After Completion of Endodontic Treatment

Your endodontic treatment has been completed!  Here are a few tips/reminders for you to remember.

1. Due to the manipulation on your tooth and the inflammation &/or infection present prior to treatment, it may be very tender to bite or touch for up to a week.  This is normal healing time for your body and can be delayed if you chew on the treated side or grind/clench your teeth.  Please avoid hard, sticky foods in general and do not eat or chew on the treated tooth until your permanent filling/crown is placed.  If the temporary filing material is completely dislodged and our office is closed, temporary dental filling material (over-the-counter) can be purchased at your local drugstore and placed in your tooth to maintain the seal until regular business hours.  Retaining this seal is critical to success.  Contact your general dentist immediately after treatment to schedule your permanent filling and/or crown appointment.
2. Prescription medication or antibiotics, if needed, will be prescribed following complicated root canal or re-treatment cases at the doctor’s discretion. If you have been prescribed medications, please take it exactly as directed on your label.  For routine cases, mild to moderate discomfort can be relieved by taking up to 800 mg Advil or Ibuprofen (4 tablets) every 8 hours.  If you are unable to use Advil, or are already taking other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Naproxen, then try up to 1000 mg Tylenol (2 tablets) every 4-6 hours.  Do not exceed 3200 mg of Advil per day or 4000 mg of Tylenol per day! Please be advised that the new, federal drug laws prohibit us from calling in narcotic pain medicines to your pharmacy without a physical script.
3. Your tooth has been sealed (closed) with a temporary filling material.  It must be replaced with a permanent filling &/or crown to avoid possible re-infection and fracture.  Avoid chewing/eating anything for one hour, or until you are no longer numb, after treatment. Drinking liquids are fine immediately following treatment.  Please remember that the temporary filling is only meant to be in place for one to two months under the best of circumstances! The permanent filling and crown (together) will best protect your tooth from breaking, splitting, and ultimate tooth loss.  We will correspond with your referring dentist with a treatment report letter following your appointment.
4. If you have an emergency after-hours, please call Dr. Park’s cell phone number, which was given to you on your yellow, post-op instruction sheet. If you have misplaced that info, you may email Dr. Park at [email protected] or call the office during normal business hours. If you have a severe, life-threatening emergency, please call 911 for immediate medical assistance.

NOTE: Alcohol and/or recreational drug use is not advised while taking any of these medications. Should you experience discomfort that cannot be controlled with the above listed medications, or should severe facial swelling develop, please contact this office immediately.

Are There Any Potential Problems After Treatment?

• Lower teeth and nerve injury. There is a slight possibility that nerve injury can occur during root canal surgery to the lower posterior teeth. Your endodontist is trained to assess this possibility prior to treatment and will advise you accordingly. For lower posterior teeth, the root tips may be near a nerve that supplies feeling to the lip, chin and gums. Your endodontist is trained to design your surgery to minimize the chances of damaging this nerve. Rarely, this nerve can become irritated during the process of surgery. In these cases, when the local anesthesia wears off, you may experience tingling, altered sensation or, in rare cases a complete lack of feeling in the affected tissues. Should this occur, it is usually temporary and will resolve over a period of days, weeks or months. In rare cases, these changes can be permanent and/or painful.
• Upper teeth and sinus communication. The upper teeth are situated near your sinuses, and root canal surgery can result in a communication between your mouth and the adjacent sinus. Should this complication occur, it will usually heal spontaneously. We will give you special instructions if this is apparent at the time of surgery. We prefer that you don’t blow your nose for two to three days after surgery. If you have to sneeze, you should sneeze with an open mouth into a tissue. You should not create any pressure in the sinus area. If you sense a complication after treatment, please contact us.
• Post-operative infections. Post-operative infections occasionally occur. This usually requires just an office visit and examination. Many times placing you on an antibiotic for one week will take care of the infection Occasionally, other follow-up procedures will be needed.

If you have any questions, please call our office at Murfreesboro Office Phone Number 615-896-3686