Gum swelling before and after root canal procedure

[Kris2484]

Yesterday morning I had a root canal performed on tooth #4. Apparently I had a major cavity and the tooth darkened a couple of months ago and then about two weeks ago I noticed a feeling of tightness in my cheek and it felt like a hard ball was in the root of my tooth/top of my gum. I was put on Amoxicillin for 7 days (500 mg every 6 hours) to get rid of the infection, and went in yesterday for my root canal.

I told the endodontist performing my procedure that it didn't feel like the infection was completely gone even though I finished my antibiotics. He told me that wasn't a problem and went ahead with my root canal. He sealed it up with a temporary filling and I have to go back in a week for the permenant composite filling. He also took another xray afterwards and said everything looked good. When it was finished I asked if there was a lot of infection in the tooth and he told me no, but there was a large amount of decay.

Now it's over 24 hours and my tooth feels fine and pain-free. However I notice that the swelling and that ball-like feeling at the root of the tooth/top of my gum is still present. It's not particularly painful but it does feel tender and slightly painful if I press that area and when I smile or move my mouth a certain way. it doesnt feel quite right. Maybe some swelling after a root canal is to be expected, and it's not severe at all, but I just feel like the infection wasn't completely cleared before or after the procedure. The swelling is in the same exact area as it was prior to me starting the amoxicillin the other week. Is this normal or should I still be concerned with lingering infection?

[rogersmithrm]

I suffered the same problem of swelling gums after root canal.Can anybody tell  me was it a sideeffect of any medicine

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Not at this stage.  When the root canal is completed, the area will heal on its own.  In fact, the procedure done recently should help it along for now.  The antibiotics sometimes clear the infection but sometimes its doesn't.  The root canal will permanently clear it up.  The antibiotics are a temporary fix and more of a prevention from getting worse.