Pain after root canal - is this normal?

[mamameg]

I had a root canal yesterday and since the novacaine (sp?) wore off, it's been pretty painful. 24+ hours later and it still hurts so much I can't even touch my teeth together. My dentist (who I like a lot and trust, but is now unreachable on a Friday afternoon, of course! ) didn't mention that I should expect any pain afterwards, so I'm a little worried. And I'm getting pretty cranky from the pain, and the fact that I can't eat much isn't helping my mood either.

Is this normal? If it is normal, how long should I expect it to last?

[JBaxter]

yes it can be quite normal. Sore ache pain? Just take some motrin or tylonel ( think the motrin works better myself but take what works for you). It should start to feel better in a few days.

[CRISSY]

I had a root cannel while I was p with dd #2 I do remember it being very painful but it chilled out by the second day. The Dr. gave me vicoden I wasn't about ready to take that seeming I was pregnant let alone the pain wasn't so severe that I needed it. My mom though grinds her teeth (I do as well) but anyway while she was sleeping she grinded her teeth after a root cannel and it caused some kind of hairline fracture which caused a severe infection (she was in a lot of pain) the dentist is suppose to grind down you tooth lower then the others so it doesn't touch the others when you close your mouth while it heals .Well that's what her dentist explained was his mistake. You just have to judge if its bad enough to be a infection.
PS Your dentist doesn't have an emergency ####
Hope it feels better
lol crissy

[sun-shine01]

Sorry that you are feeling yucky. I've had several root canals and have always been prescribed vicodin or told to take up to 4 - 200mg motrin for pain.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[theresa88]

I had one root canal and the pain was a pain. I couldn't eat because when my teeth clanged together, I would scream. I can handle all sorts of pain, but this was different. I took Tylenol w/ codeine and it helped a little. It took me at least 3 days until I could bite into real food and not wince in pain. At least it is only temporary. Hope you feel better soon.

[Heffernhyphen]

Of course the worst pain of a root canal comes from the movement of your credit card to the receptionist's desk. Now THAT hurts! As for the more physical aspects, they do exert a lot of pressure on your mouth. I remember thinking he would slip off the tooth and some pointy object would come plunging through my cheek. If the pain is still there Monday morning, I'd call first thing.

And, I'm like you, things always start to hurt right around end of business Friday. :

[Breathless Wonder]

I had my first root canal recently, and hurt for 5 days or so after each session. Both times, the dentist was concerned that I had developed an infection in the gum, and prescribed antibiotics. I normally would take them, but just wanted the pain to stop, and was willing to do just about anything. Heck, I think I would have danced naked in the middle of the highway if it made the pain stop. I can't help but wonder if the process of sticking the files up in your tooth pushes the infection further up into your gums.

Hope you feel better soon.

[JoyfulMomma]

Ugh... I have my first root canal on Monday and was already terrified before reading this.

JM

[mamameg]

Thanks for all the replies. Based on how you all described your experiences, I think this pain is normal, as opposed to an infection.

As I was searching around the med drawer for the tylenol (which we were out of - always when I really need it, right? ) I luckily come across some drugs left over from my c/s last year. I took a 600mg ibuprofin and I made a mental note that there are 3 vicodins left. I will avoid taking the vics if at all possible, but I must admit, I felt better just knowing there were there. :LOL So anyway, I took the ibuprofin and took a nap and felt MUCH better after that. The pain is manageable now (I ate soft bread with almond butter this morning ) and I only took the one pill over 12 hours ago. So it seems to be getting better.

Now all I have to do is beat back this nasty cold AND finally squelch this urinary tract infection I've been battling for the past week+. So yeah, obviously the root canal was just lovely icing on the cake for me. Ugh. When it rains, it pours, I guess.

[CRISSY]

Oh girl you sound like your a mess. Take it easy relly on others and get yourself well. The last thing your babys need is a sick moma.
Take care of your self!!!!
lol
crissy

[mamameg]

I'm posting another update becuase I know JoyfulMomma is going in for one tomorrow and I thought she might like to hear that I'm feeling SO much better today! I can put a good amount of pressure on the tooth now and its only a little bit sore. I never did take any other meds besides that one 600 mg ibuprofin. Feeling pretty darn good today!

Thankfully, my DH has been a GEM this weekend and has picked up a ton of slack. He has not always been so helpful with the kids or with housework and we are really working on this aspect of our marriage, so I really try to recognize that he's stepped it up recently and this weekend has just been great. We talked last night and I sort of expected him to ask me for a big pat on the back for doing so much but actually he reiterated how appreciative he is of everything I do for our family and it's been his pleasure to help give me some relief and let me rest while I'm not feeling well.

[Breathless Wonder]

I'm really glad that you are feeling better!

[JoyfulMomma]

Thank you for the update. I am completely terrified to go in tomorrow.... but it is nice to know that the pain is temporary

JM

[CrazyCatLady]

Not to hijack, but I also go for one tommorow (they're actually taking five teeth). It's great to know that you're feeling better so soon. And best of luck to you Joyfulmomma

[JoyfulMomma]

Originally Posted by Melaya

Not to hijack, but I also go for one tommorow (they're actually taking five teeth). It's great to know that you're feeling better so soon. And best of luck to you Joyfulmomma

And to you!

JM

[Breathless Wonder]

FWIW- the root canal itself didn't hurt me. I was of course, numbed up. and it didn't really hurt later in the day. It was after I slept, and then tried to eat, that I had issues. And for the most part, the pain was bearable, as long as I didn't put ANY kind of pressure on the tooth.

[cottonwood]

I just had one done a couple of weeks ago... I had to have a crown put on it too, and they put on a temporary crown while waiting for my permanent one to be made. I was given a prescription for Vicodin, and told not to chew on that side. I didn't have much pain (which the dentist was surprised by) and didn't take the Vicodin at all, but after the permanent crown was put on the pain was so bad I thought something must be wrong. I went in a couple days later and described the pain (some during/after chewing, but especially bad when I pushed on the tooth from the side) and he said it sounded like a pretty classic case of it being partly a problem with the bite, which he could adjust, and partly the ligaments around the tooth being bruised. After he adjusted the bite it was much better, but I still had pain for several days when chewing. It's continued to get better and better though, enough so that I'm not worried about it anymore.

HTH!