Phantom pain after root canal

Phantom tooth pain is a deafferentation pain disorder of persistent toothache in teeth that have been denervated (usually by root canal treatment ) or pain in the area formerly occupied by teeth prior to their extraction. This “phantom pain” is caused when the nerve leading to the tooth that received root canal treatment is still attached to the tooth nerve even if the nerve endings in the tooth’s roots have been removed. Like an amputee who feels “phantom pain” in a limb that has been remove the nerve will feel like the tooth is infected or sick even when it is not. Other terms have been used to describe similar tooth-related pain presentations, such as idiopathic periodontalgia 2 idiopathic odontalgia 3 and atypical odontalgia. In this research protocol, the term.

Whether it’s a root canal , extraction, or filling, phantom tooth pain is the result of a damaged or dysfunctioning nerve that sends signs to the brain saying that there is pain in a tooth that may no longer be there. Unfortunately, damage already existed in the surrounding nerves and the procedure simply exacerbated the nerve endings. They anticipate feeling better after a dental procedure, and instead they only feel worse. Signs of Phantom Tooth Pain.

This can be due to the nerve ending in the area sending signals of pain to the patient’s brain, though no physical cause for the pain exists within the mouth. There may be an existing issue with the way the patient’s brain interprets pain signals, or this issue may be isolated to the nerves in the tooth area. The most common source of pain after a root canal is the inflammation of tissues around the tooth’s root. If the tooth was not infected around the tip of the root , that’s when overfilling is likely to cause pain after a root canal.

This is “periradicular inflammation. It’s rare, but a tiny bubble of air can also be forced out of the root tip , causing pressure and pain. It may take some time, but the pain in either case should subside on its own.

After a root canal is complete no living nerve tissue remains inside the tooth, but nerve endings remain in the ligaments that attach the tooth to the surrounding bone. These ligaments have nerve fiber associated with them that can feel pain. They are the source of any post root canal pain. A root canal involves deep cleaning inside the canals (the inner chamber of the root ) of your tooth , which can in turn irritate surrounding nerves and gums. Over time, the pain may spread to involve wider areas of the face or jaws.

The pain shouldn’t last forever. But for Stacy, the aggressive and overwhelming “dental treatment” she needed for a natural smile and healthy teeth may have contributed to a condition known as Atypical Odontalgia, otherwise known as phantom tooth pain. This pain sometimes occurs after a root canal or a tooth extraction. Three attempts at a root canal on a back lower molar, there was a hidden fourth root , and the infection would not clear. The abscess was large and so painful.

Finally after months of pain , multiple visits to the dentist and endo, months of antibiotics, I had the tooth pulled. It involves methodically ruling out localized pathology in the form of odontogenic infection, periodontal disease, cracked teeth, caries or failed root canal therapy. The root canal procedure itself can also cause some irritation. Therefore some root canal pain after the procedure, usually a mild dull pain , is quite common and certainly not alarming. Most patients experience a tender tooth for the first days after treatment.

Pain after root canal procedure can subside within few days or a week. One can purchase over the counter analgesic or pain killers to relieve the pain in the tooth. Avoid hard or chewy foods- Avoid eating foods that require chewing or biting for several days after root canal treatment. In the first few days after root canal treatment (also termed RCT or endodontics), it is quite normal to experience some pain.

Any pain should be mil and the tooth may be tender to touch or bite down on.