1. AVOID EATING FOR A COUPLE HOURS AFTER YOUR TREATMENT

After your treatment at ONE ENDO, we recommend that you don’t eat until your mouth is no longer numb. If you eat while your mouth is numb, there’s a good chance that you’ll accidentally chew on your cheek, which can cause bleeding, as well as some discomfort once your numbing wears off.

Once your numbing wears off, though, you can eat right away. If you want your numbing to wear off more quickly, you can go for a brisk walk. Getting your blood flowing with some mild exercise will help the numbing wear off faster.

NON-SURGICAL ROOT CANAL

You can chew with whichever side of your mouth you want. However, the tooth that was treated with a root canal may still feel a little bit sore and tender for a few days. So to avoid discomfort, it’s better to favor the opposite side of your mouth when possible.

3. DON’T EAT HARD OR CRUNCHY FOODS FOR A FEW DAYS

You should avoid really hard and crunchy foods like tortilla chips, potato chips, and pretzels for a few days after your treatment. These foods can cause a lot of pain and discomfort when you chew, since they place a lot of pressure on your teeth.

Instead, you should eat soft foods that are easy to chew for a few days, until your sensitivity starts to subside. Soup, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pasta, scrambled eggs, applesauce, rice, and other easy-to-chew foods are the best option. Then, over the next few days, you can start incorporating harder and chewier foods back into your diet.

4. NEVER EAT GUMMY OR STICKY FOODS

After your root canal, you will get a temporary filling or crown. This is only meant to protect your tooth for a few weeks, until you can get a permanent crown from ONE ENDO. And while you have your temporary crown or filling, you should not eat any really gummy or sticky foods, like gummy worms, taffy, caramel, and other such foods.

This is because, over time, eating really sticky, gummy foods can pull your filling or crown off of your tooth. If this happens, you’ll have to come back to ONE ENDO to get another temporary to protect your tooth. 

You can go back to eating these foods once you get your permanent crown. Permanent crowns are anchored in place very tightly, and won’t loosen when you eat these foods. But until then, avoid sticky and gummy candy and other foods!

5. DON’T IGNORE CONTINUED PAIN AND DISCOMFORT

A little bit of tenderness and pain is normal for a couple days after your root canal as the area around your tooth heals. But if you’re continuing to experience serious pain and sensitivity, don’t wait. Call ONE ENDO right away.

While it’s not common, root canals may not always be successful. If you’re still feeling lots of pain, your tooth may still be infected, and require root canal retreatment. The sooner you get help, the better your outcome will be.

GOT A SORE TOOTH? GET EXPERT TREATMENT FROM ONE ENDO

If you have a sore tooth and you think that you may have a tooth infection, ONE ENDO is here to help. Our team of expert endodontists serves patients throughout Westchester, Greenwich, and Norwalk. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can get out of pain and get back to your daily routine. Contact ONE ENDO now to schedule a consultation, and get the endodontic treatment you need to restore your oral health.