How long will the restored tooth last?

     Your restored tooth could last a lifetime, if you continue to care for your teeth and gums. However, regular checkups are necessary. As long as the root(s) of a treated tooth are nourished by the tissues around it, your tooth will remain healthy.

What Should One Expect After the Root Canal?

     The root canal procedure should relieve the pain you feel. Until your root canal procedure is completely finished that is to say, the permanent filling is in place and/or the crown is place, it's wise to minimize chewing on the tooth under repair. This step will help avoid recontamination of the interior of the tooth and also may prevent a fragile tooth from breaking before the tooth can be fully restored. For the first few days following the completion of treatment, the tooth may feel sensitive due to natural tissue inflammation, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This sensitivity or discomfort usually can be controlled with over-the-counter analgesics such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or naproxen. Most patients can return to their normal activities the next day.

     As far as oral health care is concerned, brush and floss as you regularly would and see your dentist at normally scheduled intervals. Because the final step of the root canal procedure is application of a restoration such as a crown or a filling, it will not be obvious to onlookers that a root canal was performed. Root canal treatment is highly successful; the procedure has more than a 95% success rate. Many teeth fixed with a root canal can last a lifetime.