I had a root canal done in January. It’s been tender in the gum area ever since and I just assumed it was still in the healing process. When I finally went back last week to have it looked at, I realized a bump on my gum in the area. It doesn’t hurt really bad but is tender when pressure is applied to it. The dentist has consulted with another and they are telling me that since it was such a deep root canal that at times it may take up to a year to heal and are telling me to wait. I’m not sure if the safest thing to do is to do nothing. Can it take this long for the healing process?

ANSWER:

While it can take up to a year for the bone to fill in following a root canal. The pain should have resolved by now and you should not have a bump in the area. Most of the time those bumps indicate some type of infection. In a tooth that has already had a root canal the bump may indicate a crack in the tooth or some residual infection in the tooth. Either way you should see either a periodontist to check for a crack or an endodontist to check the root canal. Let me know if you need a referral to either of these dental specialist.
Hope the helps.

Nick DeTure DMD
AskADentist.com

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