You're getting a root canal done, and you're worried about the potential pain the procedure can cause. The actual work itself is not often painful as your dentist is skilled and will take care to not injure your mouth or cause pain when they work on your teeth. It's the depth of the infected tooth going into the nerves that makes your mouth feel sore and tender.

Sometimes there is discomfort during the actual root canal procedure itself, although most discomfort comes during the healing process. Worried about the pain of a root canal? Here are things you can do.

Ask for more pain medication

Consider asking your dentist for more pain medication as you go through your root canal so you can feel as little of the work being done as possible. Your dentist can do this by giving you more numbing medication in the form of a shot to inject the tissue surrounding your root canal area and to help deaden the nerves. You can also be given calming gas and other numbing medication via inhaling special medicine. Your dentist can also give you an IV with medication in it to help reduce pain and give you a more peaceful feeling experience if this is something you're worried about.

Talk about aftercare

The way you take care of your mouth after you get a root canal is going to determine a lot of how well you heal from the procedure itself. You'll want to avoid eating and drinking foods and beverages that are too hot or too cold. You'll want to eat soft foods so you don't put pressure on your recently worked on tooth. You'll also want to use a hot and cold compress routine to keep pain and swelling down when the healing nerves start to flare up.

Ask about pain medication for healing

If your root canal is especially deep, you can talk to your dentist about getting prescribed painkillers to help you heal more rapidly and with less pain from your root canal. Your mouth will be tender and sore and in most cases you can use over-the-counter medications to deal with your problem, although sometimes more medicine is required to fully help the healing process complete itself.

If any of your teeth get especially sore after your root canal or you experience facial pain and swelling that feels abnormal after your dental work is done, call your dentist right away. Your dentist will make sure you heal appropriately. For more information, contact dental clinics like Centre Family Dentistry.

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