If you have diseased tissue inside of the root of your tooth, then you may need to have a root canal. If this is the case, then you will want to know what to expect after you have had the procedure done, so you know how to best deal with things. Here are some things you want to be prepared for if you are going to be going in to have a root canal done on one of your teeth, and what you can do to get through these issues:
You will be numb for a while – When you leave the dental office after having a root canal, you can expect the area to be numb for a while. You don't want to try to eat anything while you still have this numbness. Otherwise, you will be at risk of biting your tongue or lip and you can bite it hard enough to cause an injury. Waiting to eat will also give the temporary filling more time for it to harden.
Swelling of the face is to be expected – When you have a root canal done, you should expect to experience some swelling. The swelling can cover more area of your face than simply at the root canal site. You want to ask your dentist what you can or can not take as far as medication goes. It should be fine to take something like Ibuprofen, but you will want approval before doing so. One thing that you can do to help control the swelling is to use ice packs on the swollen areas. You do NOT want to put heat on the swelling! You can hold the ice packs in place for five to ten minutes every hour. You will also want to use warm salt water rinses once an hour while the swelling persists.
Don't chew with that tooth right away and eat soft foods – Once you are ready to eat, you want to start out on softer foods and try chewing on the other side of your mouth for a bit. This will help you to baby the tooth, so it will start to feel better sooner.
Watch for the temporary filling coming out – You want to make sure you get right back into the dentist if you fear the temporary filling may have come out. You should know if this happens because you will have the strong taste of medicine in your mouth continuously.
Another option – If there are concerns about going with a root canal, the dentist may prefer pulling the tooth and replacing it with a dental implant. If you do go this route, you should know that a dental implant is a permanent tooth replacement that is fused to the bone, making it the next best thing to your actual tooth.
