There are some types of dental procedures (such as dental implants or surgical tooth extractions) that come with mandatory downtime afterwards. You need to allow for ample recuperation time after these procedures since your body needs time to recover from the invasive nature of the process. But is it the same when you receive a root canal?
Getting Home Afterwards
Invasive dental procedures usually mean you need to have someone drive you home afterwards. This is largely due to the required strength of the anaesthetic and its lingering aftereffects. A root canal generally only calls for a local anaesthetic to numb your jaw, and this won't prevent you from driving yourself. Likewise, you can safely use public transport. However, if your level of sensitivity means you need a stronger form of anaesthetic (which is the case for some patients), then you may need to make arrangements for someone to see you safely home.
Pain Medication
Once home, the anaesthetic needed for the root canal will have begun to wear off. You will then benefit from over-the-counter pain relief, which should be more than adequate. Root canals generally don't result in the need for prescription pain relief. Your discomfort can also be minimised by your eating habits. Do not use the treated tooth to chew or bite until it has had sufficient time to heal. Stick to soft foods, taking care to avoid anything chewy or sticky, which can dislodge the temporary filling applied to your tooth.
Your Daily Activities
Your level of discomfort won't prevent you from immediately resuming your regular activities (such as your job or studies), however, some caution is advised. If your daily activities are physically demanding, requiring a great deal of manual labour, then a day of recovery can be extremely beneficial. It's unlikely that a newly-applied root canal will result in bleeding, but it's important not to take risks and to avoid physically strenuous activities that could aggravate your treated tooth. The same goes for exercise. Take it easy for a day or two to aid your recovery.
Recovering from a root canal certainly isn't demanding, and aside from some minor discomfort, you might not have any concerns at all. Remember that despite the fact that the root canal isn't invasive, your body still needs some recuperation time, and this must be taken into consideration when planning your schedule for the days following the procedure.
Contact a local dentist to learn more about root canals.
Share24 June 2021
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
