Root Canal Surgery

To ensure your comfort, and speed the healing process of your oral tissues: before, during and after endodontic surgery, please take the time to carefully read the following instructions and diligently carry them out.

The night before surgery, eat a normal meal that is easy to digest. The day of your surgery, eat a regular breakfast or lunch. To prepare for the first 24 hours after surgery, have food items available for a liquid or soft diet. Examples: Jell-O, ice cream, yogurt, applesauce, smoothies.

The day of surgery, wear comfortable clothes and do not wear makeup or jewelry.

Stop Aspirin and/or Aspirin products at least 5-7 days before surgery, as these thin your blood. Please consult with your medical doctor before discontinuing a blood thinner, i.e., Coumadin or Aspirin. Also, do not take multivitamins, Vitamin E, fish oil or ginseng as some supplements promote bleeding.

If you take a sedative before surgery, someone must drive you to the office and back home as we cannot allow you to drive yourself.

After surgery, a cold pack will be applied to help reduce swelling. It is advisable to have additional cold packs in your freezer to use for the rest of the day. (Ice in a Ziploc bag covered with a cloth works well.)

Antibiotics, pain medication, and oral antiseptic rinse will be prescribed.

At least 2 post-operative visits will be scheduled to monitor your healing. If you do not have your first post-operative visit scheduled, please call our office prior to your surgery to schedule that appointment. Sutures will be removed approximately one week after surgery.

If you have any questions regarding your surgery, please do not hesitate to ask the doctor or staff.

Pre-Operative Instructions For Apical Surgery

• Three days before your appointment, start rinsing twice a day: once after breakfast and once before bedtime, with the bottle of Periogard (or Peridex) rinses.

• Start the antibiotic prescribed to you one hour prior to your appointment. You will only need to take this one dose, unless otherwise advised.

• Take medications you usually take in the morning (such as blood pressure                   medicine) before coming in for your dental appointment.

• For patients who are taking blood thinning medications such as Coumadin, Warfarin, Aspirin, etc., you will need to contact our office As Soon As Possible so that we can contact your physician to check if you can stop this medicine prior to your appointment as well as to check when to stop and resume the blood thinning medicine.

• Avoid drinking alcohol for 24 hours prior to your appointment.

• Smokers do not heal as well as non-smokers. If you smoke, it is best to quit before surgery. Otherwise, plan to avoid smoking for at least the first two weeks afterward.