We hope you had a pleasant visit to Endodontic Associates of Orlando. Our team strives to provide you with root canal treatment in a comfortable environment, and we want you to have the best outcome for your treatment. For this reason, we provide the below post-op instructions, to help you heal properly and have optimal oral health.
Postoperative Instructions Following Root Canal Treatment
Following the completion of root canal therapy, it is important to schedule an appointment with your general dentist over the following one to two weeks to have your tooth permanently restored.
If we have placed a temporary filling according to your dentist’s instructions, it will not permanently protect your tooth from reinfection or tooth fracture. Your tooth may be uncomfortable for a few days and tender to chewing pressure up to a week or more after treatment. This is normal. Pain medications are highly recommended. This will be discussed with you during your appointment.
Analgesic Pain Medications:
Every person is different. Dr. Sang Y. Shin will go over your medical history with you and give specific instructions for medicine intake. We encourage you to call us and ask our dentist if you have any questions.
For Patients Instructed To Take Ibuprofen:
- Ibuprofen (Advil or MOTRIN®): 600 mg to 800 mg every 6 hours. Each Advil is 200 mg (take 3 or 4 tablets every 6 hours as needed for pain).
For Patients Instructed To Take Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen Combined:
- Ibuprofen: 600 mg every 6 hours. Each Advil is 200 mg (take 3 tablets every 6 hours as needed for pain).
- Acetaminophen: 1000 mg every 6 hours can be taken, in addition to the 600 mg ibuprofen, for added pain relief. Each Extra Strength TYLENOL® is 500 mg of acetaminophen. Take 2 Extra Strength TYLENOL every 6 hours.
For Patients Instructed To Take a Narcotic, Such as Vicodin® or PERCOCET:
If a narcotic pain reliever was prescribed and is needed, it should be substituted for the acetaminophen between your anti-inflammatory doses. That combination will provide the greatest pain control possible, but narcotics do cause drowsiness and are not advised if driving is anticipated. Taking these with food or following a meal will help avoid the nausea they sometimes cause.
Instructions for Swelling:
- If you encounter inflammation or swelling after endodontic treatment, contact our office for a prescription for antibiotics. Improvement should be noticed in two to three days. If not, you should contact us for further instructions. When prescribed, take them on schedule until gone, even if your symptoms improve rapidly.
- Please alert us to any gastrointestinal complications, such as persistent diarrhea.
- Call our office immediately if you experience difficulty breathing or allergic reactions, such as rashes, to the antibiotics.
- Ice packs (15 minutes on, 10 minutes off) can also be very helpful at first.
- For those on birth control pills: taking antibiotics may inactivate your birth control pills. Call us or your pharmacist if unusual side effects occur.
- Please notify us if, when you bite down, your tooth feels high after treatment and is creating soreness. A short office visit to adjust the problem usually leads to quick and dramatic improvement. Long appointments and associated sore teeth may lead to teeth grinding. This is frequently manifested as sore jaw joints, ear pain, multiple tooth sensitivity and facial achiness. Anti-inflammatory drugs or moist heat to the affected area are usually helpful. Please note, however, that heat on infection-induced swelling usually worsens the situation.
If your endodontic case was more complex and required a second visit, please attend your second visit with us even if your tooth appears to be completely healed after your initial visit. Long-term success depends on total completion of your root canal treatment with us and subsequent restoration by your general dentist.
Postsurgical Endodontic Instructions
- Apply an ice pack to the area of the face where the surgery was performed. Use the ice pack for six hours, 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. This will help decrease the swelling following the procedure. Maximum swelling is usually noted one to three days following the surgery.
- Maintain a soft diet for the two days following the procedure. Recommended liquid foods include Ensure and Boost. Do not eat foods that are difficult to chew, spicy or hot. It is important to drink plenty of fluids and refrain from consuming alcohol or smoking cigarettes.
- The day following the surgery, begin rinsing gently with warm salt water. If a Peridex rinse is prescribed, then rinse with Peridex after breakfast and before bed. Throughout the day, use the warm saltwater rinses to maintain a clean surgical site. Brush and floss all teeth except the ones in the surgical area.
- The treated area may seep blood during the first 24 hours after treatment. If the bleeding increases, please contact the office or our dentist after hours. Pressure should be applied using a moist cotton gauze or with a tea bag.
- A discussion concerning pain medication and antibiotics will take place prior to the surgical procedure. All medications should be taken as directed. Please contact Dr. Shin if you have any questions. Over-the-counter or prescription pain medication will be provided. If antibiotics are prescribed, then they should be taken as directed until gone. If an allergic reaction is experienced, then the antibiotic should be discontinued, and the doctor should be informed.
- A postoperative appointment will be scheduled to remove the sutures. Please do not lift up your lip to see the surgical site. This can result in disturbing the sutures and inhibiting the healing process. The surgical site will be shown to the patient prior to leaving the office.
- A minimal increase of body temperature may occur in the first day following the surgical procedure. This is not out of the ordinary. Though not typical, you may develop an infection after surgery. If it does occur, symptoms usually appear two to three days after treatment, which include: soreness, implementation, feeling feverish and experiencing tender glands in the neck. We strongly encourage you to call our office immediately if you suspect you have developed an infection.
If you have any additional questions or concerns about your recovery or our endodontic post-op instructions in Maitland, Florida, call our office today at 407-647-2131.