Five mistakes you commonly make during a root canal treatment

Root canal treatment is when your dentist will remove the infected pulp and replace it with an inert material to fill the canal.

The process might take a single visit or more than a single visit, depending on your infection status.

The outcome of the treatment will also depend on the things you do during the treatment. Avoid these five mistakes that you commonly make during a root canal treatment.

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Biting hard

During the root canal, the apex of your teeth will be tender. As the root canal involves removing the pulp’s vital portions, your root tip might be flooded with inflammatory agents in the healing process.

Moreover, the root canal tooth requires time to heal. Any undue pressure on the root apex might aggravate pain and prolong the healing process.

Hence dentists advise not to bite hard during the root canal treatment.

Missing an appointment

Your root canal treatment may complete in 2 or 3 visits, depending on the infection status.

During the first visit, your dentist might remove the nidus of infection from your tooth. You will be on antibiotics to remove the residual infection within the canal.

Missing an appointment may lead to untoward consequences like increasing the infection within the canal. Patent root canals just after cleaning are good sources for breeding bacteria. The pathogens might take advantage and grow within the canal, causing a secondary infection.

Missing appointments lead to secondary infections in the root canal tooth. It can further lead to severe pain.

Hence, missing an appointment during a root canal treatment is not a good idea.

Stopping medication

From the second day of your root canal treatment, you might get relief from pain. It doesn’t mean that your tooth has now become infection-free.

You might get relief from pain due to the medication. The infection persists, and you have to continue medication to get permanent relief.

I have seen patients stopping their medication on the second or third day itself, but you have to complete the course to prevent your tooth’s re-infection.

Stopping medication in the middle of the treatment might give a greater chance of developing a bacterial infection in your root canal.

Hence, never stop the medication during your treatment. Always follow your dentist and complete the course on time.

Skipping medication might prolong your treatment and can lead to re-infection. Residual infection is always dangerous and might be harmful to your teeth.

Crowning your teeth

Protecting your tooth with a crown is as vital as treating root canal infection. Your dentist will remove the damaged pulp (which contains nerves and blood vessels) during the treatment.

As a result, your teeth will lose their nutritional supply after the treatment. In simple words, your teeth will not get any vascular or sensory supply after root canal treatment.

Such teeth lose their strength as days pass and become brittle. Add a crown to your teeth is a perfect remedy which can prolong the life of your tooth.

A dental crown covers the root canal treated tooth in all directions and distributes your biting force equally all over the tooth.

Moreover, it acts as a protective cover over the teeth and prevents wearing off your brittle teeth.

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Not brushing your teeth

Patients tend to stop brushing the treating tooth during the treatment. Your root canal teeth should be clean during the treatment. Any accumulation of debris over the teeth might result in re-infection of the root canal.

Hence, regular brushing is mandatory even over the teeth under treatment.

I hope this article gives an insight into the most common mistakes we make during a root canal treatment. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section.

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Dr. Kiran

Oral physician & Consultant Oral radiologist

"Denta digest" – a blog on Oral diseases & Dental problems" is the brainchild of Dr. Sai Kiran MDS. As an Oral medicine expert and a consultant oral radiologist, he is good at diagnosis & treatment planning. Dr.Kiran has many national & international publications to his credit. Read more about him on the "about me" page.

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