44 West Post-Treatment Instructions: Root Canals

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• Refrain from eating until the anesthetic wears off to avoid accidentally biting your lip, tongue, or cheek.
• Discomfort, especially to chewing or pressure, is common after root canal treatment. In most cases this will improve in the next several days, however it can take longer depending on the tooth and situation.
• Post-treatment discomfort can generally be managed with over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen.
  • Tylenol 500mg may be taken every 6 hours as needed.
  • Ibuprofen 600mg may be taken every 6 hours as needed.
  • For moderate pain, you may alternate both the above, 3 hours between doses. Maximum 4 doses/day for each individual medication.
• Continue taking any prescription medications as directed.
• You may eat whatever is comfortable. If you do have pressure sensitivity as noted above, stick to soft foods until your discomfort improves.
• If further restorative treatment is required after your root canal (e.g. crown), be sure to return to complete that treatment in a timely manner. Failure to follow this point may lead to fracture of your tooth.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office!