A common question we get is, I just had a root canal. Why does my tooth still hurt? And that’s a pretty common question. And to be honest, that’s pretty normal. Hi, I’m Dr. Brett Langton. I’m a prosthodontist and the owner of Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialist here in Brookhaven, Georgia, and I’m here to help you watch your mouth.
The Root Canal Process Explained
So what the process of a root canal is, the specialist goes in, makes an access through the chewing surface of the tooth, actually goes down into the tooth, and takes the nerve out. Now, the process of doing that is a very specialized procedure. You have to isolate the tooth, and a lot of times in doing that, we use what’s called a rubber dam, which basically is a clamp around the tooth and isolates the area because it’s very important when we’re taking the internal tooth structure out that we don’t get any bacteria or any contamination.
So by isolating that area, it does a good job of making sure that the tooth doesn’t get reinfected. Now, the downside of that is a lot of times that clamp can squeeze the tooth really hard, can squeeze the tissue really hard when a lot of times you’ll have a mouth open for a long time because it can be a complicated process. The process of doing the root canal removes the internal aspect of the nerve. But through doing that, there’s files and there’s irrigation, and there’s chemicals that we use and a lot of times that can irritate the tooth and kind of the surrounding area.
Why Does the Tooth Hurt After a Root Canal?
So the good news is when the root canal is done correctly, there’s no nerve inside the tooth, but that whole area can be a little tender and inflamed and angry because a lot of work was done. There was a lot of jostling, there’s a lot of squeezing, and there’s a lot of materials going on.
So the thing to look out for is a little bit of discomfort is okay, it’s almost to be expected. The most important thing is the amount of intense pain or discomfort or sensitivity that you were experiencing before the root canal is gone. You might have some residual pain that it’s going to take a little while and everybody’s different. Sometimes I have patients that had a root canal and everything was great. I mean, the second the numbness wore off, they don’t feel that tooth, no problems. I’ve had other patients, they’ve had some lingering discomfort and pain, whether it’s from that clamp or just the process of having the root canal.
What to Do When You Are Experiencing Lingering Pain
So everybody heals differently, and that’s a great question. If you’ve had a root canal and it’s still lingering, come see us. Let us know. Let’s take a look at it. Sometimes what can happen also is, years after having a root canal, the actual nerve that was taken out that has a filling that replaces it can get reinfected.
And so sometimes it has to have a re-treatment. Not very common, but it does happen in the mouth because there’s so many bacteria in, there’s so many nooks and crannies in the mouth. Sometimes we try our best to seal everything off, but the mouth and the teeth still find a way to kind of get infected.
Possible Underlying Issues After a Root Canal
So these are all things that are normal. It’s part of the process, but if you feel like you’re having lingering pain or effects that don’t feel right after a root canal, reach out to us and we’ll help figure out how to solve the problem. To sum it up, a little bit of pain, a little bit of discomfort afterward is normal. It’s part of the healing. A root canal is an invasive procedure, so the tooth might take a little bit of time to recover from that.
But if you’re having lingering pain three months later, six months later, the discomfort that never really goes away, you might need to come in and let us take a look so we can make sure there’s nothing else underlying.
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