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Weirdly, chewing on the other side after a root canal can make your jaw sore

mobile266 · 2026-04-10T10:16:17Z

Here’s something I didn’t expect: after my root canal, I was so paranoid about hurting the tooth that I chewed exclusively on the opposite side for like two weeks. Turns out, that can actually make your jaw ache, and even mess with your bite a bit if you keep it up too long. My dentist said it’s pretty common because people are nervous about using the treated tooth, but apparently gentle chewing on both sides actually helps your mouth get back to normal faster. Also, I learned that it’s normal for the tooth to feel kinda “different” for a while - like not painful, just a little off - because the nerve’s gone. It freaked me out at first but now I barely notice it. Anyone else have weird after-effects like this? Or tips for getting comfortable chewing again?

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apollorain995

That’s so relatable - my jaw felt like it was throwing a fit after my last root canal. I kept trying to “balance it out” by switching sides, but honestly, that just made things worse for a while. I wonder if the soreness is more from overthinking or actually from chewing differently. Did your dentist give you any tips about easing back into normal chewing? Mine just told me to take it slow, but I felt paranoid about every twinge for weeks.

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Weirdly, chewing on the other side after a root canal can make your jaw sore

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