Home Care Instructions

After Endodontic Treatment

Your tooth and surrounding gum tissue may be slightly tender for several days as a result of manipulation during treatment and previous condition of your tooth. Your tooth will be tender to biting for the first few weeks and you may notice a difference in biting even after a few months.  This tenderness is normal and is no cause for alarm.  In order to reduce the inflammatory response and speed up the healing process, it is very helpful to take 400 mg of Ibuprofen (ie, two tablets of 200 mg Advil, Motrin, or Ibuprofen) every four hours today, even if the tooth is not sore when the anesthetic wears off.  Tomorrow, only take Ibuprofen if necessary.  If you are unable to take Ibuprofen of NSAIDS, substitute two tabs of Tylenol of acetaminophen.  Avoid chewing on the tooth until the tenderness is gone.

Your jaw muscles will be sore from keeping your mouth open and the anesthetic injection site may also be sore.  The clamp used around your tooth to secure the rubber dam may also cause irritation to the gum tissue for a few days.  If swelling develops or pain increases, please contact our office.

If you have been referred back to your general dentist for your final restoration (ie, crown or filling), although your roots are permanently sealed, the outer surface is filled with a temporary filling.  Try not to eat on the side of the root canal for the first day.  Your temporary filling will last approximately one month.  This amount of time will allow most of your tenderness to subside before having further procedures done on your tooth.  If your tooth does not  get the necessary final restoration and the temporary filling wears out, the root canal will become infected and need retreatment or extraction.

If you have any questions, please call our office at Johnson City Office Phone Number 423-926-4167