What causes pain after a root canal procedure?

Instead of removing a damaged tooth, a root canal procedure is recommended. photo by Michael Kakumirizi

Root canal treatment is the removal of the pulp, a small thread-like tissue that is found in the centre of the tooth. While in the past a person had to have their tooth removed if it had a hole or got damaged, today dentists are turning to root canal treatment to fix the problem.
Once the damaged, diseased or dead pulp is removed, the empty space is cleaned, shaped and filled. Most people usually do not report any complications after the procedure is carried out, but when they do, this can be attributed to several factors.

Lack of expertise
A person will need an experienced dentist, who has been carrying out root canal procedures to do it. This is because despite being qualified, if a dentist spends a lot of time without carrying out this kind of procedure, they may not be able do it well.

Failure to complete treatment
Usually, a root canal treatment can be completed after two to three visits to the dentist. But often times, after the first visit, many people stop feeling pain, and therefore do not go back for subsequent appointments. Failure to do so means a person has not benefited from the full range of treatment that is being provided. As a result, they start experiencing pain again in the affected tooth.
Treatment is usually accompanied with strong antibiotics and analgesics, which should be taken at scheduled times and doses.
Failure to comply means the treatment will not be effective anymore, and this will lead to pain.

Lack of equipment and materials
Ideally, a dentist will do a root canal treatment after taking an X-ray of that particular tooth. The X-ray guides the dentist on the shape and length of the tooth, and also enables easy administration of treatment.
However, it is also possible for one to successfully do a root canal treatment without first having to go through an X-ray.
This is commonly done for the front teeth though. Therefore, if the procedure is carried out without all the necessary equipment needed, a person may not benefit from the whole treatment package, and this may cause complications.

Abnormal tooth structure
This is when a tooth has more roots than those that are known. It commonly occurs on the back teeth (molars), and if treatment is offered basing on the known roots, then the extra one left may still cause pain.
This is why taking of dental X-rays, especially for the back teeth is so important.
Therefore, when you undergo a root canal treatment, esnure to follow the guidelines from the dentist, otherwise you may end up with a bigger dental problem than what you were previously treating.

The writer is a dentist
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