Have you ever heard someone say they need a root canal and wondered, “What’s that?” and “How long will he/she take to recover?” Well, let’s break it down so it’s easy to understand what root canal therapy in Midnapore really means.
What is a Root Canal?
A root canal is a dental procedure for repairing a tooth that has become severely decayed or infected. Your tooth contains a soft area called the pulp, which includes nerves and blood vessels.
Once this pulp becomes damaged or infected, it can cause a great deal of pain. A root canal removes the damaged pulp, cleans the inside of the tooth, and then seals it off to prevent further problems.
Procedure: What to Expect
Before we talk about recovery, let’s go through what happens during a root canal step-by-step:
- Numbing the Area: First, the dentist will numb the area around the tooth. This means you won’t feel pain during the procedure.
- Removing the Pulp: The dentist will make a small opening in the top of your tooth and remove the damaged pulp inside.
- Cleaning and Shaping the Canals: This involves cleaning out the tooth’s inside and then shaping it to get it ready for filling.
- Filling the Canals: They fill the cleaned and shaped space inside your tooth with a special material to protect it.
- Sealing the Tooth: Finally, the sealing of the opening in your tooth is done with a temporary or permanent filling.
Right After the Root Canal
After the root canal near you, you may feel bruised or tender around the treated area. This, again, is normal and would heal in a few days. Here’s how you can speed up recovery:
- Relief of Pain: Your dentist may recommend some over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
- Avoid Chewing on the Treated Side: For the first few days, avoid chewing on the side where the root canal has been treated. This would prevent irritation and grant time for healing.
- Only Soft Foods: Only consume very soft foods like yoghurt, apple sauce, and mashed potatoes. Avoid hard, crunchy, sticky foods that may hurt your teeth.
The First Few Days
Recovery begins within the first few days after a root canal. Here’s what you might experience:
- Soreness: You will generally feel a little soreness around a treated tooth. It typically gets better within a few days.
- Swelling: You may perhaps encounter swelling in your gums around the treated tooth. You can reduce swelling with an ice pack on the cheek.
- Gum Sensitivity: You can feel some sensitivity in your gums, which is more so when the root canal near you is performed toward your gum line. Gentle rinsing of your mouth with warm salt water may help calm down your gums.
A Week After the Root Canal
By the end of the first week, most people start feeling good. This soreness should be going away, and you will be able to eat and chew more comfortably. However, it would help if you continued following your dentist’s instructions. This is necessary to ensure that healing is proper.
Long-Term Recovery
A root canal can set one back for complete recovery in several weeks. Here is what one expects as time elapses:
- Permanent Filling or Crown: A permanent filling or crown is placed by your dentist on the tooth to protect it and for functional reasons. This comes much later, after the initial healing.
- Checkups: Your dentist will schedule checkups to monitor how the healing of your tooth is going on.
- Oral Hygiene: Regularity in maintaining good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing will keep your teeth and gums in a healthy condition.
When to Call the Dentist
Most people recover from a root canal with no problems at all, but sometimes a few complications may arise after getting a root canal near you. Call your dentist if you have any of the following:
- Severe pain that doesn’t go away
- Swelling that worsens or doesn’t get better
- Fever or other signs of infection
- A feeling that your bite is uneven or uncomfortable
Midnapore Dental Wellness Helps Speed Up Root Canal Recovery
Recovery from a root canal isn’t necessarily an overwhelming task. With proper care and adherence to the advice of your dentist near Millrise, Calgary, most people begin to feel much better within a few days.
A root canal will actually help you save your tooth, but it could turn out to be quite painless in the long run. Take some time, then, to heal properly. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to contact Midnapore Dental Wellness. We’re with you all the way!
