What to Eat After a Root Canal
Root canal therapy has come as a breath of fresh air for many people. In the not-so-distant past, if you had a tooth infection, there was only one way to deal with it; a tooth extraction. But today, our general dentist in Holmdel can save your infected tooth by performing root canal treatment.
If you have been scheduled to undergo a root canal near you, you must have some concerns or questions about it, like how long it takes to recover or what you should eat, etc. It is vital to have the proper information since this will help you heal much faster and avoid complications during recovery.
How Long Does Recovery Take After a Root Canal?
Tooth decay is something that should be taken seriously. Getting root canal treatment before the issue escalates will help you save your natural tooth instead of waiting and then losing your tooth. Whenever tooth decay reaches the inner parts of your tooth, the root and pulp can be inflamed and infected. This is a sensitive place because there are nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels.
At this stage, the pulp has to be removed to get rid of the infection. This procedure is quick, but afterward, you might experience some soreness and pain that might kick off immediately after the anesthetic wears off. This can last for several days.
However, our general dentist in Holmdel will prescribe some pain medication to help you cope with the pain as you recover. In most cases, it will take a few days for the site to heal. In very rare cases, some patients may take weeks to recover.
If your swelling, soreness, and pain don’t subside as the days progress, you might need to come in for a checkup.
Also, as you recover, you will need to eat the right foods to ensure that you get the nutrients that you need for healing without harming the recovery site.
Foods to Eat After Root Canal
Planning for what happens after the root canal will make your recovery much easier. You can stock your refrigerator and pantry with soft foods that need minimal chewing to reduce the chewing stress and give your body the required nutrients.
Picture recovery after a root canal the way you would after a tooth extraction or any other oral surgery. You can resume your normal routine without needing plenty of rest. However, you will need to start eating after the anesthetic has worn off to prevent you from biting your tongue or cheek.
That said, so long as you avoid biting down or chewing with your treated tooth, it should be a breeze for you to indulge in soft foods.
You will still need to eat well-balanced meals to stay healthy and recover faster. When you pick your meals, ensure that you have some proteins such as eggs, tofu, hummus, beans, canned tuna, peanut butter, meatloaf, etc. Healthy fats are also a necessary component of a healthy meal, so you will need fats found in yogurt, soft cheese, avocado, and cottage cheese. You can also increase the bulk of your meals with healthy carbohydrates such as oatmeal, soft bread, pasta, couscous, etc.
A healthy diet cannot lack fresh fruits and vegetables such as pears, mangoes, pureed winter squash, mashed potatoes, bananas, smoothies, applesauce, soup, etc.
Foods to Avoid
After the procedure, you will have two concerns that you should be aware of regarding eating. You should take care of the temporary filling to avoid getting damaged. Then, the other concern is that your tooth will be sore or sensitive. This means that you will need to be careful not to eat foods that aggravate the symptoms.
Ensure that you avoid eating the following:
- Hard foods like nuts
- Very cold and hot foods and drinks
- Crunchy foods such as pretzels and chips
- Chewy foods such as crusty bread
- Sticky foods like candy and gum
Talk to Your Endodontist
Just know that you will be avoiding these foods for some time. Once you have the permanent crown in place, you can ease back to your normal diet. But you can proceed with caution while you see whether your teeth still feel sore. If it is still sore or sensitive longer than it should be, make your way to our office.
Even though you think the site is healing as it should, you can still contact us at A&A Dental if you have any other questions or concerns.