POSTOPERATIVEINSTRUCTIONS
WhatshouldIexpectaftermyrootcanal?
Yourtoothanditssurroundinggumtissuesmaybesomewhattenderforseveraldays.Thisisaresultofthe
infectionthatbroughtyouintoourofficeaswellastheendodonticmanipulationduringtreatment.Thisis
absolutelynormalandispartofthenormalhealingprocess.Pleaseexpectyourtoothtobesoreforabout3-5
days.Whenyoutouchit,brushit,chewwithit,itwillandshouldbetender.Everypatientisdifferentandthere
arevaryinglevelsofdiscomfort.Somepatientsmayevenhavediscomfortforlonger(i.e.twoweeks).Aslongasit
lessenseveryday,thenyouareheadedintherightdirection.Pleasemakesureyoucontinuetobrushandfloss
theareanormally.
HowshouldImanagemydiscomfort?
Tominimizeyourdiscomfortyouweregiven600mgIbuprofenbeforeyouleftouroffice.Wegavethistoyou
whileyouwerestillnumbinordertostayaheadofanydiscomfort.Itisrecommendedthatyoucontinuetotake
600mg(thatis3over-the-countertablets)every6hours.Agoodwaytorememberthisistotakeadoseat:
Morning,Noon,SupperandBedtime.Intakingyourpostoperativemedicationsinthismanner,youwillkeepyour
discomforttoaminimum.Ifyouallowthepaintoreturnbecauseyouskippedadose,itwillbehardertogetridof
thediscomfort.Soplease,taketheAdvilorIbuprofen,ifyouhavePAINorNOPAIN,aroundtheclockevery6
hoursforthenext3days.ItisbesttotakeyourIbuprofenwithfoodwhenpossible.Pleasekeepyourpain
medicationonyournightstandsothatyoucantakeadoseatnight.Ifyousleeplongerthan6hoursorskipadose,
pleasebeawarethatyourtoothwillbemoretenderinthemorning.
IfyouweregivenaprescriptionpainmedicationlikeHydrocodone,thebestwaytotakethisisinconjunctionwith
600mgIbuprofen,donotstoptheIbuprofen.Forthemosteffectivepainmanagement,take600mgIbuprofen,
then3hourslatertakeaHydrocodonetablet,then3hourslatertakeanother600mgIbuprofen,andsoon.This
wayyoucantakesomethingevery3hourssafely.Ifadditionalanalgesiaisneeded,anadditionalTylenolmaybe
takenatthesametimeastheHydrocodoneforaddedeffectiveness.Pleasemakesurenottoexceed3000mgof
Tylenol/AcetaminopheninadayandbeawarethattheHydrocodonealreadyhas325mgof
Tylenol/Acetaminopheninit.
Forpatientswhodonottoleratenarcotics(i.e.nausea/vomiting)andneedmaximumpainmanagement,alternate
600mgIbuprofenwith500mgTylenolevery3hours.Pleasedonotexceed2400mgIbuprofenor3000mgTylenol
inaday.
Ifyourpainisstilltoosevereandyouaretakingboth600mgIbuprofenandHydrocodoneorTylenol,pleasecall
theofficeforadditionalinformationandpossiblyadifferentprescription.Atthistime,wemayprescribeyoua
steroid.Pleasebeawarethatlowerteeththatneedaretreatmentrootcanaltendtobemoreuncomfortableafter
treatment.
Yourmedicationtimes:____________________________________________________
Follow-up:____________________________________________________
WhatifIhaveswellingaftertreatment?
Ifyouexperienceanyswellingaftertreatment,(forexample,yourfacelooksasymmetricalwhenyoulookinthe
mirror),pleasecalltheofficeandwewillprescribeyouanantibiotic.Pleasedonotpanicifthishappensasit
sometimescanoccuraftertreatment.Thisismostcommoninpatientswhohavea"blackspot"inthex-ray
associatedwiththeirtooth.Ifyouhavebeengivenanantibiotic,pleasecompleteeverypillinyourbottle.If
swellingoccurswhileonanantibiotic,wemayhavetoswitchyourantibiotic.Ifyouhavebeenprescribedan
antibioticandareexperiencingsignificantdiarrhea,pleasediscontinuetheantibioticimmediatelyandcallour
office.Thissideeffectcanhappenwithanyantibiotic,butismorecommonwithClindamycin.Wealsosuggest
takingaprobioticoryogurtwhentakinganyantibiotic.
Whatifmytemporaryfillingfallsout?
Yourtoothhasbeenrestoredwithatemporaryfilling.Itisasoftfillingandneeds1/2hourtoharden.Itis
importantthatyourtoothremainsealedbetweenappointments.Itispossibleforthefillingtoditchdownalittle
asyouchewwithit.Thisisok,butifyoufeelthatyouhavelostasignificantamountoftemporary,pleasecallour
officeduringnormalbusinesshours(Monday-Friday8am-5pm)andwewillscheduleaconvenienttimeforyouto
comeintoreplenishyourtemporaryfilling.Ifthisshouldoccurovertheweekend,thisdoesnotconstitutean
emergency,pleasecallourofficefirstthingMondaymorningandwewillseeyouimmediately.
WhatdoIaftermyrootcanaliscompleted?
Ifendodontictherapyhasbeeninitiatedonyourtooth,itisessentialthattreatmentbecompleted.Ifitisnot,the
toothwillbecomeuncomfortableandmaybeeventuallylost.Itispossiblethatyourrootcanalmaytakemore
thanonevisitifitwastooinfectedordifficult.Oncetherootcanalisdone,youmaybereferredbacktoyour
generaldentistforafinalrestorationsothatthetoothisproperlysealed.
Atthecompletionofyourrootcanal,yourregulardentistwillbesentafullreportwithyourradiographsso
he/sheknowsyourtreatmentwithourofficeiscompleted.Pleasemakeanappointmentwithyourgeneraldentist
within2weeksforafinalrestorationonthetreatedtooth.Ifyourdentistisbookedoutlongerthantwoweeks,
pleasedonotpanic,buttaketheirfirstavailableappointment.
Wewouldliketoseeyouforafollow-upappointmentineither6monthsorayear.Thisistoevaluatethebone
supportingthetoothtoassureproperhealing.Thereisnofeeforthisvisitandtheappointmentistypicallyonly
10-15minuteslong.
WhatifIneedtospeaktosomeoneafterhours?
Ifyoushouldneedtospeaktosomeoneafterhours,pleasecalltheofficeat704-541-7017andleaveamessagein
theappropriatedoctor’semergencymailboxandDr.ChopraorDr.Tadrissiwillcallyoubackpersonally.Please
rememberforthetimeliestresponse,callourofficeduringnormalbusinesshourswhenpossible.Beawarethat
theafter-hoursserviceisavailableforpatientsofrecordonly.Also,ifyoufeellikeaprescriptionisnecessary,we
doaskthatyoutrytocallbefore10pmandafter8amasthesearethehoursthatthepharmacyisopen.Please
haveyourpharmacyphonenumberreadyandmakesuretospellyourname,leaveyourdateofbirth,andleavea
phonenumberwhenusingtheansweringservice.