After you’ve completed Endodontic treatment, you’ve permanently sealed your root canal system. In this process, the outer surface of the tooth was likely sealed with a temporary restoration. In order to protect your tooth against fracture and decay, you’ll need to have a permanent restoration placed. If a temporary restoration was placed in our office, please call your restorative dentist for an appointment. We’ll send a complete report of treatment to your restorative dentist.
Endodontic treatment leaves your tooth vulnerable to fracture immediately following treatment. You should chew on the other side of your mouth until your restorative dentist places a core build-up and protective restoration for the tooth, usually a crown.
Are There Any Potential Problems After Treatment?
Lower teeth and nerve injury. Although the risk is low, a nerve injury can potentially occur during root canal surgery to the lower posterior teeth. Your endodontist is trained to assess this possibility prior to treatment and will advise you accordingly. For lower posterior teeth, the root tips may be near a nerve that supplies feeling to the lip, chin and gums. Your endodontist is trained to design your surgery to minimize the chances of damaging this nerve. In some rare cases, surgery irritates this nerve and when the local anesthesia wears off you may experience tingling, altered sensation or in rare cases a complete lack of feeling in the affected tissues. Should this occur, the altered sensation is usually temporary and will resolve over a period of time. In extreme cases, these changes can be permanent and/or painful.
- Upper teeth and sinus communication. Since the upper teeth are situated closer to your sinuses, root canal surgery can result in communication between your mouth and the adjacent sinus. Should this complication occur and become apparent at the time of surgery, we will give you special instructions during your surgery. Although we expect this complication to heal spontaneously, we prefer that you don’t blow your nose for two to three days after surgery should this scenario unfold. If you have to sneeze, you should sneeze with an open mouth into a tissue. You should not create any pressure in the sinus area. If you sense a complication after surgery, please let us know.
Post-operative infections. Post-operative infections occasionally occur. Don’t panic, this usually requires just an office visit and examination. Placing you on an antibiotic for a week will usually take care of the infection, but occasionally further treatment is required.