Introduction
Those who will soon have to undergo a root canal treatment know how severe the pain can be until the treatment. But pain can also occur immediately after the root canal treatment, as the tissue is irritated by the fine instruments and rinsing solutions. However, the main pain is eliminated in the very first session of the root canal treatment, as the dentist removes as many germs and inflamed tissue parts as possible, thus preventing the inflammatory processes from spreading to the jawbone and surrounding tissue.
Pain during root canal treatment
For most patients, acute pain in the area of one or more teeth is the reason to perform a root canal treatment. This pain is usually dull at first and then sharp. When eating cold or hot food and drinks, most patients find the pain particularly unpleasant.
Often the pain radiates from the jaw ridge to the ears. Especially in the early stages of a root inflammation, some patients wonder what they can do to bridge the time until they visit the dentist. The initial pain associated with a diseased tooth can be relieved by taking light painkillers.
Since it is pain caused by inflammatory processes inside the tooth, anti-inflammatory preparations should be given preference. The active ingredient ibuprofen in particular has been successfully used in clinical practice to treat this pain. Since the root canal treatment generally has a fixed course and a local anaesthetic is applied before opening the tooth substance and the root cavity, it can usually be performed without pain.
If there are strong inflammatory processes in the root canals, it may be that pain in the area of the tooth to be treated cannot be completely eliminated. In such cases, it is possible to introduce the local anaesthetic directly into the diseased tooth pulp after opening the root canal. This causes pain in most cases, but it subsides after a few seconds.
In some cases, patients report pain in the first days after the root canal treatment. This may be an indication that the affected pulp and/or nerve fibres could not be completely removed. If necessary, the root of the tooth should be reopened and the root canal treatment repaired.
However, pain after a root canal treatment can be completely harmless and subside by itself after a few days. In most cases, pain after a root canal treatment can be treated well with the help of light painkillers. Ibuprofen is particularly effective in the clinical routine in fighting pain after a successful root canal treatment. The active ingredient ibuprofen is able to alleviate the pain and has an inhibitory effect on various inflammatory mediators. The pain after a root canal treatment can be classified as follows:
- When chewing
- In the jaw
- After a filling
- At dinner
