If your dentist has recommended you get a root canal and you have questions, it’s likely you’ve never had one before. Don’t feel badly if you have a ton of questions. Everyone does! To help you better prepare for what’s ahead, here are a few of the most commonly asked FAQs.

What is a root canal?

In simple terms, a root canal simply means that a root canal specialist, a dentist or endodontist, drills down to the root of the tooth. Here they will drill out the nerves and everything within the pulp, leaving your tooth intact, but nothing that should cause pain again because the nerves will be gone. Then the cavity left by the root canal is filled, cemented and sometimes crowned.

 

Do I really need one or is there an alternative?

Chances are, if your dentist suggested a root canal and didn’t give you alternatives, that is the best treatment for what ails that tooth. However, there are always options such as an extraction, but do you really want to lose another tooth? Root canals help leave the tooth intact so that your teeth don’t become misaligned over time, causing issues with your bite and jaw.

Is a root canal painful?

During the procedure it isn’t because the dentist numbs the area and surrounding nerves with a local anesthetic. Afterwards, you may feel a bit of swelling and tenderness but nothing as horribly painful as the damaged tooth with exposed nerves or the infected tooth that caused the need for a root canal in the first place.

Will it still hurt when I go home?

For a few days the area will be tender for a couple of reasons. First, you had a terrible amount of pain, probably due to swelling and infection so that will take time to heal if you take the antibiotics prescribed by your dentist. But also, after any kind of procedure and the numbing shot, there may be some tenderness. Even so, you will experience nothing like the pain that brought you here in the first place!

When and what can I eat after treatment?

Your dentist will send you home aftercare instructions that will not only tell you what you can eat but when you can start eating soft foods. Generally, you are asked to stick to liquids for the first amount of time up to 24 hours, but some dentists might allow extremely soft foods like tofu, Jell-O or mashed potatoes after the numbing agent wears off. (To avoid the danger of biting your tongue because you can’t feel where you are biting down!) Also, eating solid foods too soon can loosen the newly cemented filling.

If you are in pain and feel you need a root canal, don’t hesitate to contact us today! There is no need to suffer through that kind of agony when we have the best root canal specialists in all of NYC here to help you find the relief you need.