You have successfully completed your Root Canal treatment and are on your way home. You might be wondering about the post care instructions both immediate and how to care for that tooth in the long run so that there will not be any more issues. Well, here is all you need to know about caring for a root canal treated tooth.
Understanding what a Root Canal is -
A root canal procedure is one of the most common dental procedures. Root Canal is advised when 1) Your tooth decay has entered till the pulp (the nerve bundle) layer of your tooth and is causing you immense pain 2) the decay has crossed the tooth and has resulted in swelling or abscess under the tooth 3) for a broken tooth and finally 4) an intentional root canal to strengthen the tooth.
A root canal is a procedure where your tooth is drilled into and the whole infection along with the infected pulp is cleaned out. The roots of the tooth and the canals in which the pulp or the nerve tissue passes is cleaned and filled with a filling material called Gutta Percha. Hence the name. The tooth is then filled with temporary or permanent cement filling based on the next step.
How to care after the procedure
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Soft diet
It is suggested to maintain a soft diet for at least 3 - 5 days after the treatment. Avoid eating anything hard or anything sticky from the side where the treatment has happened. In the local diet, this would be rotis, chewing gum, chocolates, nuts and such. -
Take your medication
Even after the root canal treatment, certain lingering, final pain might be present for a day or two. So follow through with all the full course of painkiller and antibiotic medication that your dentist has advised. The antibiotics also help kill any resistant bacteria. -
Avoid putting pressure
The whole root canal procedure is cleaning away the insides of the tooth. In this process the structure of the tooth becomes weak. It is normal after such a procedure . Hence it is super important to restore the strength of the tooth with the placement of a cap or crown. Until then, if subjected to high biting forces, there are chances of tooth fracture. -
Talk to your dentist about placing a crown
It is a must to get a crown or cap on a root canal treated tooth. Or else you might have a weak tooth susceptible to damages and you might be at risk of losing the filling placed. There are also different types of crowns. So talk to your dentist about getting the right one for you. -
Maintain a proper oral hygiene
A root canal treated tooth might be strong against any future infections but the surrounding structures are not. A cavity in the adjacent tooth or a gum infection leading to swelling near the tooth are still possible, Hence it is important to brush properly, twice a day and also clean in the area between two teeth with a floss or an interdental brush. Be sure to not let any food accumulate in this region. -
Go for a regular followup
Even after you get the root canal and crown done, we still advise you to come in once every 6 - 8 months for a quick checkup. Because the dental tissues like gums and bone are ever changing around the tooth. Early detection is the only way we can avoid another huge issue happening in the vicinity of the root canal treated tooth. -
Talk to your dentist about any lingering pain
If there is any lingering pain even after weeks of the root canal treatment, we might have to look into issues like surrounding teeth sensitivity, grinding forces, gum or bone issues. So contact us if the pain persists.
Summing up – root canal treatment might sometimes be an unavoidable one in cases of decayed or broken teeth. But it does not mean that that tooth is permanently damaged. With a proper root canal and crown, we can restore the strength and functionality of the tooth just the same. Contact us for more information now.
