Will I Be Restricted from Having Foods after Root Canal Treatment?

Root canals are therapies helpful for repairing a damaged tooth. The process involves removing the diseased or infected portion of the tooth, cleaning the pathways into the tooth, and fixing the tooth with a dental crown.

Root canals are relatively straightforward procedures performed on many patients, but you might not know what to do after receiving this tooth-saving treatment. In addition, you might confront challenges when matters related to the foods to have after the anesthesia wears off from the treatment site.

If you discover yourself in a comparable position, we suggest you keep reading to learn when and what you can eat after getting root canal treatment near me.

When Can You Eat after a Root Canal?

The Phoenix dentist performing root canals suggests that you wait until your teeth and gums are no longer numb after receiving this endodontic treatment. You can expect anesthesia to wear off in about four hours.

You must not try to eat immediately after getting root canal treatment in Phoenix because your gums and tongue remain numb and might cause you to bite your cheeks or tongue when eating foods. If you choose to have scorching beverages, you might also burn them to require additional treatments from the dentist. In addition, you might damage the temporary filling to seal the access hole they make in your tooth’s crown. A temporary filling is generally placed by dentists over the tooth for protection until you can have the tooth fixed with a dental crown.

Will Root Canals cause Illness in the Patient?

Root canals aim to eradicate an illness in your tooth with the potential to spread to your entire body if left untreated. If you decide against having root canal treatment, the bacteria within your tooth spread to your body through your bloodstream to cause illnesses like cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Therefore the information that canals cause illness is merely a myth spread by patients that did not have access to an experienced dentist or refused to undergo the treatment fearing severe pain.

In reality, root canals are no more painful than having a tooth filled with fixing tooth decay. In addition, the treatment eliminates a severe illness in your tooth with the potential to infect your entire body.

Foods You Can Have After Root Canals

After receiving endodontic treatment, it helps if you start having soft foods such as applesauce, frozen yogurt, peanut butter, bananas, puddings, cooked vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice, hummus, scrambled eggs, soups, soft bread, cheese, and pasta. When you observe the soreness of your gums and teeth diminishing, you can gradually progress to a diet to include your favorite foods.

Foods to Avoid after Root Canals

Root canals do not require you to starve but need you to keep yourself nourished. While soft foods are beneficial immediately after receiving this therapy, you must avoid chewy foods after removing the infection from your tooth. Some examples include hard foods such as nuts and seeds and sticky foods like chewing gum, caramel, and candies.

You must also refrain from having scorching or freezing foods and drinks. You might encounter some tooth sensitivity following the placement of a temporary or permanent crown after this treatment. If you received a temporary crown until your permanent restoration is ready from the dental laboratory, you must avoid the complex foods described above until your permanent restoration arrives.

Post-Operative Care after Root Canals

You can expect post-operative soreness after root canals. However, you can control the discomfort by taking over-the-counter pain relievers or prescription painkillers recommended by the dental office performing the procedure. In addition, you might receive suggestions from your dentist to continue brushing your teeth to maintain proper oral hygiene, refraining from flossing on both sides of the temporary crown or dislodging the crown, and gargling with salt water three to four times per day because saltwater has antiseptic properties.

If your dentist suggests antibiotics to prevent infections, you must take the medicines as recommended to reduce the likelihood of reinfecting your tooth after receiving this treatment.

You can expect the dentist to suggest not to eat complex foods after receiving a root canal. Besides the above, you will not face restrictions on having foods to nourish yourself and recover quickly to have the treated tooth fixed with a dental crown.

ESP Dental recommends not eating hard foods after receiving root canal therapy to prevent dislodging the temporary filling in the tooth to reinfect it. After receiving a root canal from this practice, if you have apprehensions about the foods you can or cannot eat, kindly do not hesitate to contact them for advice as soon as possible.