What To Do Following Endodontic (Root Canal) Therapy
- We recommend that you take an analgesic medication for pain-relief within one hour of leaving our office to allow the medication to be effective before the anesthesia administered begins to subside. Generally only a single dose is required; however, some people may require pain-relieving medication over the next several days.
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) 400-800mg every 6 hours (not to exceed 3200mg/day) is recommended for patients able to take, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, or aspirin.
- For people unable to take ibuprofen, non-steroidal medications, or aspirin, then Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 1000mg every 6 hours (not to exceed 4000mg/day) is recommended. The consumption of alcohol is not recommended while taking acetaminophen or medications containing acetaminophen.
- Minimize chewing on the affected tooth until your root canal therapy is complete and your dentist has placed a final restoration on your tooth. This is to avoid damage to the tooth.
- Please contact your dentist to have your tooth restored within 1-2 weeks following completion of your root canal therapy. If the tooth does not get the necessary final restoration and the temporary filling wear out, the root canal will become infected and need re-treatment or extraction. That is why it is extremely important to follow up with your general dentist immediately.
The office telephone is answered day and night. If you need to call after hours, please have your pharmacy number available. If you have any questions, please call our office at (+310) 649-3636