Pain After Root Canal Treatment

I need some advice about my root canal treatment. I had one done in three sessions that was the most discomfort I have ever been in. Then, I remained in pain for quite some time. I went back to my dentist and he decided to refer me to a root canal specialist, which I am wondering if he should have done in the first place. The endodontist thought maybe I was in pain because a canal was missed and I opted for a retreatment. During the procedure, he did not find a missed canal but said that he gave the end of the root more of a seal than was there before. He did tell me it would hurt for a few days. The swelling is down, but I am on day five and still in quite a bit of pain. Is there something wrong or do I need to wait this out?

Drew

Dear Drew,

Man in pain holding his cheek

I am sorry you are in pain. The good news is there are some things to be optimistic about here. First, it looks like the original problem of the infected tooth was resolved during the root canal treatment. In some complicated cases, it is better to go to a root canal specialist, but for most normal root canal treatments, your general dentist is just fine.

It should be noted that the failure, in this case, was not because he missed a canal but could have done a better seal at the tip of the root, which your second treatment resolved.

You said the swelling has gone down. This is another positive sign. The question about healing after a root canal treatment is not as much “how long should you be in pain”? Rather, the question is, “Are you improving?”

In your case, it appears you are. Some patients are in pain for longer than others. I would ask your dentist or endodontist to give you something for the pain but make sure you taper off of it each day.

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