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Tips for Recovering from a Root Canal

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Do you have an upcoming root canal scheduled to fix one of your teeth? If so, you may be worried about the recovery process that will follow. Dental patients getting their first root canal will not know what to expect when it comes to recovering, which is why you want to follow these tips to ensure it goes smoothly.

Let Someone Drive You Home

It's possible that you drive yourself to the appointment and are in no shape to drive home. It's important that you have someone take you to the dentist so that you don't have to worry about how you'll get home. You may have lingering effects of anesthesia that cause you to be unable to drive a vehicle.

Have Pain Medication Ready

You'll likely be given a prescription strength pain medication to help deal with discomfort after a root canal procedure. This is not a medication you want to wait to fill until you think you need it. By the time your anesthesia wears off, you may be in need of a pain relief medication and not want to wait for the pharmacy to fill it. Your dental care clinic will likely have a list of appropriate medications you can use until you're fully healed.

Look Out for Complications

There is going to be discomfort after the root canal procedure is finished. However, it's important to know about complications that are worth contacting your dentist about. Be concerned if you see swelling around the area in your gums or pain that goes on for a few days without getting better. These are indications that something is wrong with your tooth that your dentist can help with. You could be experiencing an infection that needs to be treated with an antibiotic, or some sort of allergic reaction a medication you are taking.

Take the Day Off of Work

Think that you can schedule your root canal appointment for early in the morning so that you can go back to work in the afternoon? Think again. It's possible that a root canal can leave you unable to get any work done for the rest of the day. You may be taking medications that have side effects that affect you mentally, leaving you unable to focus on your job. It's also possible to feel aches and nausea, which are enough to not make you feel like going back to work.

In addition, you should be focusing on letting your body heal rather than getting back into your daily workload. You'll want to let your body rest and elevate your head.


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