What should I do before my appointement?
Please take your regular medication as prescribed by your doctor including antibiotics, but do not take any pain relievers six hours prior to your appointment (this may interfere with our diagnostic tests). Do not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages from 12 hours before your procedure to 72 hours after treatment. Avoid chewy, hard or sticky foods immediately before and for a few days after your procedure.
Can I pre-register online?
Yes, it is recomended to pre-register online in order to help you save time at the office. Please call our office so we can create your personal username and password.
When can I start chewing with my treated tooth?
We recommend you start chewing on your treated tooth only when you’ve had the crown properly repaired by your dentist. Please make an appointment to have this done soon after your root canal treatment.
Waiting too long to have crown repair may result in contamination of the tooth, resulting in the need for another root canal. In severe cases, the tooth may fracture or become so infected that it may require an extraction.
Will the treatment be painful?
We will take every measure to ensure that your procedure is in no way uncomfortable or painful. If treatment is needed, we will inject a small amount of anesthesia to gently numb a concentrated area of your mouth. For most patients, the feeling of numbness usually subsides after 2-3 hours.
What are my options if the root canal treated tooth does not heal?
In the rare case that the root canal is not successful, a retreatment may be necessary to clean out more of the pulp space to promote healing. If both a root canal and retreatment are unsuccessful, an apicoectomy may be necessary.
Will I need to return to your office for follow-ups after the procedure is finished?
Yes, for most root canal treatments, we recommend that patients return to the office 1 year after the procedure was finished. Our office will send a reminder notice to you when you are due for a recall appointment.