Root Canal Treatment Weatherford

Why Do I Need a Root Canal If My Tooth Doesn’t Hurt?

Intense tooth pain often leads people to their dentist’s office only to discover they need a root canal. However, just because you don’t feel any tooth pain doesn’t mean that everything is fine. Your tooth’s nerves may have “died” due to trauma or infection without first feeling any discomfort, and so your tooth is no longer capable of feeling pain. Biannual dental exams are crucial to allow your dentist in Weatherford to check for any signs of trouble that you may not have noticed.

How Long Do Root Canals Take?

Although root canal treatment can usually be completed in one appointment, it may sometimes require two sessions. During your first visit, our dentist will place a temporary antibacterial medicine inside the tooth to relieve your pain. Then, you’ll return to the office at a later date to have the inside of your tooth cleaned out. In most cases, the procedure will take 30-90 minutes. Of course, the amount of time varies depending on the location of the tooth. Molars have more root canals that must be disinfected than front teeth, so root canal therapy for back teeth usually takes more time.

Are Root Canals Safe?

Faulty research conducted almost a century ago led to persistent rumors claiming root canals are unsafe and increase your risk of various medical conditions. However, the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) has thoroughly debunked this idea. Root canal treatment performed by a qualified dentist is quite safe with a success rate of about 95 percent. As with any medical procedure, there is a very small chance of some bacteria remaining in the tooth after a root canal and causing reinfection. It’s important to play it safe, so be sure to let your dentist know if you experience intense swelling, pain, or fever in the days after your root canal.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Root Canal?

Even though the recovery time is different for everyone, most patients can return to their usual activities the day after their root canal. Keep in mind that strenuous exercise can divert blood from the site and delay the healing process. That said, if your job requires physical labor, it’s best to take the next 2-3 days off. Your mouth will also feel sore in the first few days after your procedure. Fortunately, you can manage your discomfort by taking over-the-counter pain medication and using a cold compress. While you heal, make sure you avoid chewing on the side of your mouth where the root canal occurred.

How Much Pain is Normal After a Root Canal?

It should be emphasized that you don’t need to worry about pain during the root canal treatment itself because your mouth will be numbed. That being said, there may be some discomfort and soreness in the days following the root canal procedure.

Patients typically report mild levels of pain and sensitivity. Such symptoms should eventually go away on their own. In fact, you can usually expect the discomfort to begin subsiding after three days. Until then, it’s up to you to take whatever steps are needed to keep your mouth as comfortable as possible. This typically involves staying away from hard foods and taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen.

If your discomfort lasts longer than expected or starts growing worse, something may have gone wrong. Please call our office immediately if you experience these types of unexpected symptoms.

Can I Eat Before a Root Canal?

The answer to this question depends on whether some form of sedation will be administered during your root canal treatment. If it will, then you’ll most likely need to avoid eating anything for at least a few hours before your procedure; otherwise, it could lead to nausea.

On the other hand, if you don’t plan on receiving dental sedation, then it could be beneficial to eat something about two hours prior to your appointment. Generally speaking, eating immediately after a root canal treatment is not a good idea. Your mouth will still be numbed, so you could easily end up biting your tongue or the inside of your cheek by accident.

Regardless of whether you will be sedated or not, you should definitely avoid consuming any alcohol for at least a full 24 hours prior to your root canal treatment. Alcohol can easily have a negative interaction with the local anesthetic administered at the beginning of the procedure.

Do I Need Antibiotics Before or After My Root Canal?

For most patients, the answer is no. Antibiotics will generally only be considered necessary if you have a higher-than-normal risk of developing an infection after a dental procedure due to an existing health issue. Our team will review your health history carefully in order to determine whether antibiotics are necessary in your case.

Do Root Canals Make You Sick?

No, the idea that root canal treatment can increase your risk of getting sick is a myth. The idea comes from improperly performed research in the 1920s, and it has been thoroughly debunked thanks to an improved understanding of what causes a variety of diseases.

Simply put, there’s no evidence that root canal treatment can lead to illness. If anything, avoiding a root canal treatment has a higher chance of making you sick due to the potential for harmful bacteria to start spreading to other areas of the body.