Preparing for Root Canal Treatment: Helpful Tips

When dealing with severe tooth decay expanding to the dental pulp of the tooth, a root canal is generally the first option to eliminate the infection. Root canals have a fearsome reputation as a painful dental process. However, it is a relatively painless procedure.

If you have been recommended a root canal, the closest you experience pain is when the dentist injects local anesthesia near the affected tooth to numb it and the surrounding tissue before the procedure. Besides the initial discomfort, you will likely not feel pain when the dentist works in your mouth.

If you are overly anxious about root canal treatment near you, discuss your concerns with the provider requesting dental sedation to help calm your nerves. Dental sedation ensures you arrive at the dental clinic fully relaxed. After you receive local anesthesia, expect to experience the vibrations of the dental drill and the pressure from the dentist working in your mouth.

Root canals are relatively straightforward because after ensuring your mouth is numb, the dentist makes an entrance hole in the crown of your tooth to access the pulp chamber for its removal besides the nerves inside the tooth. The treatment’s endodontist in Tarzana uses flexible instruments to clean the pulp chamber and the canals before filling and sealing them with a biocompatible rubberlike material, gutta-percha, and closing the access hole with a temporary filling. After you complete recovery, the tooth is crowned to protect it from further decay and to restore its functionality.

If you want to prepare for a root canal, it helps to inquire with the Tarzana endodontist about what to expect during the treatment. They will happily provide all information you want to make you feel confident when eliminating the infection in your tooth and preventing the excruciating pain and temperature sensitivity you experience from the condition. In addition, endodontists suggest the following helpful tips to prepare you for this endodontic therapy.

Tips When Preparing for Root Canal Treatment

• Discuss Antibiotics with the Specialist : Infections generally make dental procedures more painful. If your tooth is infected, it helps if you discuss antibiotics with the specialist because they help clear the infection. In addition, the antibiotics minimize the pain during the procedure and shorten recovery time.

• Painkillers before a Root Canal : the specialist will advise taking OTC painkillers a couple of hours before your treatment to reduce inflammation near the tooth. Please adhere to the specialist’s advice because it reduces pre-treatment discomfort.

• Avoid Smoking and Alcohol : you should avoid consuming alcohol 24 hours before root canal treatment in Tarzana. Alcohol can dry your mouth, making the procedure complicated. Alcohol consumption also increases your recovery time and interacts with pain-relieving medications the dentist prescribes after your treatment. Similarly, smoking also increases recovery time, making it essential to avoid smoking 24 hours before and 48 hours after your treatment. If you find it challenging to prevent smoking protect the treated tooth with a wet cotton ball before lighting up.

• Food Consumption : a few hours before your root canal, ensure that you have a meal because local anesthesia in your mouth remains effective for four to six hours after the procedure making it challenging for you to eat until the numbness has subsided. Your precaution provides your body with the nutrients it needs to start your recovery.

• Ask Questions : when you accept the Tarzana Endodontist’s proposal to receive a root canal, you can ask all your questions because you are committing to a painful procedure. Ensure you understand the process and foods you can have after your treatment.

• Resting : when preparing to undergo a painful procedure like a root canal, it helps if you get a good night’s rest before your appointment and set aside time to rest for at least 48 hours. Your body recovers best when you are asleep by repairing itself. Therefore, sleeping is the most effective method of shortening recovery time.

The helpful tips mentioned in this article will adequately prepare you for a root canal, besides ensuring you spend little time in your recovery. You can restore the treated tooth with a dental crown by your regular dentist visiting in a couple of weeks when you recover to restore the tooth’s functionality and appearance.

Root canals are not as fearsome as imagined with the latest techniques and modern anesthesia. Therefore when recommending this procedure to eliminate infections from within a tooth, follow the helpful tips mentioned above to eliminate the infection in your tooth beside the dental anxiety accompanying the treatment.

LA Endodontics performs many root canals on patients, providing comprehensive information on how to prepare for the therapy. Get your painful tooth treated by them to find freedom from the excruciating pain and sensitivity in it.