How to Protect Your Smile After Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy is the only way to save your tooth after a pulp infection develops. After Britney Beard, DDS, clears out the infection, she takes the first step toward protecting your smile by covering the tooth with a permanent dental crown.

Keeping your smile beautiful for the long run depends on how you take care of the tooth at home. Our Fremaux Dental Care team guides the way, giving you the information you need to know after your root canal and answering your questions.

Here, you’ll learn two reasons why our root canals are different than you might expect and learn the top self-care tips for after your procedure.

What you should know about root canals

You can click on this root canal therapy link to learn the basic root canal procedure. Beyond learning what to expect, there are two things to know about our special approach to root canal therapy.

First, you will never experience pain. Forget everything you’ve heard about root canals being horrible and painful. We’re experts in using local anesthesia together with laughing gas or oral sedation to ensure your comfort.

And second, we provide same-day CEREC crowns. Most dentists and endodontists take care of your root canal, put a temporary crown over the tooth, and then you wait for a second appointment to get a permanent crown.

You avoid this extended process when we perform your root canal because we design and create beautiful ceramic crowns in the office. That means your smile is fully restored the same day.

Self-care after your root canal

Recovery from a root canal is easier than you may anticipate. The most important step is avoiding eating until the anesthesia wears off to avoid accidentally biting your cheeks or tongue.

The treated tooth may be sensitive and you may have mild discomfort for a few days. During that time, you can prevent discomfort by staying away from sweet, sticky, hard, and very hot or cold foods.

Don’t stop your daily dental hygiene. Keep brushing twice and flossing once every day, but brush gently if you have any sensitivity in the days after your root canal.

You need to follow additional self-care instructions if your tooth is protected with a temporary crown. But you don’t need to worry about that since we give you a permanent, same-day crown.

Protecting your smile for the long run

Protecting your smile for the long run depends on taking care of your crown. Dental crowns are incredibly strong, giving them the ability to protect your treated tooth from the daily pressure of biting and chewing.

Here are three steps you can take to prolong the life of your dental crown:

Care for your crown

The best way to protect your smile is to diligently brush and floss the crown. Though the crown won’t decay, it can crack or break, just like your natural enamel. And if it becomes damaged, bacteria can get to the tooth below the crown and cause decay.

Protect the crown

In addition to brushing and flossing, you can prevent damage to the crown by:

• Not biting hard objects like ice cubes, lollipops, or other hard candies
• Avoiding hard foods like nuts and popcorn (to prevent biting into a kernel)
• Skipping sticky foods like caramel, taffy, chewing gum, and gummies
• Being careful with tough foods like overcooked meats

These foods can damage the crown or pull on it, making it loosen or come off.

Schedule routine dental checkups

Dental checkups are just as important for your dental crown as for your natural teeth. During your six-month exam, we carefully examine the crown and the tooth underneath using digital X-rays. 

With routine exams, we can find early signs of problems and provide the treatment needed to protect the crown and maintain your healthy smile.

Don’t wait to call Fremaux Dental or use online booking to schedule an appointment if you need help with tooth pain or tenderness, or you have questions about self-care after a root canal.