A lot of people expect that the instant a root canal is over, the pain will be gone, too. While this can be partly true, it is rarely totally accurate. If you had a root canal because of pain in a tooth, then that pain is likely to be gone. However, the repairing of the tooth is still going to be slightly uncomfortable, and that can take a bit of time to repair.

The Pain Following a Root Canal

Once your root canal is over, your tooth should only be mildly sore. It has no nerve in it, so it is mostly the area around the tooth that ends up being sore. Once the root canal was to the point of finishing up, your dentist packed the tooth so that it was strong, then capped it to help you be able to use the tooth like normal.

The tooth may not line up perfectly, which can cause a little pressure when you bite down, but this often goes away within a day or two. If not, talk with your dentist and see if they can readjust the crown. The entire healing process is going to vary, but you should find that by the end of the first week or two, your pain is completely gone.

If your pain is severe, or if it is lasting beyond that one to two week window, call your dentist back. This could mean that your root canal had a complication that your dentist couldn't have seen ahead of time. It could also be something simple like the crown having a tiny edge that is irritating your gums, leading to your discomfort. Contact our office if you have any additional questions about a root canal.