A few years ago, I started thinking carefully about what I could do to improve my smile. I had lived with crooked, yellowed teeth for most of my adult life, and honestly, I just wanted to feel beautiful. I started thinking about working with a cosmetic dentist, and before I knew it, I was in an office getting a complimentary consultation. I learned about a variety of different procedures that could improve my look, and it was really fun. I wanted to create a blog all about making smiles more beautiful, which is why I made this website. Check out this blog for great information about dentistry.
If your dentist is about to perform a root canal on a painful, decaying tooth, you may already have an idea on how to keep the tooth clean and deal with any discomfort you may experience afterward. However, along with knowing what to do, make sure you avoid making the following mistakes that could possibly lead to increased pain, infection, or damage.
1. Brushing the Tooth Too Hard
As part of preventing infection in your tooth after the procedure, it is important that you continue to brush your teeth as usual to remove food particles and residual liquids from the surface. However, if you brush the affected tooth as you normally do, you may adversely affect it in one of two ways.
First, since your tooth will be tender after the root canal, you will probably notice a spiked increase in pain if you try to brush the tooth too hard. Second, since the tooth will be weakened and needs time to heal, you could end up scratching the tooth or even cracking near the hole created by the treatment.
While you do not want to skip brushing, just remember to take your time when you are in the area of your mouth around the tooth. Use pressure that is light enough to clean the tooth without being able to feel it.
If you use an electric toothbrush, use the lowest rotation setting. As you move it over the tooth, barely make contact with the surface, and allow the brush to do the work.
2. Chewing Anything with the Tooth
During the first day or two after your treatment, you will probably be restricted to soft foods because harder ones could crack the tooth. However, this does not mean that you should chew with the side of the mouth where the affected tooth is located.
Even if you are chewing softer foods, there are a couple of problems with using the tooth that had the root canal while eating. First, until the treatment site heals, you risk pushing food particles into the space, which could lead to infection.
Second, although the food is soft, you will still have to exert some force when chewing. The increased pressure on the freshly treated tooth could damage it, resulting in an increase in pain and possible damage.
Keeping yourself from making the above mistakes can help you prevent any problems or complications after your treatment. For more information on taking care of your tooth after your root canal, speak with the dentist who is performing your procedure.
Share13 January 2019
