Can You Eat After a Root Canal?

Inside your tooth is a collection of blood vessels, nerves and other soft tissues called the tooth pulp. Various factors, such as tooth decay or damage, can cause this to become infected.  
  
A root canal helps to fix it before it spreads. Once your dentist completes the root canal, you’ll need to follow your dentist’s instructions to help smooth healing and avoid complications. What you eat is a big part of this. Certain foods could cause damage or complications, meaning you may need to adjust what you eat while recovering from a root canal. This article explores the root canal healing process in more detail, discussing what foods you can eat, when it becomes fine to eat them, and what foods you may want to avoid altogether while recovering.  
 
If you’re experiencing unusual tooth pain or sensitivity and believe you may need a root canal, schedule an appointment today.  

What is a root canal?

A root canal is a dental procedure that removes the innermost section of the tooth, called the dental pulp, if it becomes damaged or infected. Here is what your dentist will do during root canal treatment.¹

1. Applies topical numbing gel and then provides pain management to numb the tooth.  

2. Covers the tooth with a rubber dam to isolate the tooth.

3. Drills a small hole in the tooth to reach the pulp.  

4. Extracts the damaged or infected pulp with specialized extraction tools.  

5. Thoroughly cleans and disinfects the inner tooth chamber.  

6. Places biocompatible material and a biocompatible sealer in the inner tooth chamber to seal it.  

7. Places a permanent filling and a dental crown.  

8. You can return when the crown is finished for crown placement. 
   

However, depending on severity of root canal, your dentist might refer you to an endodontist, or a specialist who would perform the root canal. Then, you would return to your dentist to receive the filling and crown. 

¹Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21759-root-canal

When to eat after a root canal

Root canals are less intensive than many other dental procedures. You may experience some pain and discomfort for a few days, but you can often resume most normal activities within a day.  Eating, however, requires more care. You should avoid eating at all until the numbness wears off to avoid biting your cheek, lips, or tongue.  
  
The initial pain and discomfort of recovery may require you to avoid harder or chewier foods within the first few days of recovery. Sticking to liquid and soft foods for the first 24 to 48 hours may be your best choice for comfortable eating.  After a few days, you can try progressing to hard foods.
  
If you need a crown on the root canal tooth, you may want to continue eating soft foods until you receive the crown since the root canal tooth may be more vulnerable. This could involve a few weeks of waiting. Depending on where the root canal was, you may be able to eat hard foods as long as you avoid chewing with the root canal tooth.  

What foods can you eat after a root canal?

Avoiding pressure on the treated tooth after the root canal is crucial, especially immediately afterward.  Generally, it’s best to start with liquid foods for the first couple of days. Depending on your comfort level, you can then introduce soft foods once the numbness wears off. Here are some excellent food options, grouped by food group, to give you some ideas for healthy, delicious, recovery-friendly meals: 

What foods to avoid after a root canal

Now that you have a variety of recovery-friendly food options, knowing what foods to avoid is crucial. These recovery-unfriendly foods can cause pain, discomfort, and even damage, leading to complications and other issues:  

Candies:

Hard candies require significant biting, and the sugar content feeds bacteria, increasing your risk of gum disease, infection, or tooth decay. Meanwhile, chewy candies can stick to teeth, feeding oral bacteria and pulling on other dental work in your mouth.  

Chips:

Small, sharp pieces of chips may get stuck in or cause pain in the treated tooth area. Starches also get stuck in the teeth easily when chewed up significantly. 

Tough meats:

Steak, beef jerky, and other tougher meats require significant chewing, putting undue strain on the treated tooth. Slow-cooked meats like pot roasts or stews may be more viable. 

Raw veggies:

Raw veggies like broccoli and carrots may be too crunchy and tough to eat when recovering from a root canal. 

Ice:

Chewing on ice can damage the tooth or cause pain, similar to hard foods. The cold can also trigger sensitivity. 

Root canal recovery

Watching the foods you eat is crucial to a smooth and successful root canal recovery. However, it’s not the only thing you can do to minimize pain, speed up recovery, and reduce your risk of complications.

Here are some other tips:

• Follow all the dentist’s instructions: The dentist provides specific instructions for a smooth recovery. Following these is one of your best ways to avoid problems.  

• Take prescribed medications: The dentist may prescribe pain medications or antibiotics to control pain and reduce infection risk.   

• Follow your oral hygiene routine: Diligently brush, floss, and rinse. Be gentle and careful around the treated tooth, but clean it thoroughly.  

• Manage symptoms at home: Use OTC pain relievers if you are not prescribed pain medication. Manage swelling and inflammation by applying an ice pack or cold compress to the area.  

• Rest and take it easy: Avoid hard exercise or strenuous activity during the first few days. This lets your body dedicate more resources to healing the root canal site and helps reduce inflammation.  

• Avoid extreme temperatures: Hot and cold food and drink can trigger sensitivity. Cool down hot foods before eating, and avoid making drinks too cold.  

• Avoid tobacco products: Tobacco products can slow healing by restricting blood flow to the area. They also increase your risk of infection.  

When to see your dentist

Most root canals heal just fine with little more than a few days of minor to moderate discomfort. However, there is a small chance that complications arise during the healing process. Visit your dentist immediately if you experience the following:

• Allergic reactions: Rashes, itchiness, or significant swelling beyond the expected post-op swelling could indicate an allergic reaction to a prescription medication.  

• Severe, persistent pain: This could indicate a variety of issues, including but not limited to infection that wasn’t fully removed or tooth cracks.  

• Swelling that doesn’t die down: Swelling that doesn’t subside may point to an allergic reaction or an infection.  

• Fever: Fevers generally occur in response to infections. If you experience one after a root canal, this could indicate that an infection has occurred.  

• Bad odor or taste: Trapped bacteria can cause odor or a foul taste, indicating either infection or an uncleaned area from the procedure. If this persists, visit your dentist.  

• Discharge: Discharge is often a sign of infection and warrants an immediate dental visit.  
  

If you are in pain after a root canal or are experiencing any of these symptoms, Aspen Dental offers walk-in emergency appointments.

Eating after root canal FAQs

Are there any precautions for eating after a root canal?  

Yes. Avoid eating anything until two to three hours after the pain management has worn off to avoid biting parts of your mouth.  For 24 to 48 hours, prioritize liquid foods like soups or smoothies. At 72 hours, soft foods that require minimal chewing, like scrambled eggs or soft pastas, may be viable.

Can I drink through a straw after a root canal?  

It is not advisable to drink through a straw after a root canal. The suction that drinking through a straw causes could cause pain or potentially lead to bleeding in the healing area. Drink directly from your glass, cup, or mug instead. 

Can I have hot and cold beverages after a root canal?  

Hot and cold can trigger sensitivity in the tooth. So, it’s best to keep drinks lukewarm or cool rather than hot or cold. For example, if you enjoy hot coffee, you may want to let it cool down or put a few ice cubes in to cool it down without making it cold. Another example is water. Avoid ice water temporarily, sticking instead to water that’s closer to room temperature.  

Stick to soft foods after getting a root canal

From applesauce and mashed potatoes to ice cream and pudding, there are many soft foods you can eat after getting a root canal. Additionally, it’s important to stay away from hard foods such as candies, nuts, and hard veggies. If you have any questions on what to eat after a root canal or have concerns, schedule an appointment with Aspen Dental today.