Before Your Root Canal Surgery: Preparing for Your Treatment

If you’re booked in for root canal treatment, you may be experiencing a range of emotions, from concern about how the procedure will work, to excitement at finally being rid of your tooth pain.

Before you attend the appointment, there are a few things that you need to be aware of, in order to prepare successfully for the treatment.

Things to Think About Before Root Canal Treatment

1) Talk about your anxiety. It is fairly common to feel anxious about any form of dental treatment. If you’re really worried about it, don’t suffer in silence. Your endodontist is very used to helping even extremely nervous people feel calmer when they have their procedure, and they’ll be more than happy to discuss things with you before the surgery takes place.

2) Don’t take painkillers. You might receive ‘helpful’ advice from well-meaning friends and family, telling you to take painkillers before your root canal treatment to help with the pain. Firstly, it’s important to note that you’ll be given anesthetic before the surgery, so you won’t require any additional numbing to the area. Secondly, it’s important that you don’t reduce the pain in the tooth beforehand, as your endodontist may require you to tell them exactly where the pain is located!

3) Avoid antibiotics. Antibiotics can also be problematic before a root canal procedure. If you need to take antibiotics, make sure you let your endodontist know. Likewise, if you’re on any other medications, it’s important to make your dental surgeon aware, to make sure you avoid any adverse drug interactions. Adverse reactions are extremely rare, but they do happen.

4) Don’t drink the night before. If you’re anxious, it may be tempting to indulge in a night of drinking to reduce the worry. This isn’t a very good idea, as you want to make sure you’re fighting fit and ready, both mentally and physically, for the procedure. It’s actually not a painful treatment at all, but feeling hungover is guaranteed to make even minimal discomfort feel that much worse!

Talk Things Through With Your Endodontist

If you have any concerns or questions, it’s a great idea to talk with your endodontist, who will be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have. To talk to Citrus Park Endodontics today, just call 813 374 2290.