While a root canal procedure can help relieve tooth pain, it can also lead to complications; some of which interfere with the range of motion (ROM) of the jaw. According to the Mayo Clinic, dentists and endodontists perform root canals in order to remove diseased pulp from the natural chambers -- or canals -- of a tooth's roots. This requires drilling into the crown of the tooth, using small tools to clean out the canals and then filling these canals with a bonding material.
Muscle Strain
As the root canal resource website Root Canal Exercises notes, a root canal procedure typically takes between 40 minutes and hour, but can sometimes last longer. During this time, the oral surgeon keeps a patient's head titled back and his mouth held open-wide, thereby allowing easy access to the teeth. The problem with staying in such a position for a prolonged amount of time is that it can strain the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the neck and jaw. This strain could make it difficult for a patient to chew and otherwise open and close his mouth after a root canal procedure.
Bacterial Infection
Pain and swelling is a common complication for root canal patients, as the New York University Langone Medical Center mentions. However, if the symptoms are incredibly severe or do not dissipate, it may be a sign of a bacterial infection. When an oral surgeon drills through an infected tooth and exposes the root canal to the air, the oxygen may trigger bacteria in the mouth to grow and spread. According to the Sunnyvale Dental Practice, sometimes these bacteria can even enter the small hole at the bottom of a tooth's root where blood vessels enter, causing severe inflammation. And while a bacterial infection will typically not directly affect the jaw's ROM, it can certainly make opening and closing the mouth difficult and painful.
Apicoectomy
During a root canal procedure, the tip of a surgeon's metal cleaning tool could potentially snap off and remain lodged in the tooth. In these cases, a surgeon may be able to remove the metal debris from the same entry-point that he used for the original procedure, which goes through the tooth's crown. However, if he is unable to do this, the patient will likely have to undergo an apicoectomy. During an apicoectomy, a surgeon makes a slit in the gums, allowing access to the root of the tooth from below. He is then ideally able to remove the debris from the canal. However, as DC Endodontics notes, after an apicoectomy, a patient may experience a lot of swelling, making it difficult to open the mouth. In addition, pulling on and moving the lips excessively could cause the sutures from the surgery to fall out. For these reasons, DC Endodontics recommends avoiding foods that require vigorous chewing for the first few days after an apicoectomy.
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