Post-Op Instructions
After Your Root Canal
After root canal treatment, the tooth may need a temporary filling and a final restoration. Follow the plan from your visit and protect the tooth while it heals.
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1Your Temporary Filling
If a temporary filling was placed, it protects the tooth until your final restoration. It is not meant to stay in place long term.
Avoid chewing hard, sticky, or crunchy foods on the treated side until your final crown is placed.
When flossing, slide the floss out the side rather than pulling up, to avoid dislodging the temporary.
If the temporary filling falls out, call us right away. Leaving the tooth open lets bacteria back in and can cause reinfection.
2Tenderness after treatment
It is normal for the tooth and surrounding gum tissue to feel tender for a few days, especially when you bite down. Tenderness usually improves each day.
If it gets worse over time instead of better, please call us.
Mild jaw soreness from holding your mouth open during the procedure is normal and typically resolves within 1–2 days. Warm compresses help.
3Bite and Comfort
If the tooth feels "high" or like you are hitting it first when you bite down, please call us. We can check whether the bite needs an adjustment.
Try to chew on the opposite side until your final crown is placed.
4Keeping the Area Clean
Brush and floss normally, but gently around the treated tooth.
Rinse with warm salt water (½ teaspoon of salt in 8 oz of warm water) 2–3 times a day if the gum tissue feels tender.
5Managing Discomfort
These are general adult doses unless your dentist or physician directs otherwise. Patients with medical conditions, medication allergies, pregnancy, or other medicines may need a different pain-relief plan. Check with your dentist, physician, or pharmacist before using these doses if any of these apply.
For adult soreness, take ibuprofen 400–600 mg every 6–8 hours as needed, with food, if directed by your dentist.
If your dentist recommends both medicines, acetaminophen (Tylenol) 500 mg may be taken at the same time as ibuprofen, every 8 hours, for additional relief.
Use doses above package directions only if your dentist or physician specifically instructed you to. Follow your prescription or the package directions for dose limits and how long to use the medicine. Do not take multiple products containing the same active ingredient.
If antibiotics were prescribed, take them exactly as directed. Contact us promptly about side effects or concerns.
6Your Crown Appointment
Keep the appointment for your final restoration. A crown is often recommended, especially for back teeth, but the type and timing depend on your tooth.
A temporary filling does not provide the same protection as a final restoration. Call if you do not have a follow-up appointment or are unsure what comes next.
Once your crown is placed, the tooth can be cared for just like any other tooth.
When to Call Us
Contact Us If You Experience Any of the Following
- Severe or throbbing pain, especially if it wakes you at night
- Pain that gets worse instead of better after 2–3 days
- Swelling around the tooth or in your face
- A fever
- The temporary filling falls out
- A suspected medication reaction, such as a new rash. For emergency symptoms, follow the 911 guidance above
Ready for Your Crown?
Book Your Next Appointment
Need to schedule the final restoration for your treated tooth? Call MDRN Dental Studio so we can confirm the next step and timing.
6451 W University Dr, Ste 300 · McKinney, TX 75071