nerve pain in gums after root canal

I had a root canal in #3 molar following major tooth and gum pain.  Dentist said I had an infection, tooth was dead. Now, 2 days post root canal I still feel the nerve pain in my gums.  I am on penicillin.  Worried there are other teeth in jeopardy nearby or perhaps we'll need to pull that tooth (which has a crown).  What could be causing this pain?  Should I wait before making my appointment to fill this tooth?  Pain has lessened but I thought it was a dead tooth - why the pain?

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

More than likely the residual pain that you are experiencing is from the infection that is still present and the actually trauma that the tooth has during the root canal procedure.I think it will take a while for the tooth to calm down and for the infection to dissipate. Make sure that the tooth is out of occlusion which means you can not feel it when you put your teeth together. As far as the prognosis of the tooth that would depend on the extent of the infection and the success of the root canal treatment.

[mike1105]

if the root canal is finished, i would not recommend doing any more treatment on this tooth until it is asymptomatic AND you've been off the antibiotics for at least 2 weeks. If you still have symptoms at that point, there has to be a reason.

[boejoe]

A related discussion, Shooting pain in the gum area of after a root canal was started.