A root canal is a dental treatment usually performed to treat infected or damaged pulp of the tooth. Here is the most frequently asked question by people, can you smoke after a root canal?
If you are one of them and want to get answers to your questions about a root canal, you are at the right spot. This article aims to deliver all information about smoking after a root canal. Keep reading to learn!
Can you smoke after a root canal?
During the root canal procedure, each of your damaged or infected tooth’ canals is cleaned and filled with a temporary filling. After a while, the dentist recalls you to get a permanent one.
After the procedure, the dentist gives aftercare instructions that you need to follow strictly. You need to avoid certain habits and food to heal quickly without any complications. So, let’s find out if can you smoke after a root canal.
After a root canal procedure, your mouth can feel numb and tender. Smokers may wonder whether doing so is safe after the procedure.
Smoking after a root canal is highly discouraged by doctors and dentists. Smoking during recovery from oral procedures can increase the risk of oral health conditions.
In fact, smokers are more likely to have oral infections than non-smokers. Some studies show that cigarette smokers are twice (1.7 times) more likely to have root canal treatment than normal people.
So, avoid smoking to reduce your chances of needing root canals and improve your oral health. Also read, Molar broke off at gum line.
Why should you avoid smoking after a root canal?
There are many reasons you should avoid smoking after a root canal procedure. Some of them include:
- It may increase the chance of chances of needing root canals
- It may delay your healing from the oral procedure
- The American Dental Association has not approved any tobacco products. Smoking is considered injurious to your oral health and overall body.
Some other factors to consider
In general, apart from overall health, smoking is bad for oral health, it can make you prone to root canals. It may cause complications if you do not avoid it after your root canal procedure. Such as:
- Inflammation
- Risk of infection
- Bone loss due to smoking
- Reduces the way blood carries oxygen
- Dysfunction of blood vessels
After a root canal mouth will be numb and there are risks of biting the tongue, lips, and cheeks.
How long to wait to smoke after a root canal?
There is no specific time for how long you should avoid to smoke following the root canal. However, the procedure takes from a few days to 2 weeks to heal completely.
Keep in mind that you should keep yourself away from smoking for so long. Besides, after the procedure your mouth will be sensitive and numb, so, refrain from smoking until it heals. Otherwise, the toxic chemicals in tobacco may cause cancer in the mouth and can delay healing.
Strictly follow the dentist’s instructions about when to resume the activities involving the mouth.
Smoking and dental issues
Tobacco use and smoking is considered bad habit and is generally linked with many dental issues. The use of tobacco and smoking attacks the living tissue of the mouth. This causes:
- Cavities
- Gum disease
- Tartar buildup
- Ugly teeth
- Dirty teeth
- Tooth staining
- Bad breath
Chemicals in tobacco put a bad effect on your oral health. If you are thinking about quitting smoking, this can be a good time to take steps to do so.
Ways to quit smoking
Smoking is bad addiction and habit, so it is not easy to stop doing it. There are several effective ways you can use to delay the need to smoke. Some of them include:
- The first step is to make a firm mind, if you do so, you can quit it easily. When you feel the want to smoke, try to make busy yourself with other activities.
- Stimulate your mouth with chewing gum and sucking on sugar-free candies. Regularly do it at the time when you usually used to smoke.
- Drink a glass of water when you feel the want to smoke.
- Do some exercise, such as walking, swimming, running, and playing sports.
- Take a deep breath and focus on your breathing by paying attention to inhalation and exhalation.
Recovery tips for root canal
After getting a root canal you can follow these tips for fast recovery without any risk. Such as:
- Avoid eating right away or until the numbness wears off
- Soreness and swelling can occur around the mouth after the procedure. So, keeping your head elevated while sleeping may help you with swelling.
- Use over-the-counter medications if you feel any pain.
- Use warm salted water to gargle your mouth
- Eating ice cream may help with the swelling but, make sure first there is no sensitivity left in the mouth.
- Take a break from playing physical games for the first two days after the root canal.
When to see a doctor?
Despite if you are not a smoker, you should visit the dentist twice a year. If you do smoking, make sure to discuss this habit with your dentist. See the dentist if you see any of the symptoms:
- Tooth pain
- Feeling more sensitivity than usual
- Crack tooth
- Discolored gums
- Pimple on the gum
Conclusion
We have provided all the possible information about the frequently asked question “can you smoke after a root canal“? In the conclusion, there are not any hard rules or guidelines about smoking after a root canal.
Smoking is harmful to your oral health and can lead to many oral conditions. It can make you more prone to infection and inflammation after your root canal procedure.
You can improve your oral health, as well as overall health by quitting smoking.
If you have any additional questions about this article, you may contact us. Hope this article was helpful to you, if it is, shares it with your friends. Thanks For Reading, Stay healthy!
