Preparing For Your Root Canal
Caring for your teeth properly often means investing in dental procedures that can correct damage and decay. When decay has affected the nerve of a tooth, a root canal is required to help save the tooth and prevent the spread of decay to neighboring teeth.
Root canals get a bad rap, but these procedures don't have to be painful. Proper preparation can help to ease any pain and discomfort you may feel when undergoing a root canal in the future. Here are three tips that you can use to effectively prepare for your next root canal.
1. Find an experienced endodontist.
One of the easiest things that you can do to ensure that your root canal will be as pain-free as possible is partner with the correct dental professional. Opting to make your appointment with an endodontist rather than a traditional dentist can be beneficial.
Endodontists specialize in performing root canals, and these dental professionals often have advanced training and access to specialized equipment that can help your root canal be performed quickly and comfortably.
2. Take an antibiotic.
You should talk to your dentist about taking an antibiotic prior to having your root canal performed. While you will be prescribed an antibiotic for afterward, if the nerve of your tooth is inflamed due to infection then a preemptive antibiotic can help ease your discomfort.
Treating severe inflammation prior to your root canal will help lower your level of discomfort throughout the procedure and ensure that you are able to heal as quickly as possible once the root canal is complete.
3. Opt for additional sedatives.
While the dental professional performing your root canal will administer a local anaesthetic to numb the tooth receiving a root canal, it can be beneficial to ask for additional sedatives if you are nervous about your root canal.
Dentists often use nitrous oxide, more commonly referred to as laughing gas, to help calm their patients. The nitrous oxide won't put you out, it will merely take the edge off your anxiety and make your root canal appointment more bearable to sit through.
Being able to properly prepare for your root canal is essential if you want to reduce your discomfort during and after the procedure. Be sure that you find an experienced endodontist to complete the root canal, that you take an antibiotic before your root canal to help treat inflammation, and that you ask for an additional sedative if you are nervous for your root canal procedure.
Contact a dental office like Top Dental to learn more.