Mild soreness, a numb lip, a temporary filling - here is exactly what to expect after your root canal, what is normal, and when to actually call the clinic.
Most of the anxiety around root canal treatment happens before the procedure. Once the tooth is numb and the work is underway, patients are often surprised at how uneventful it feels. The questions almost always come afterwards, at home, when the anaesthetic wears off and the tooth starts to make its presence known again.
This is a practical guide to what is normal, what is not, and how to look after the tooth in the days that follow.
The first six hours
Your lip, cheek and tongue on the treated side will feel numb for two to four hours, sometimes longer if a stronger anaesthetic block was used. During this time:
- Do not eat anything hot or crunchy - you will not feel a burn or a bite injury until later.
- Sip water only, from the untreated side.
- Do not test the tooth by tapping it or chewing on it. Let it settle.
Once sensation returns, you may feel a dull ache around the tooth and jaw. This is normal - the ligaments around the root have been through several hours of vibration and pressure.
Days 1 and 2: what is normal
- Tenderness on biting. The tooth may feel bruised or "high" for two to five days. Chew on the other side.
- A dull throb. Especially in the evening, or when you lie down. Take the pain relief we prescribed - usually ibuprofen 400 mg with paracetamol 500 mg every six hours - on schedule, not only when it hurts.
- Jaw stiffness. From holding your mouth open. Warm compresses and gentle jaw stretches help.
- A strange taste. From the medicated dressing under the temporary filling. Harmless.
What is NOT normal - call us
Ring the clinic if you notice any of the following:
- Swelling of the face or gum that appears or worsens after 24 hours.
- Sharp, throbbing pain that pain relief does not touch.
- The temporary filling has come out - the tooth must not be left open to saliva.
- A raised, painful bump on the gum next to the tooth.
- Fever above 38 °C.
Every one of these is treatable, and treatable quickly. Please do not wait until Monday morning.
Looking after the tooth for the next few weeks
Your root canal is not truly finished on the day of treatment. The tooth still needs its permanent crown, ideally within four to six weeks. Until then:
- Chew on the other side wherever possible.
- Avoid very hard foods on the treated tooth (nuts, ice, hard chikki, sticky sweets).
- Brush and floss normally - the tooth is not fragile, it just needs its final restoration.
A back tooth without a crown is at real risk of splitting. We have seen beautifully done root canals lost six months later because the patient waited "until the pain came back". By the time it does, it is usually too late.
The long view
A root-canal-treated tooth, once crowned, has a 90%+ ten-year survival rate in published literature. Most of ours are still in place decades later. What you are recovering from this week is a small, temporary discomfort in exchange for keeping your own tooth for the rest of your life.
If anything in the first 48 hours worries you, call us. We would much rather answer a question at 9 pm than see a preventable complication on Monday.