Although most people do not look forward to paying a visit to the dentist, the prospect of receiving root canal treatment undeniably causes much more dental anxiety than other procedures do. And this fear of this therapy can be traced to the fact that not many people are aware of what treatment entails. Instead, they simply assume that it is the most painful dental procedure that they can receive and, as such, should avoid it at all costs.
The truth, though, is that if you do not want to lose teeth that are affected by extensive decay or damage from high impact, root canal treatment could be your only option. Fortunately, this treatment is not as traumatic as you may think it is. Read on to learn a few things you can anticipate from your first root canal treatment.
Are there any preparations you should make before root canal treatment?
Typically, your dentist will provide you with a list of instructions that you need to follow before and after root canal therapy. Regardless, it is always good to know what to expect. For starters, any meals that are had a few hours prior to this surgery should be light and clear, so soups and broths are a great pre-surgery meal option.
Secondly, you are prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking cigarettes at least a day before you go in for your root canal therapy. Alcohol will increase your risk of dry mouth, which will make this dental surgery more complicated than it has to be whereas cigarettes will deny your nerves oxygen, which slow down the healing process. It is also important that you organise for a loved one to pick you up post-surgery, as you will not be in a condition to drive yourself home.
Will you be in pain during and after root canal treatment?
Without question, the leading concern that dental patients have regarding root canal treatments is the pain levels they will be subjected to from this procedure, but this should not be at the forefront of your mind. Usually, the dentist will administer a local anaesthetic around the surgical site, so you can expect this area to remain numb throughout the entire treatment process.
However, if your dental anxiety is severe, the dentist could decide to administer general anaesthesia so you can be asleep for the duration of the treatment. After root canal therapy, you can expect the surgical site to be tender and swollen. The dentist will provide you with medications to manage this discomfort. Commonly, you can expect these symptoms to subside after a couple of days.
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