3 Most Common Reasons for Pain After Root Canal

It is not uncommon to have a patient complain of pain after root canal. Often times the root canal is performed without any issues, but a lingering pain will remain. Many patients who experience this want to know how a root canal can be performed and they can still be having pain after their root canal treatment.

We try our best to explain that even though the infection has been cleaned out, and the nerve has been removed, there are still nerve endings in the ligaments surrounding the tooth. When inflammation occurs in an infected tooth, the surrounding ligaments will often times become inflamed as well. It can take some time for the irritated ligament to settle, and the tissues to return to normal. This is likely the cause of most patients’ pain they can be experiencing after a root canal, and it should likely resolve itself within several days.

Although these are the 3 most common reason for pain after root canal, there are some other things that could be going on:

1. When a root canal is performed you want the canal to be fully cleaned out, but you do not want to go past the end of the canal. It is possible that during the cleaning process the instrument known as a file can go beyond the end of the canal. This will damage the tissues, and you will experience pain after your root canal treatment until they are healed.
2. It is also possible that the sealing material used can be pushed past the end of the tooth. This can also aggravate the tissues causing pain after root canal.
3. Another common cause of pain after root canal is caused by the filling material placed after the procedure. If the filling material is too high it can cause you to hit that tooth before any other when closing. This causes you to hit heavy on the tooth and can cause pain. Even if the bite is off by the slightest amount it will cause soreness where there would normally be done. If you have your dentist adjust your bite, the soreness will go away. It may take a few days to notice a difference after the adjustment.

These are some of the most common reasons for pain after a root canal, but there are other things that could be occurring. Here are 5 Tips when you are having pain after your root canal treatment. If you are experiencing pain after root canal, make sure to contact your dentist right away.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment for teeth whitening with any of our skilled dentists at one of our three conveniently located dental office locations within the Kansas City area, including Lee’s Summit / Independence, the Country Club Plaza and Downtown Kansas City. The gentle dentists and expert team at Thomas L. Anderson and Associates look forward to working with you to treat your dental emergency, achieve proper oral health and a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime. If you have any questions about your dental insurance benefits, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We are happy to review your policy! Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment and become part of our dental family.