Freedom from pain after root canal treatment | Pain during a root canal treatment

Freedom from pain after root canal treatment

However, most patients are absolutely painless after this first treatment session of a root canal treatment and only notice a bitter taste in the mouth, which is caused by the medication inside the tooth. Once the root of the tooth is sterile, it is filled with so-called guttapercha points and a covering filling. After the root canal treatment, an X-ray is used to check whether the root is filled to the tip (apex) and the tooth is then sealed.

Pain after a root canal treatment is in most cases largely normal, as the tooth and surrounding tissue are subject to particular stress. Depending on the degree of inflammation, this pain can sometimes last for several days and then requires the use of painkillers. In the oral area, ibuprophene and paracetamol with their pain-relieving effect have become particularly popular.

The maximum daily dose should be observed, as the tablet is taken more often in severe pain. However, serious side effects may occur. In such cases it is better to take a lower dose of a stronger medication.

For example, Dolomo is useful for very severe pain. This is a mixture of paracetamol, ASA and codeine. Three painkillers that are strong on their own, but are even more effective when taken together. However, if the pain does not subside after a few days, a visit to the dentist is unavoidable. Only there can a precise diagnosis and an X-ray be made to determine where the pain comes from and what can be done about it.

Procedure of a root canal treatment

If a patient comes with pain or symptoms indicating a diseased tooth root, the dentist will tap the teeth, because the irritated tooth nerves then react with a knocking pain. The cause of the complaints should thus be found. In theory, it is quite easy to localize the inflamed tooth exactly, but in the practice of root canal treatment it is a little more difficult, because patients usually feel a knocking sensitivity in two or even three adjacent teeth.

A so-called vitality test should also be carried out in any case. During the vitality test the tooth is exposed to a cold stimulus (using ice spray and a cotton ball) and it is checked whether the patient feels this cold in general, whether pain occurs or whether the stimulus no longer triggers any reaction. If the tooth is dead, the vitality test will be negative.

At the beginning of the root canal treatment the dentist will usually take a small x-ray of the affected tooth. Once the root-inflamed tooth has been identified, the actual treatment can begin after anesthesia. During the anaesthetic injection, patients feel only a short sharp pain due to the penetration of the needle.

Before the treatment begins, a so-called cofferdam is often placed. This is a tensionable rubber blanket that is attached to the tooth.The coffer dam serves to shield the tooth so that saliva and bacteria present in it do not enter the tooth. A big advantage is that the canal can then be cleaned well with rinsing solutions without getting into the oral cavity.

Sometimes it is also possible to work with a relative drainage. The tooth is protected from saliva only by absorbent cotton rolls and the teat. Although this method is more comfortable for the patient, there is a greater risk of saliva and bacteria getting into the tooth root.

Now the tooth is opened during the root canal treatment with the “drill”. The next task of the dentist is to remove the pulp from the root of the tooth, including the nerve fibres inside. At this point of the root canal treatment, there is a possibility that stabbing pain may occur despite the anaesthetic. This is due to the fact that certain substances are formed during the inflammation, which can reduce the effect of the local anesthesia.