Please expect some postoperative discomfort from the tooth, surrounding region and also from your jaw joints.
- Regular painkillers. I would advise taking paracetamol and ibuprofen regularly for the next few days if there are no medical interactions/contraindications. This is typically 1g of paracetamol every 6 hours and 400mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours. I would continue this for at least two days after your root canal procedure.
- Risk of a flare-up. The bacteria in your root canal system rarely cause a “flare-up” before they die off. This will present in the form of increasing pain (usually a dull throbbing ache) from the region of the tooth treated typically 2-3 days after the treatment. If this occurs, please contact us for further advice, and a course of antibiotics may be required to resolve the flare-up.
- Crown placement. If root canal treatment has been carried out on a back tooth, please try to avoid eating on the tooth as much as possible until a permanent crown has been placed on the tooth. The tooth is structurally weaker and more prone to fracture until a crown is placed to cover the tooth and minimise fracture risk. This is usually done with your general dental practitioner.
If you do have any questions or need further advice, please do not hesitate to call the practice or email me at endo@dentalelements.co.uk
