Why am I having pain in a tooth that has already root canal treatment?
Reasons for this include a root that is still infected. It is foreseeable that although the root canal has been cleaned, it is found that some infections still remain inside. It can be that the filling or the crown has been built up too high and the directly opposite tooth comes down first before any of the of the teeth. This can irritate the tooth and can cause pain. You can still have infection remaining in the bone which is immediately around the apex of your tooth.
Dentists use the chemical sodium hydrochloride to disinfect the root canal. However if too much is used, it can leak out past the root and cause severe irritation. A common reason for pain after root canal treatment is when part of the root canal has been left behind without being fully disinfected. This infection gets worse and then causes pain. During the filling of the root canal it can happen that the material used to seal extrudes into the jaw bone. This causes irritation and pain.
How long does it take for root canal pain to settle?
With the majority of teeth which have had a root canal treatment carried out to them, you will notice fairly immediate improvement and certainly within one to two days of after having the treatment carried out. In about 20% of cases the tooth will be vastly improved, but still slightly tender over the next four weeks. If after four weeks you are still getting pain then you should go back to see your dentist who may do an x-ray.
Why does my tooth hurt when I bite down on my root canal?
If the root canal treatment has been carried out recently, it could be that the filling that is placed over the root canal is too high when you bite down. This then irritates the tooth because the other teeth aren’t meeting properly and you are putting all the force on just one tooth. Another reason for pain when you bite down is if there is residual infection inside the roots of the tooth even after treatment. To find out the exat reason, your dentist will examine the tooth and will take a new x-ray.
