“Why do my gums hurt days after a root canal?”

In RCT, biocompatible material is left in last and that takes some time to get used to it.

It could be possible that the clamp from the rubber dam impinged upon your gum and it will take a week or two for it to completely heal. Another possibility is that you have infection coming from the route spreading to the gum area and creating discomfort.
I hope this was helpful.

Paul Northup, DDS

Root canal procedures require complete isolation of the tooth from the rest of the mouth. To achieve this, we use ‘things’ that push on or rub against the gum tissue so some time after the treatment there may be gum irritation.

One of the reasons could be the underlying infection that is still healing inside your bone. Gums might be sore from clasps that hold rubber dam isolation.

Several possibilities for sore gums: 1) sore from the needle, especially if you needed more than one, 2) inflammation from being worked on spread out the root tip into the bone, 3) the bite can be too high (easy fix - have your dentist adjust the bite), 4) infection still present and over-reacting to the work done, 5) leftover nerve remaining in the root canal causing pain, 6) referred pain from an adjacent tooth or from the TMJ. Most frequent source is the bite being too high. See your dentist or endodontist for evaluation.
Good luck.

May not be related. Check with your endodontist.

Your gums may hurt perhaps because the clamp that was used to secure the rubber dam was pinching on your gums. Could also be due to infection or inflammation.

You have not given enough information to determine for sure why your gums still hurt. It could still be sore from the injection, the ligament around the tooth could still be sore, or there could be some residual infection in the tissue around the tooth. You should contact the dentist who did your root canal and make an appointment to have it checked.

Shouldn’t. You need to get it evaluated.

Hello,

Discomfort after a root canal is to be expected much like discomfort after an extraction. The people that take care of their teeth as soon as it starts bothering them will have more discomfort after a root canal than people who do not. This seems counter-intuitive; however, it is important to remember what is happening during a root canal. During a root canal, the center of the tooth is accessed and the nerve inside is removed. If tooth pain has just started, then there are parts of this nerve that are still alive and healthy when they are removed. This will cause some discomfort after the anesthesia has worn off. This is one of the reasons why dentist like to catch it before it starts bothering the patient. Gums can hurt after a root canal depending on the shape and condition of the tooth. Dentists use what is called a rubber dam to isolate the one tooth that needs a root canal. There is a clamp used just above the gums (gingiva) to hold this rubber dam in place. Sometimes the gums can get irritated from the clamp.
Hope this helps.

My best to you!

William F. Scott IV, DMD