Root canal treatment is done to save and restore a tooth that is badly decayed. Dental infection not treated in its early stage may progress and infect the tooth’s pulp or the tooth’s nerve chamber, thus causing pain and swelling in the affected tooth. Your dentist will advise you to undergo the root canal procedure to remove the infected pulp and other dental debris that causes pain and swelling.
After care of root canal procedure includes:
- You should take your medications as directed by the dentist.
Pain relievers should be taken on its proper schedule to avoid the incidence of post operative pain. It is advised that you should take your first dose of pain medication within one hour of leaving the dental clinic. This is to prevent the incidence of post operative pain once the effects of the anesthesia wear off. Never use aspirin for pain because it may promote bleeding on the operative site because of the drug’s mechanism of action.
Like pain relievers, antibiotics should be taken on time and on full stomach. Never miss a dose or forget taking the antibiotics. Antibiotics are prescribed to clear out a bacterial infection or as a prophylaxis treatment after the surgery.
- You should use the opposite side of your mouth from the treated tooth in chewing your food until a restoration is placed to cover the access site of the procedure. Once the restoration is in place wait until the operative site is completely healed before using the treated tooth.
- Do not hesitate to contact your dentist in cases like:
- pain persists longer
- presence of swelling
- excess bleeding
- dislodged temporary filling
- fractured teeth