Why Do I Have Pain After My Root Canal? Understanding What Is (And Isn’t) Normal

If you’ve recently had a root canal in Shirley, or you think you may need a root canal from Nashoba Valley Dental, you may be wondering what type of pain to expect after your treatment. Is pain normal? Should you be worried if your tooth hurts after a root canal? Here’s what you need to know. 

Some Minor Pain Is Normal After Root Canal Treatment

If you have had a root canal in the last few days and you’re experiencing some minor pain, discomfort, and inflammation, this is nothing to worry about. This is normal and a relatively common issue. Soon, the discomfort will go away, but until then, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. 

There are a few reasons that you may experience some pain even though the nerve of your tooth has been removed during root canal therapy. First, the surrounding nerves in the nearby ligaments and tissue may be swollen or inflamed, which can cause some discomfort and pain.

In addition, root canal therapy requires the use of sharp dental instruments to clean out the root canal. It’s possible for this process to result in some minor trauma and damage to the nearby tissue, which will take a little while to heal properly. 

So if you have some minor pain for a few days, don’t stress. This is normal, and your tooth should soon feel completely pain-free once the root canal site has healed and recovered from treatment.

Serious Or Prolonged Pain 1-2 Weeks After Treatment Is Not Normal

If you have severe, sharp pain, or pain that’s still very intense up to 1-2 weeks after your treatment, this is not normal at all, and it indicates that your root canal has failed, and the infection is still present in the tooth.

This can happen if the tooth has unnoticed cracks or damage, the root was not cleaned properly, or there was a hidden root canal that was not discovered and treated during the root canal therapy process.

If this happens to you, you will need to contact a dentist like Dr. Matthew Annese for help. You may be able to save your tooth with endodontic retreatment. Essentially, the root canal treatment will be repeated by your dentist to eliminate any hidden issues with your tooth.

In some cases, though, it may not be possible to use endodontic retreatment, and the tooth may need to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant or a similar restoration. While we will always try to save your tooth at Nashoba Valley Dental, this is not always possible. 

Contact Our Team For Expert Root Canal Treatment From Dr. Matthew Annese

If you have a painful or sore tooth in Shirley, Groton, or Lunenburg, you need the help of an experienced dentist to ensure your root canal therapy is successful. So don’t wait. Contact Nashoba Valley Dental online or give us a call at (978) 425-9088.