Eating Comfortably After a Root Canal

The first meal: timing and numbness

Local anaesthetic can leave your lip, cheek and tongue numb for a few hours, and it is surprisingly easy to bite yourself without noticing. Wait until the feeling has returned before eating a proper meal, and take care with hot drinks until you can judge the temperature properly.

If you are very hungry, something soft and cool, such as yoghurt or a smoothie eaten with a spoon, is a gentler start. Your dental team may give specific timing advice for your case, so follow that if it differs from this.

Foods that suit a tender tooth

For the first few days, soft food that needs little chewing is the sensible choice. Think scrambled eggs, soup that has cooled a little, mashed potato, pasta, soft fish or well-cooked vegetables. Lukewarm is kinder than very hot or very cold if the area is sensitive.

You do not need to live on mush. Just aim for textures that do not require the treated tooth to bear much force, and cut food into small pieces so you can place it on the other side of your mouth.

• Soups and stews that have cooled slightly
• Eggs, soft fish and well-cooked vegetables
• Rice, pasta and mashed potato
• Yoghurt and soft fruit

What to avoid, and why

A temporary filling is not built for heavy chewing, and the tooth beneath may be fragile until it is restored. Hard foods such as nuts, crusty bread, raw carrot and ice can crack the tooth or dislodge the filling. Sticky foods such as toffee and chewy sweets can pull the filling out.

Sugary and acidic food and drinks are best kept to mealtimes and limited in frequency, as dental organisations commonly advise. That matters here because a leaking temporary filling lets bacteria back towards the tooth.

Eating with braces, aligners or other work

If you wear aligners, ask your dentist whether to keep them in or out for the first few days, since a tender tooth or a changed bite may make them uncomfortable. Always remove them to eat and drink anything other than water, and clean your teeth before putting them back.

With braces, avoid anything that could snag a wire or bracket and add pressure to a tender tooth. If your orthodontist is not aware of the root canal, tell them before your next adjustment so they can plan around it.

Questions about the longer term

Ask your dentist how long to stay on softer food and when you can return to normal chewing. The answer often depends on whether the tooth is waiting for a permanent filling or a crown, because it is usually most vulnerable in the gap before that.

If you know a crown is planned, ask whether you should avoid biting directly on that tooth until it is fitted. Write the answer down so you are not relying on memory.

Questions readers ask