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Pain After Root Canal Treatment: What’s Normal and When to Seek Help
My root canal procedure is over, and my dentist said everything went well — but “why am I still in pain?!” It’s one of the most common questions some people ask after a root canal: “Is pain after root canal treatment normal?”
The truth is, some discomfort after a root canal is completely expected and usually nothing to worry about. Your body needs time to heal, just like it would after any procedure. However, there’s a difference between pain that’s part of healing and pain that could mean something’s not quite right.
In this blog post, we’ll help you understand what’s normal, what’s not, and when it might be time to give your Emergency Dentist Perth a call.
Possible Causes of Pain after Root Canal Treatment
We will explain some of the common reasons a person may still feel discomfort after a root canal:
Common Healing Responses
Some pain after a root canal is just part of your body’s natural healing, and most of the time, it’s nothing to worry about.
Normal Post-Treatment Inflammation
You have had a dental procedure, and it’s normal for the treated area to feel sore for a few days after the treatment. This type of pain is just your body’s way of responding to the treatment. It is increasing the blood flow and sending in healing cells. That’s why you feel mild pain or tenderness, especially when you are chewing something, but the pain should gradually improve.
Referred Pain
Sometimes, the pain you feel after a root canal may not be coming from the treated tooth at all. Your brain may be confused about where the pain is coming from, so it may feel like other nearby teeth or even your jaw are hurting, even though they’re fine! Don’t worry; this kind of pain will usually go away as the treated area heals.
Sinus Involvement (Maxillary Teeth)
The roots of your upper back teeth may be very close to your sinuses. If a root canal was done on one of these teeth, your sinus might feel slightly irritated or pressured, which can cause some pain, pressure, or a stuffy sensation. This is usually temporary and should fade as you recover.
Procedure-Related Issues
While these causes are less common, they may explain the pain you are experiencing after a root canal in some cases.
Incomplete Cleaning or Missed Canals
Some teeth may have more than one canal, and in some cases, the tooth’s extra canal may be hidden or difficult to find during the treatment. If one of these canals is missed and bacteria stay in this untreated canal, it can lead to pain or infection after the procedure. In that case, your dentist may need to perform another treatment to fix the issue and clean the canal properly.
Overfilling or Extrusion of Materials
After the dentist removes bacteria and damaged tissue and cleans out the inside of the tooth, they will put a special material into the empty root canals. This filling seals the space so that bacteria can’t get back in and cause another infection. In some rare cases, this material may go a bit past the tip of the root and irritate the nearby tissue and cause some pain or throbbing. This usually gets better on its own or can be treated if needed.
High Filling or Crown
If a filling or crown is a bit too high, it can press on your tooth when you bite and make it feel sore or tender and cause pain after your root canal procedure. Your dentist can usually fix this easily with a small adjustment to help the tooth feel better.
Instrument Damage
Dentists use very small tools during root canal treatment to clean the canals. In rare cases, a tiny piece of a tool may break inside your tooth. This doesn’t always cause problems, but it can lead to pain or infection if it gets in the way of cleaning or sealing the tooth properly.
Vertical Root Fracture
Sometimes, a crack can go down the root of a tooth, which may not be visible during the procedure. These fractures can cause pain or infection, and unfortunately, the tooth may not be able to be saved in this case. Your dentist will discuss the best next steps with you.
Other Medical or Rare Causes
The following are less common reasons for pain after a root canal, but they’re still important to know about:
Phoenix Abscess
A phoenix abscess is when an old infection suddenly becomes active again after a root canal. It can cause pain, swelling, or a small bump on the gum. You might need antibiotics or further treatment to fix it.
Infection in the Bone (Periapical Abscess)
In some rare cases, an infection in the tooth may move to the nearby bone and cause a buildup of pus, pain, swelling, and sometimes a bad taste in the mouth. It’s important to get quick dental care to clear the infection properly.
Persistent Periodontal Ligament Inflammation
The tissue that keeps your tooth in place may stay irritated even after the procedure, especially if it was already inflamed. This can make the tooth sore when you bite down or touch it, but it usually gets better with time and care.
Reinfection Due to Leakage
If a filling or crown doesn’t seal the tooth properly, bacteria may get in again and cause another infection. This can lead to pain after the treatment, and the tooth may need further treatment. This highlights the importance of receiving well-fitted final restorations after a root canal.
Allergic Reaction to Materials
In some rare cases, a person may be allergic to the materials used during the root canal, like latex or certain metals, which may cause irritation or discomfort around the area. If an allergic reaction is the cause of the pain and discomfort a person is experiencing after a root canal, the dentist can switch to something different that’s better suited to the person’s body.
Delayed Healing Due to Systemic Conditions
People who have certain health issues or autoimmune conditions, like diabetes, may experience slower healing after root canal treatment. If you think your recovery after a root canal is taking too long, it’s a good idea to let both your dentist and GP know.
What’s Considered Normal Discomfort?
After a root canal, it is usually normal if you experience:
Mild to moderate pain: This type of pain will usually get severe within the first 24 to 48 hours and gradually improve over the next few days.
Sensitivity when biting: After a root canal procedure, your treated tooth may feel tender, especially when you chew on something. This type of discomfort is normal and nothing to worry about.
Slight swelling: You may also notice minor inflammation around the treated area, which should decrease within a few days.
Jaw soreness: Your jaw muscles may feel sore after the procedure, and that’s because you had to keep your mouth open during the treatment.
It’s normal to experience some of these symptoms as your body is trying to heal after root canal treatment. You can take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help you manage discomfort and feel better.
Signs of Abnormal Pain or Complications
Let us help you understand what type of pain after root canal treatment may not be a natural part of the healing process and may indicate complications and need attention from your dentist:
Severe or worsening pain: If your pain is not getting better and continues to be intense after a few days, it may indicate an unresolved infection or other issues.
Persistent swelling: You may also be dealing with an infection if the swelling is not improving and is instead increasing.
Sensitivity to temperature: If your tooth stays sensitive to hot or cold temperatures after the procedure, there may be something wrong.
Fever or malaise: Fever or malaise after a root canal is a systemic symptom and may indicate an infection.
Pus discharge or bad taste: You may be dealing with an abscess or an ongoing infection if you notice signs like pus discharge or an unpleasant taste in your mouth.
Tooth discolouration: If you notice that your tooth is getting darker after the treatment, it may indicate that there is something wrong inside the tooth.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to contact your dentist or endodontist quickly for evaluation and appropriate treatment.
How Long Does Normal Pain After a Root Canal Usually Last?
Most patients experience some degree of pain or sensitivity after a root canal, but this typically follows a predictable timeline:
First 24–48 hours: Expect some mild to moderate pain within the first 24 to 48 hours following your root canal procedure. This pain is normal and may feel like a dull ache, pressure, or tenderness, especially when chewing or touching the tooth.
Days 3–5: Your pain should noticeably decrease by this point. Most people begin to feel significantly better, though some lingering discomfort may still be present.
By 7 days: Most people feel little to no discomfort at all by the end of the first week. Your tooth may still feel a bit sensitive to pressure, but the pain is not usually intense and won’t cause any trouble for your daily activities.
Up to 2 weeks: Sometimes, especially if your tooth was already infected or inflamed before your root canal treatment, some tenderness or soreness may take longer to heal completely. However, this should get better, and you should not typically feel sharp or intense pain within this period.
If discomfort lasts longer than two weeks, worsens over time, or returns after initially subsiding, it’s worth consulting your dentist or endodontist because it may point to underlying complications such as infection, reinfection, or a missed canal.
Treatment Options for Pain after Root Canal Treatment
If you’re still in pain after a root canal, you shouldn’t ignore it. Visit your dentist so that they can check everything and figure out what’s causing your discomfort.
Adjust the Bite
If the filling or crown that your dentist placed over your treated tooth feels too high, it may affect how your teeth come together and make your tooth sore. Your dentist can fix this issue by adjusting the restoration.
Reopen the Tooth and Reclean the Canals
If your pain is because part of the infection is still there, your dentist may need to open the tooth again. After opening the tooth, your dentist will clean it out properly and seal it to help it heal and stop the pain.
Prescribe Medication
If you are in pain because there’s swelling or infection, your dentist may give you antibiotics or medicine to reduce inflammation.
Recommend Further Imaging
In some cases, your dentist may suggest a 3D scan so that they can have a clearer picture and find out what’s really causing the issue because sometimes, regular X-rays may not show everything, like hidden canals or deeper problems.
Perform a Root Canal Retreatment
If the first root canal didn’t fix the problem completely, your dentist may need to do it again. They’ll reopen the tooth, clean it more carefully, and seal it again with new material.
Refer to a Specialist (Endodontist)
An endodontist is a dentist who is specially trained to treat problems inside the tooth, especially root canals and related issues. If your tooth needs special care, your dentist may decide to send you to an endodontist so that you can receive expert care.
Consider an Apicoectomy
If the infection is still there at the tip of the root and another root canal doesn’t help, your dentist might suggest a small surgery called an apicoectomy. During the procedure, your dentist removes the end of the root and the infected area around it.
Extract the Tooth
Finally, if nothing works for your tooth and it can’t be saved because of a crack, ongoing infection, or other problems, your dentist may have to extract it. You can then discuss tooth replacement options like dental implants or bridges if your tooth is removed.
We’re Here When You Need Us Most
Lingering pain after a root canal isn’t something you should have to put up with. At Acts Dental Care in Perth, we take post-treatment discomfort seriously and offer calm, thorough follow-up care to get you feeling right again. Whether it’s a bite adjustment, a second opinion, or just peace of mind, we’re ready to help.
We are proud to be a Bupa preferred provider, Medibank preferred provider, HBF preferred provider, HCF preferred provider, and NIB preferred provider dentist in Perth.
Call us on (08) 9474 5083 to book your visit.