Root canal treatment is needed when the inside of the tooth is infected. This dental procedure intends to remove the infected tooth pulp to prevent the bacterial infection from spreading. The pulp will be removed from the inside, making this treatment painful. Typically, cold sensitivity after root canal means that the procedure has failed. A patient should not feel any sensitivity after the treatment because the treatment involves the elimination of tooth nerves. A trusted dental clinic in West Ryde can help you resolve your problem right away.
Failed Root Canal
Experiencing tooth pain after a root canal is quite normal. The pain should subside on its own, and you should be able to feel much comfortable a week after root canal treatment. In some cases, pain that lingers and is accompanied by sensitivity happens too. At this point, you might need additional help.
In general, root canal treatment is severely painful. Even with the help of anesthetics, there is no way to completely escape the pain it will cause. However, all of the discomfort and pain should go away in a few days. Some people need at least a week to recover fully.
If you suspect that your root canal treatment has failed, here are some of the signs to watch out for:
Hot and Cold Sensitivity
Occasional sensitivity after root canal treatment happens once in a while. But this should not be persistent, and it should only occur rarely. For example, you might experience cold sensitivity after sipping frozen yogurt, resulting in acute sensitivity that won’t stay for too long.
Furthermore, cold sensitivity after a root canal does not always indicate that the treatment has gone south. Sometimes, it is an early sign that another dental problem is about to rise. You should not feel severe hot or cold sensitivity after a root canal treatment. This is because the procedure includes the total extraction of all the nerves in your tooth. If you feel severe sensitivity to hot or cold, your dentist most likely has missed a nerve.
Swelling
After three or four days, the swelling around the treatment area should no longer be hard to deal with. If you see any swelling that lasts for more than a week, it will be best to consult your dentist again. This means a part of the infected tooth is left or that the treatment area got infected during the recovery period.
Tissues that are swollen are tender to touch. It might also discharge some pus, indicating that the root tip is infected. If left untreated, the infection could grow and start to leak pus in the mouth. This is a serious situation that needs to be addressed immediately as it might infect other mouth areas. In addition, it is indeed disgusting.
Tooth Discoloration
The most common side effect of root canal treatment is tooth discoloration. What causes it? The root canal is an invasive dental procedure. The treatment involves drilling the tooth to gain access to the bottom part. During the operation, the blood coming out of your teeth might stick to the teeth. And do you know what happens to dried-out blood? It turns brown.
The good news is that this can be quickly resolved. Dental clinics offer different ways to whiten teeth and remove stains from the surface. It’s essential to ask for professional help in eliminating discoloration after the root canal because the fillings might be discolored when exposed to other chemicals. The most effective way to remove stains is bleaching.
Pain After Root Canal
Pain is normal after any kind of dental surgery. But it should go away once the treated area has healed. If the pain stays for too long, it might indicate serious complications that you should address adequately. There are many ways to deal with tooth pain. However, it would be like delaying the proper treatment needed. If you are experiencing pain without any probable cause, the pain might worsen as time goes by.
To put your mind at ease, it’s important to know that most root canal patients did not feel long-term pain after the treatment. So call your dentist at once if the pain has lasted for more than a week.
Reasons Why Root Canal Treatments Fail
So let us say you experienced pain or hot and cold sensitivity after root canal treatment. What exactly causes it? The most viable explanation for this is that the infected tooth becomes infected once again. Either the dentist has missed an infected nerve, or the bacteria were able to re-instate itself in the treated area. This happens due to the following reasons:
- Sanitation Problems. Dentists practice proper sanitation. It is one of the most important things that they need to pay attention to. However, there is a possibility that a few amounts of saliva get inside the drilled hole during the procedure. And this should never happen.
- Missing Nerves. As mentioned, all nerves inside the tooth must be extracted. If the dentist missed a nerve, the infection would still continue. But fret not because another root canal treatment can resolve this.
- Damaged root tip. When the root tip is damaged, it will separate from the teeth. Over time, the damaged root tip will decay and cause an infection.
- Filling issues. After root canal treatment, the dentist will seal the tooth with dental fillings. The fillings should become hard quickly to ensure a fast recovery. If the filling did not become hard enough to cover the hole, the surrounding area might get affected.
Reference:
Recognize the symptoms of failed root canal – July 28, 2019 (https://smileangels.com/blog/general-dentistry/recognize-the-symptoms-of-failed-root-canal/)
