three times a day.
Flossing is also highly recommended, as doing so can prevent gunk and leftover residue from calling your treated tooth (and other parts of your mouth) their new home.
Of course, you’ll also have to be gentle when flossing your tooth as it may disturb the filling and crown. Flossing once a day before bed is typically considered a sound habit if you’ve gone through root canal therapy.
5. Avoid participating in strenuous activities
If exercise is an integral part of your daily routine, you may feel awful disrupting your rigid schedule in favour of recovering from a tooth surgery.
However, it’s essential to stop these physical activities temporarily, as engaging in these sports is one way to slow down post-surgery recovery.
To explain the science behind it, when you undergo intense exercise, your blood flow starts to peak due to the increased demand for energy. This can cause more blood to circulate around the body, including the teeth.
Since your teeth aren’t fully recovered yet, this enhanced blood flow can overflow and cause your mouth to swell and bleed. This is not only unsightly, but it can also land you in the emergency room if it persists.
So do try to lay off exercise for about a week or two after a root canal surgery.
6. Get ample rest for the first few days
Your mouth has undergone a major change after a root canal, and it’s natural for your body to take time to adapt. Instead of pushing yourself back to your normal routine, you should rest up for a rapid recovery.
Adequate rest can help your body heal without further complications. While the downtime may feel unnecessary, allowing your body to heal is important in the grand scheme of things.
In fact, some dentists may even tell you to take a day or two off of work so you can stay in bed and recover quickly, with the help of adequate sleep and ice packs, of course.
In these cases, we’d definitely side with the dentist in obtaining ample rest—especially if your goal is to restore your smile in next to no time.
7. Talk to your dentist if your crown is giving you problems
You should constantly remain on top of your mouth’s health status the days after the surgery. While many surgeries go on to heal completely on their own, some may not recover as quickly due to a variety of factors.
One of the most common problems after a root canal is crown loosening. This can be accompanied by discomfort, swelling, and gum sensitivity, among other symptoms.
Furthermore, you may also go on to develop infections following a root canal. Signs you may have it include persistent swelling, rashes, hives, and ineffective pain medication.
In such cases, contacting your dentist is necessary as they can help identify the root cause of the problem and prescribe the appropriate treatment for it.
