If you’ve ever experienced pain from decaying teeth, you may be familiar with a root canal, but may not know how to prepare for a root canal. Tooth decay can occur for a number of reasons including poor dental hygiene, poor diet, and medical issues. Rather than having to endure a painful tooth extraction, a root canal treatment is a dental procedure that preserves the damaged tooth by removing the decaying or infected nerve and pulp of the tooth. It involves cleaning and sealing the healthy remaining dental pulp located in the root of the tooth, therefore the name root canal. Without treatment, a decaying tooth can be very painful and lead to further decaying of the remaining teeth.
How To Prepare for a Root Canal – What to Eat
Prior to treatment, it is important to consume natural foods that won’t further harm the decayed oral area. Eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables before and after the procedure are important to healing and recovery because your nutrient intake levels can have an immediate effect on your pain level. Sticking to more nutritious options and avoiding excess sugars and candy can have a positive effect on your recovery.
How To Prepare for a Root Canal – Maintain Oral Hygiene
Practicing proper dental hygiene leading up to the procedure can ensure that your results from a root canal are up to par. This is because instead of further harming the tooth in need, you will be sure that damage does not increase. This will also help you throughout the healing process. Keeping your teeth clean by brushing and flossing the correct way can significantly affect the positive results seen from a root canal.
How To Prepare for a Root Canal – Take an Anti-Inflammation Medication
Shortly before your root canal, your dentist may recommend that you take an anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen or aspirin. These can help avoid swelling during your procedure which can lead your dentists to have a more difficult time when working on the root canal.
How To Prepare For A Root Canal – The Procedure
A root canal can seem like a scary procedure, but in all actuality, it is a simple and easy one. After having a dental consultation with your dentist and the taking of X-rays to check for the extent of the damage, you will be seated in a dentist chair to begin the procedure. Your dentist or endodontist will numb the area surrounding the decayed tooth with a local anesthetic. This ensures that you will feel no pain throughout the procedure, allowing you to sit comfortably while they work on your tooth. Following this, your dentist will prevent damage to your surrounding mouth by inserting a mouth retractor and protective plastic sheet on your neighboring teeth. The decay and dental pulp can then be removed using small dental instruments. The full Root canal procedure will take anywhere from half an hour to two hours depending on how severe the case is. Additionally, in rare cases when it is extremely severe, you may be required to come back for another appointment after the first process is complete.
How To Prepare for a Root Canal – After Care
For a few days after the root canal procedure, there may be sensitivity in the area that was worked on. You should wait until the local anesthetic wears off before eating to avoid biting your tongue, as this could cause damage. When you do eat, stay away from chewing sticky or hard foods which could harm the area worked on. Also avoid chewing excessively on the side the procedure was performed on. The area will heal quicker if cared for properly and left dry and clean as directed by the dentist. If the dentist temporarily seals your tooth during the first procedure, you must return for a second visit to have the area checked and permanently sealed.
Get Your Pain-Free Root Canal At Precision Endodontics Today!
If you are struggling from pain caused by a decaying tooth or teeth, it may be time to visit Precision Endodontics for a pain-free root canal. Here, we can talk you through the procedure and ensure you’re eligible for a root canal. Stop living in pain and get pain-free treatment for your damaged tooth today!