Can We Use Mouthwash after Root Canal?

After undergoing an invasive procedure like a root canal to eradicate dental pulp fiction from a specific tooth, you might wonder how to care for your mouth after receiving the therapy. Undoubtedly, root canals cause discomfort for a few days after the procedure. However, after a root canal, you must continue brushing and flossing your teeth to maintain your dental hygiene in good condition.

Root canals are a painful procedure requiring the dentist to drill your tooth to expose the infected or inflamed dental from within and remove it from its chamber before cleaning and disinfecting the canals. After completing the procedure, the dentist fills the canals with a bio-compatible rubber-like material called gutta-percha with adhesives to close the canals and places a temporary feeling in the tooth crown for protection until you have the tooth restored with a dental crown.

As you leave the dental office after completing the procedure, the dentist provides after-care instructions, which you must follow diligently to ensure you don’t develop complications after receiving the endodontic treatment to eradicate infections in your tooth.

After-Care Instructions Following Root Canal Treatment

The after-care instructions the dentist in Breckenridge, CO, provides are as follows:

• The dentist restricts you from having crunchy and hard foods following root canal treatment. It is to avoid damaging your tooth soon after the procedure.
• You receive medications to manage pain from the root canal besides antibiotics. Ensure that you take the medicines exactly as prescribed without skipping a dose.
• Swelling on your cheeks is expected following a root canal. You can use ice packs intermittently over your cheeks at 15-minute intervals on and off for the better part of the day during the first 48 hours.
• When lying down, try to keep your head in an elevated position using extra pillows to prevent blood flow from rushing to your head and bleeding from the treatment site.
• You must avoid eating immediately following root canal treatment because your mouth remains numb for about four to six hours after the process. It is to prevent accidents by biting yourself.

Can I Brush My Teeth like Normal after a Root Canal?

The dentist recommends not to change your oral hygiene routine following root canals. You must ensure you brush and cross your teeth as usual and remove plaque, the source of tooth decay and the leading cause of gum disease. After undergoing severe therapy, you wouldn’t want your new restored tooth to become prone to infections, would you? However, you must brush gently around the treated tooth to ensure you don’t damage the temporary filling or the area of the mouth where the infection existed.

Can I Gargle after a root canal?

Do not try to gargle when rinsing after a root canal, especially with mouthwash. If you must gargle, you must use a salt water rinse after 24 hours three to four times per day because it is an excellent short-term treatment refraining from using store-bought mouthwashes. Commercially available mouthwash brands contain alcohol that can increase the risk of oral cancer.

Your dentist recommends using saltwater rinses with water because it is a natural disinfectant that helps alleviate swelling from your tissues. Therefore you must continue using saltwater rinses for about three weeks after your surgical procedure.

Alternatively, you can consult the dentist on whether you can use chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash recommended to treat tooth decay and gum recession. However, do not consider purchasing the mouthwash from drugstores without a prescription from your dentist because it has the potential to cause more harm than good.

After undergoing a painful procedure like a root canal treatment, you must ensure you care for the treated tooth and your dental health appropriately until you get the tooth restored with a dental crown. You won’t help yourself by trying remedies without a recommendation from your dentist. In any case, you can make a saltwater rinse quickly from the comfort of your home for use multiple times during the day. Therefore before spending money on products, it helps if you research carefully and discuss with your dentist what is best for your treated tooth and your unique situation.

Not all mouthwash brands are recommended for severe dental infections like root canals. Therefore unless your dentist specifies one, you must refrain from using any mouthwash brands, sticking to the natural saltwater disinfectant when maintaining appropriate dental hygiene.

Breckenridge Dental Group performs many root canals and provides patients with appropriate after-care instructions and recommendations on the products to use and avoid. If you think you need this therapy on a specific tooth, please schedule an appointment with this practice to receive the treatment to save the natural tooth.