After Treatment Care

After dental anesthetic, you may be numb for several hours after your appointment. Avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off.
A temporary filling has been placed. We recommend a permanent restoration be placed after one to two weeks after root canal treatment. Please contact your general dentist for the permanent restoration.
While you have the temporary filling, avoid eating sticky and hard foods; if possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
Between appointments it is common (and not a problem) for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear away or break off.
It is important to continue to brush and floss normally.
It is normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing.
To control discomfort, it is recommended to take 600-800mg Ibuprofen & 500-1000mg Tylenol every 8 hours.
If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them as prescribed, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

If you have persistent symptoms after 1-2 weeks, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office 803-802-3681.

Do not lift or pull on lips or cheeks as this may cause sutures to loosen/fall out.
Slight bleeding, pain and swelling are normal during the first couple of days then will gradually disappear. We recommend using an older pillowcase or a towel over your pillow if sleeping the first couple of days after the procedure.
To minimize swelling, use an ice pack on face over the operated area. The ice pack should be used 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, for the first 48 hours after surgery.
Eat foods that will be nourishing but will not require vigorous chewing the first few days, i.e., eggs, soups, milk shakes, etc.
Smoking and alcohol can disrupt healing; they are contraindicated until you have been evaluated for healing and the sutures have been removed after the procedure.
Brush your other teeth as normal, avoid the operated area. Peridex mouthwash is prescribed to keep the surgical area clean. Peridex should be used twice daily (beginning the day after surgery for 1 week) as follows: after breakfast and before bed. Be sure to gently hold the rinse in your mouth and then gently release it; you do not want to aggressively swish or spit as you could disrupt sutures.
For pain- Ibuprofen combined with Tylenol is recommended. In rare cases patients feel discomfort that this doesn’t manage, if that is the case, please call our office at 803-802-3681.