Tips to Speed Up Recovery After Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment helps save decayed teeth. This procedure involves extracting infected pulp from the root canals. Afterwards, your dentist will clean and fill the gap with silver amalgam to reduce the chances of infection. The filling also restores the functionality and appearance of your teeth.

Root canal treatments seem scarier than they actually are. In reality, this procedure causes little discomfort, and you should return to normal within a short time. But these three tips can help you speed up your recovery after a dental canal treatment.

Take Care of Your Mouth

During root canal treatment, your dentist will apply local anesthesia to reduce pain. When the anesthesia wears off, you might start to feel pain, and part of your mouth could swell. After you get treatment, you have to be careful not to aggravate your tooth.

First, you need to avoid eating when you're still numb from anesthesia since you may put pressure on the affected tooth before it can heal. If the pain persists even when you don't eat anything hard, apply an ice pack to relieve the pain. Also, keep your head in an elevated position as you sleep to improve blood circulation and reduce irritation.

During the first few days, you may need to plan your meals ahead of time. Consider taking smoothies, soup and pureed food. The idea is to get nutrients into your body with minimal impact on your mouth.

Avoid Exercise

A root canal treatment is a form of oral surgery. Therefore, if you are an athlete or fitness enthusiast, you need to take some time off strenuous physical activities. For example, if you exercise immediately after the surgery, you might start bleeding. In some cases, your mouth could get a dull pain even when you're resting. Unfortunately, your wound may take a long time to heal.

When you're ready to exercise, start slow and easy. Look for exercises that don't involve too much physical strain. Simple exercises like walking allow you to enjoy the benefits of exercise but without the added strain.

Get Enough Rest

After a root canal procedure, you need to get sufficient rest to speed up the recovery process. When you rest, your body cells have time to regenerate and speed up your healing process. Therefore, if you had the procedure done during your working days, take a few days off. You will recover much faster and go back to your normal routine in no time.

Although root canal treatment may sound intimidating, this treatment will prevent permanent damage to your teeth and help you avoid losing a tooth. However, after a successful operation, you need to follow the above tips to ensure a speedy recovery. For more information about root canals, contact a dentist.

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