Procedures in our office are normally performed using local anesthesia. There are usually no restrictions after the procedure concerning driving or returning to work.
Pre-Treatment Instructions:
Continue all medications for blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid problems and any other conditions as recommended by your physician. If you have a question, please call our office prior to your appointment.
- Pre-medicate if you have been advised by your physician or dentist to use antibiotic premedication because of mitral valve prolapse (MVP), heart murmur, hip, knee, cardiac, or other prosthesis, or if you have rheumatic heart disease.
- Eat regular meals before your appointment.
- If you are given X-rays or a referral card by your general dentist, please bring them to your appointment.
- Our office staff will make every effort to inform you of the charges due, prior to your appointment. We ask that you come prepared. If you have questions regarding payment options, please call us today.
- All patients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian.
Post-Treatment Care
It is normal to feel tenderness in the area over the next few days as your body undergoes the natural healing process. You may also feel some jaw tenderness from keeping it open for an extended period of time. These symptoms are temporary and usually respond very well to over-the-counter pain medications. It is important for you to follow the instructions on how to take these medications. Remember that narcotic medications, if prescribed, may make you drowsy, and caution should be exercised in operating dangerous machinery or driving a car while taking them.
Your tooth may continue to feel slightly different from your other teeth for some time after your root canal treatment has been completed. Healing time varies with each individual. However, if you have severe pain or pressure that last more than a few days, please call our office.
Guidelines for Post-Treatment Care
- Avoid eating for 30 minutes to allow the temporary filling material to harden. If your temporary filling falls out, please call to schedule a quick appointment to have it replaced.
- Be careful not to bite your lip while numb.
- Call your general dentist today to make an appointment for the permanent restoration. This should be completed within 3 weeks.
Surgical Post-Operative Instructions
You have had a dental surgery that can cause some discomfort, swelling and bruising. To help minimize the swelling, you may alternate ice on the affected area for 20 minutes on and then 20 minutes off, repeating for 3 to 4 hours.
You may also take an anti-inflammatory or Tylenol to control the pain. Some bleeding is normal. Notify us immediately if you experience excessive bleeding. Smoking does delay the healing process.
The day after surgery, you may start using warm salt water rinses after every meal; this will assist the healing. Please call our office anytime should you have a concern.
We will re-evaluate the surgery site when your sutures are removed, in approximately one week.
Treatment Success Rate
Most treatments within our office progress as anticipated. Occasionally we will begin treatment with the best of intentions and discover a tooth just can’t be maintained. There are many causes, but some of the more prevalent include a significant crack or fracture, inability to find canals, or not enough tooth structure to repair it. Because we complete a thorough exam, we usually will inform you of these possibilities prior to beginning treatment. Once in awhile, a tooth that seemed to be maintainable will catch us off guard without much warning. Whatever the cause, overhead within the office does NOT allow us to do these exploratory cases at no charge. Usually, the charge is a minimal 350 dollars or less. Want to know more? Just ask
Online Patient Services
Once you schedule an appointment with our office, you will be given your own unique User ID and Password to access our online patient services.
The following services are available:
- Registration
- Medical History
- Pain History
- View Consent Forms
You can save time by filling these forms out in advance.
If it is convenient for you, we are happy to correspond with you via email for gathering needed insurance information, etc. Please note: questions or immediate needs are not addressed by email. We do not do consultations by email. Our email addresses are provided as a convenient way for you to relay information to the doctors.
