Post Operative Instructions eNGLISH

First of all congratulations! you have completed your root canal treatment. Hopefully you
have had a pleasant experience, considering the circumstances. That truly is our goal. This
sheet will go over some information about what to expect for the next few weeks now that
your root canal is completed. Please follow the instructions outlined below and contact us
should any questions or problems arise.
1. A permanent restoration is required to be placed on your tooth within 2 weeks of the
root canal being completed. It is essential for you to follow up with your general dentist
on this. If this is not done the tooth is very likely to fracture or to develop new decay
under the temporary filling which may cause your root canal to fail and require additional
treatment or even extraction. There may be an additional cost at that point.
2. Root canal therapy may sometimes take more than one appointment to complete. A
temporary filling or crown is placed by your dentist to protect the tooth between
appointments. Do not bite or chew with the tooth for one hour and while you are numb.
Try to chew on the opposite side. Do not eat anything hard, sticky or chewy for the next
few days.
3. Be very gentle with the tooth until the permanent restoration is in place. Avoid feeling
around your tooth with your tongue. There is a temporary filling on the tooth and it takes
about half an hour to harden.
4. For the first few days and up to 10 days following your root canal treatment, you may
feel some mild pain, soreness and sensitivity that can include throbbing and minor
swelling while biting or chewing on your affected tooth. This can be especially
pronounced if you had pain, swelling, and/or infection prior to your treatment. This
discomfort can be spontaneous after your treatment and may continue for 1-2 weeks.
5. Sometimes depending on the circumstances, the tooth and surrounding tissue may
remain soar for a few weeks post treatment. The three most common reasons for pain
are:
A. Sore jaw joint from having your mouth open for a prolonged time.
B. Sore muscle from the injection site.
C. Sore gum from rubber dam placement.
6. What do I do about the pain?
All of the above scenarios should be handled with over the counter medication
primarily. We recommend you take 600 mg Ibuprofen (3 over the counter pills of 200 mg
Advil or Ibuprofen or generic equivalent) every six hours for the next two days or if unable to
take Ibuprofen, take 650mg Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol, or generic equivalent) every
6-8 hours for the next two days.
7. Take any medication that is prescribed to you according to instructions. If Antibiotics have
been prescribed and you take birth control pills, consult with your physician.
8. To further reduce pain and swelling, rinse 3 times a day with warm salt water, dissolve a
teaspoon of sea salt in cup of warm water, then rinse, swish, and spit.
9. Ninety percent of the time, this is enough to handle the comfort. If not, please contact our
office and we will insure you are comfortable. If you have symptoms that persist for more
than ten days, if you bite feels uneven, if you are in severe pain or experience swelling,
please contact our office during normal business hours (or emergency after hours) at
(909)484-3000
.10. Continue brushing or flossing as normal, being careful around the treated tooth as the
temporary filling can dislodge.
11. It is normal for the temporary to depress with use. It is very rare for it to fall out entirely. If
the temporary fall out, you should contact us as soon as possible.
Please read this last section it is very important:
Although about 95% of root canal treatments cause very little to no discomfort after the
treatment is completed, there are about 5% of cases which can cause significant pain. These
are commonly referred to as “flare-ups”. They mostly occur on badly infected teeth. Teeth
that are extremely irritated, or teeth that have a history of prior treatment. Sometimes,
however, they occur randomly, even on patients have had several root canals done
previously without any problems.
If you have a flare-up, you may experience moderate to severe pain, swelling, (can get as large as golf ball) , bruising, throbbing, and general discomfort , which usually begins few hours
after treatment and may last 2-3 days. Please contact our office if you experience any of
these symptoms and we will do everything we possibly can to get you some relief. You may
be prescribed Antibiotics, stronger pain medication, Steroid, and/or you may be asked to
come to the office to receive further therapy.