{"id":125,"date":"2022-05-11T13:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T13:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/?p=125"},"modified":"2022-06-06T14:00:17","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T14:00:17","slug":"are-root-canals-painful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kathylamdds.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/11\/are-root-canals-painful\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Root Canals Painful?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If your dentist recommends root canal therapy<\/a> for your tooth, it might sound scary at first. After all, it\u2019s often made out to be the worst dental treatment possible. Sometimes you\u2019ll hear sarcastic statements like, \u201cThat sounds about as pleasant as a root canal.\u201d So, it wouldn\u2019t be surprising if you\u2019re asking yourself, \u201cAre root canals painful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is that root canals don\u2019t involve any significant pain, at least when performed rightly. Read on to see for yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Therapy Itself Won\u2019t Hurt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Root canal therapy is a straightforward procedure. First, the dentist will give you a local anesthetic or sedative to numb the treated area. Then, they\u2019ll remove the infected or damaged sections of the problem tooth. Once the tooth\u2019s inner chamber is sealed, the dentist will fully restore your tooth with a filling or dental crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No point in this process should hurt or cause you harm. The area numbed by the anesthetic won\u2019t feel anything, making the operation relatively painless. At most, you might experience discomfort at the same level as getting a filling for a cavity. Even that would only be pain from the infection, however, not the dental work. The latter actually relieves the former!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Expect Post-Procedure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Following the root canal, you may feel some tenderness around the affected tooth. That\u2019s perfectly normal \u2014 soreness is a typical symptom, as is a sore jaw from opening your mouth for so long. You can quickly address these with over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as ibuprofen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep treatment-related aches to a minimum, you should also do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n