Four Reasons for Abnormal Pain After Root Canal Surgery

No one is happy to hear that they need a root canal, but if that’s the case it’s likely you are already in pain. Normally, the pain after a root canal will be minimal, if not at all. Unfortunately, there are instances where pain resurfaces. To help differentiate normal pain from abnormal pain, it is beneficial to understand more about the procedure.

A root canal surgery is performed when the pulp in the cavity of the root of the tooth is infected and it needs to be cleaned, repaired and sealed with a crown or a filling. Post procedure pain is normal for 3-5 days due to inflammation. This can range from a dull ache to a sharp pain.  If you experience pain for longer than 3-5 days or the pain went away and then came back days later, it could mean that you are having post root canal complications.

Here are four reasons for abnormal pain after a root canal:

Infection in bone:

As many know, the mouth is swarming with good and bad bacteria. Experiencing pain after the procedure could be due to infection in the bone. Since the root of the infected tooth has already been removed and filled, it is possible that there are still bacteria lingering around the bone of the tooth. Fortunately, this type of infection can be easily cured with a prescription for antibiotics from your dentist.  

Missed canal:

Some teeth have multiple canals in the root so it is possible that an infected canal was missed or undetected. If the dentist determines that there was a missed canal, then the root canal procedure has to be repeated. A repeat root canal is a little more invasive because the crown or the filling the tooth was originally sealed with must be taken out to perform the surgery again and this could risk cracking the tooth in the process.

Oversized Crown or Filling:

Speaking of crowns and fillings, it is possible to experience pain if the final crown or filling is too big or was misplaced. The pain comes from the crown or filling bothering the surrounding teeth or not being able to bite down properly. Luckily, it is very easy for dentists to fix this issue. All they have to do is adjust the filling or crown and the pain should subside in another 3-5 days.

Infected root canal:

If the dentist sealed the root canal with a filling instead of the crown, then there might be another infection due to saliva-carrying bacteria seeping in between the cracks of the filling and infecting the root canal. In this case, a repeat root canal would need to be performed. 

While complications from root canals can happen, it is important to remember that the risk of complications outweigh the risk of not getting the tooth treated in the first place. If you recently had a root canal, be sure to follow the proper after care steps which include brushing and flossing, visiting the dentist regularly and avoiding hard foods that can cause your teeth to break. If you are experiencing abnormal pain post- surgery do not hesitate to call your dentist or make an appointment to get it looked at. The sooner you have the dentist check to rule out or address a complication or infection, the better.