After Endodontic Treatment:

General Instructions

After the root canal treatment is completed, a temporary filling or crown is placed on the tooth to protect it between dental appointments. It is common (and not a problem) for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear away or break off. If the entire filling falls out, or if a temporary crown comes off, please call our office during normal business hours.

Since local anesthesia is used, your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours. Please avoid any chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

Please follow the verbal and written post-operative instructions that were given to you at your appointment. Take any medications that were prescribed. If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

In order to protect the tooth and help keep your temporary filling /crown in place:

• Avoid chewing sticky foods (especially candy).
• Avoid biting on foods and hard substances, such as ice, breakfast bars, and pretzels.
• It’s important to continue to brush and floss normally.

After root canal treatment is completed, your tooth must have a permanent restoration (filling and/or crown) placed by your general dentist. Please contact your general dentist as soon as possible for this appointment. Delaying restoration of your tooth can increase the chance of infection and decrease the success rate of treatment.