Undergoing root canal therapy near you eliminates serious tooth infections that can spread to affect your general health without requiring you to give up your tooth. Root canal procedures have a bad rap, but are painless and routine thanks to advances in dental techniques and technology. Routine as root canals are for a dentist in Sundance, dentists understand they’re stressful for patients concerned about their health and recovery.
In the days following root canal procedure, it’s important that patients avoid exertion, keep their head elevated, take medications as directed and rest as much as possible. To deal with discomfort, follow those general guidelines while also rinsing with saltwater and using cold compresses to help with pain and swelling. In addition to those instructions, though, you need to think carefully about when and what you eat. Here are some helpful tips about when to eat, what to eat and what not to eat after receiving a root canal from a dentist near you.
When to eat
During root canal therapy in Sundance, all of the affected areas of your mouth will be completely numbed. The good news about that is that you will experience no discomfort or pain during the procedure. The not-as-good news about that is that the numbing effects will take some time to wear off.
Until the numbing effect of the anesthetic applied by your dentist in Sundance has completely worn off, don’t drink anything other than lukewarm water or eat anything at all. While your mouth is still numbed, you won’t feel it if you accidentally bite your cheek, lips or tongue. Neither will you feel it if you accidentally burn any of the tissues in your mouth.
What to eat
When you are ready to begin eating again, you should limit yourself to soft foods and easily chewed foods (or foods that need no chewing at all) during the early stages of your recovery. That doesn’t mean that you’re limited to completely boring and flavourless foods, though. Here’s a list of foods to eat after undergoing root canal therapy in Chaparral:
- Fruit smoothies
- Applesauce
- Ice cream
- Yogurt
- Pudding
The coolness of these first four choices will provide the added benefit of easing any lingering discomfort in the area of your surgery and can even help ease swelling. Let’s continue with the list of things to eat:
- Soft fruits like bananas, mangos, pears and peaches
- Soft cereals (porridge and cream of wheat, for example)
- Mashed potatoes and pureed cauliflower
- Pasta (maybe not the crusty edges of baked Mac ‘n Cheese)
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Pancakes
- Sushi
- Tuna salad
- Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and similar dips (without the crunchy vegetables you might usually try)
What not to eat
After undergoing root canal therapy near you, be sure to follow the aftercare instructions that your dentist in Chaparral provides, especially if they are different from this general guide. Your dentist will offer those directions based on the procedure that you just went through and will be tailored to the number and location of teeth and canals treated among other factors. As a general rule, though, here is a list of foods to avoid until you’re given the all-clear to eat freely:
- Nuts and ice (unless you’re just melting an ice cube in your mouth)
- Crunchy and raw fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots and celery
- Foods that require a lot of chewing like breads and candies that are or tend to become gummy while eating
- Consuming alcohol because alcohol can delay healing, interact negatively with medications you might take during recovery and even dissolve the temporary filling placed in your treated tooth
Since everyone is different, everyone who undergoes a root canal should be sure to speak to their dentist for advice about how to ensure your complete recovery.