“Why am I feeling numb around where I had a root canal?”
I have numbness where I had my root canal, and this numbness has been there for the past few days. Why could this be happening?
3 Answers
The numbness should wear off several hours after a root canal is done. The nerve(s) of the teeth are removed and replaced with a bio-compatible material that fills and seals off the inside of the tooth, therefore you have less of a blood supply going to the tooth in that area, which can give a sense of that tooth not feeling fully connected as before, but it's unusual to still feel "numb" days later. Have the dentist check to see if anything unusual is showing up on a post-op X-ray to be sure all is well.
Sometimes the area around where you had a root canal can feel numb for a period of time due to profound administration of local anesthesia. The anesthesia usually wears off within a few hours to a couple of days. If the numbness lasts longer than that, it is possible that there is either temporary or permanent damage to the nerves.
If ever you have numbness that lasts for longer than “normal” dental anesthesia, you must contact your doctor immediately.
