Over 41,000 root canals are performed each day. Root canal therapy involves deep cleaning a tooth that has been badly infected or decayed to prevent further damage. If you are considering root canal therapy, here are nine tips to expedite your recovery.
Follow your dentist’s recommendations
The first step to a quick and incident-free root canal recovery is following your endodontist's suggestions. Your dental team is familiar with your lifestyle, dental history, current prescriptions, and overall health. This means they will recommend a root canal treatment and recovery plan tailored to your needs, so you should listen to your dentist's instructions to heal faster and avoid complications.
Keep the head elevated
You may experience swelling and soreness on the treated tooth right after the procedure. To reduce the pain and swelling, you should keep your head elevated. Consider adding an extra pillow to prop your head, especially on the first few nights, to help minimize the discomfort from a root canal.
Do not eat right after the procedure
The mouth often feels numb after the root canal therapy, so you should consider holding off eating until the numbness subsides. Once the numbness goes down, opt for soft foods such as mashed avocados, smoothies, mashed potatoes, soups, and yogurt. These foods provide the body with fuel nutrients without causing discomfort or pain.
You should also eat carefully to avoid biting or chewing on the treated tooth. Use the opposite side of your mouth until the tenderness is gone. Avoid taking alcohol, vaping, or smoking as they introduce foreign chemicals to your mouth, which could increase inflammation and prolong the healing process.
Do not exercise for a few days
If exercising 1https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-do-gym-workouts-after-a-root-canal is part of your daily routine, you should consider putting it off for a few days. Be sure to ask your dentist how long they recommend staying away from working out. Engaging in physical activities such as running, hiking, funky monkey bars set training, and cycling, to mention a few, may make you feel achy or start bleeding again. Your recovery period should not entail dealing with complications worsened or caused by physical activities.
Once you get back on your feet, engage in less strenuous activities such as walking or stretching. These exercises enable you to remain physically fit without subjecting the body to unnecessary strain.
Gargle with warm salt water
One of the most significant risks after a root canal therapy is infections in the gum surrounding the affected tooth. This could result in tremendous pain, so it is best to prevent infections. You should add half a tablespoonful of salt to one cup of warm, not hot, water. Next, use the mixture to rinse your mouth regularly to keep it clean and infections at bay to speed up healing.
Use a cold compress or eat ice cream
After a root canal procedure, consider treating yourself to ice cream. The cold prevents infections and minimizes inflammation, speeding the healing process. If ice cream is not your cup of tea, consider using a cold compress for at least 10-15 minutes several times a day until the swelling goes down.
Take pain medication
You will likely experience pain and discomfort in your gums and jaws once the anesthetic from the root canal wears off. For this reason, you should consider investing in over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or take the prescribed anti-inflammatory pain medications to make your healing as comfortable and fast as possible. If your doctor has prescribed any antibiotics, ensure that you take them as instructed for a speedy recovery.
Get adequate rest
Avoid going back to your usual routine following a root canal procedure. Instead, rest a day or two and get as much sleep as possible during this period. This results in a fast healing process, allowing you to return to your everyday life sooner.
Pay more attention to how you feel
You will likely not feel like yourself when dealing with the aftermath of a root canal procedure. However, this should not stop you from taking note of how you feel immediately after the process and the time afterward. Pain, swelling, and other effects of root canal therapy begin to decrease in a day or two, especially when you follow the doctor's recommendations.
If you notice that you are still in a lot of pain on the third day, the inflammation takes more than a day to subside, pain medication is ineffective, or hives and rashes, it could signify an infection or a complication related to the root canal. Be sure to schedule an appointment with your dentist immediately to get the necessary help to speed up your recovery.
Endnote
A root canal therapy can help maintain your smile while saving your tooth from extraction. It also enables you to avoid the discomfort, inconvenience, and cost of acquiring a dental implant, among other restorative procedures. Follow your endodontist's recommendations, keep your head elevated, avoid eating right after the procedure, take pain drugs, get enough rest, and gargle with warm salted water for a speedy recovery after root canal therapy.
Additional resources and citations
- 1https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-do-gym-workouts-after-a-root-canal
