Post-Op root Canal Instructions

What to Expect after your Root Canal Treatment

We hope you had a positive and pain free experience with us. The most difficult question we are asked is, “What am I going to feel after the numbness wears off?”

Root canal therapy disinfects the inside of the root of an infected tooth. Since everyone heals differently, it is hard to predict what your experience will be. It is common to experience some mild soreness when biting on the tooth for a couple of days up to a week following your visit. The following instructions are meant to guide you through the healing phase as comfortably as possible.

1. Taking 3 tablets (600 mg) of ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®) every 6 hours for 2-3 days, 2 tablets of Tylenol® every 6 hours, or 1 tablet of Aleve® every 8 hours for the first few days will reduce the discomfort greatly.
2. Rinsing the inside of your mouth in the area of the treatment several times a day with warm salt water rinses can relieve mild irritation of the gum around the tooth.
3. Try not to chew on the treated tooth for the next few days in order to minimize irritation to the ‘healing’ tooth. If your bite feels high or you cannot close your mouth without pain, please let us know so that your bite can be adjusted.
4. Please contact your dentist and schedule the build-up (and/or crown) within 2 to 4 weeks following root canal therapy completion.
5. If the tooth is very uncomfortable, or you notice swelling which is getting worse, please call us. For after-hours emergencies, please contact our office at 309.690.0011 and leave a message including your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call.

Other post-treatment concerns are related to type and severity of the infection in your tooth. Root canal therapy is very successful. However, the severity of the infection may require surgical treatment or retreatment in approximately 5% of cases.