How to Reduce the Chances Of an Infection After a Root Canal
By Joe Wegiel | Published on August 6, 2010 | 0 Comments
The best way to reduce the chances of infection in the mouth at any time, including before or after a root canal, is to come in for regular dental care check-ups and get early treatment for any small problems before major issues pop up, explains Ludlow Family Dentistry, PC‘s Dr. Joe Wegiel, a dentist with 37 years of experience in Ludlow, MA.
Wegiel advises that patients visit the dentist right away when a tooth begins bothering them, rather than waiting until the cavity or decay has escalated into a full-blown infection. He says that post-operative problems such as discomfort, pain, and infection are much more common in root canal patients who waited long periods of time before coming in for their procedures, as compared to those who came into the dentist and had procedures done immediately.
Luckily, Wegiel says that most patients who come into the dentist once every six months for regular exams and evaluations are probably not going to need to have root canals in the first place, since he will be able to catch slight sensitivities before they become big enough issues to warrant root canal procedures.
In many cases, however, people fail to follow this advice, and they end up getting pre-operative infections before root canal has even been done. Although a root canal that is performed by a specialist is usually a one-hour procedure, Wegiel says that the procedure can take much more time for a person who waited until an infection had already set in before getting the work done.
If someone comes in with an abscessed tooth or a swollen face, then the dentist is not likely to have an easy time performing that person’s root canal to begin with. A dentist cannot do a root canal on any tooth that has infectious material that is backed up into the bone. Therefore, Wegiel explains that the dentist will have to treat and repair the infection before he can move on to the root canal.
Despite the old notions of painful recovery periods from root canal procedures, Wegiel says the truth is that the majority of the root canals done today are not painful whatsoever, or at least not as much as people once said they were. Although root canals have gotten a bad reputation over the years, the average endodontist today can do a root canal procedure—even on a molar—in very little time. Because the procedure itself is shortened, the length of time that patients can expect to experience any post-operative discomfort and pain has become shortened as well.
When people do complain of pain after a root canal, the most likely reason is because an infection has set in, according to Wegiel. If a patient undergoes a root canal procedure and later comes down with an infection during the healing process, he will most likely be prescribed an antibiotic by a dentist. In fact, Wegiel says that most endontists and dentists will actually prescribe their patients antibiotics to take during the healing process as a way to prevent infections from setting in.
If a patient ends up getting an infection in his mouth a month or more after he has undergone a root canal procedure, then Wegiel says that is be a clear sign that something in the patient’s mouth still needs to be treated. Although antibiotics are still the basic treatment method for infections, a minor post- operative procedure would most likely also be needed. A dentist would then have to go back in, clean out the abscessed tooth, and get rid of the infection once and for all.
The bottom line, according to Wegiel, is that routine care and visiting the dentist regularly can go a long way in protecting a person’s overall oral health. Visiting the dentist at least once every six months is the best way to discover new sensitivities and cavities in a timely manner before they grow into major dental infections that are going to take time and money to repair. Once a tooth gets to the infectious stage, that makes the entire treatment process and the prognosis much more difficult – so the sooner a patient reacts to his problem, the better his outcome is likely to be.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.