Recognizing The Benefits of Dental Implants

When it comes to dental procedures, root canals are often one of the most dreaded. Fortunately, they aren't that bad in reality — they're lengthy and slightly uncomfortable rather than painful. They become necessary when bacteria invade the pulp of a tooth and begin to spread towards the root. A dentist needs to remove all of the infected pulp during the root canal and then fill the hollow space with sealant in order to prevent any more bacteria from getting in and causing infection. Doing so will prevent the infection from spreading further, which can result in serious complications like an abscess in your jawbone. If one of your teeth is infected and needs a root canal in order to prevent further oral health problems, read on to learn how to best prepare for it.

Bring Comfortable Headphones and Something to Listen To

Depending on the curvature of your tooth roots and how many branches they have, it may take your dentist quite a bit of time in order to complete your root canal. You may be sitting in the dentist's chair for a few hours while the procedure is being performed, so it's a good idea to bring some form of entertainment with you to your appointment. A comfortable pair of headphones along with music or a podcast downloaded onto your smartphone that you'll enjoy listening to is a good choice. The headphones can help muffle the sounds of the dental tools, and listening to music or a podcast gives you something to occupy your time while the procedure is underway.

Be Honest With Your Dentist About Alcohol, Nicotine and Caffeine Usage

Root canals are typically performed using local anesthetic, which prevents the nerves in your tooth from sending any pain signals to your brain. Local anesthetic is very effective, and it's capable of making the procedure almost painless. However, the effectiveness of local anesthetic is reduced if you habitually smoke, drink alcohol or consume caffeine. All of these substances interfere with its ability to block pain signals. Be honest with your dentist about your use of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine before your procedure — you may need a higher dose of anesthetic or it may need to be injected into multiple locations in order to provide complete pain relief.

Put Lip Balm or Petroleum Jelly on Your Lips to Prevent Dryness and Cracking

You'll need to keep your mouth wide open during the entire procedure, and this has a high chance of causing your lips to dry out. In order to prevent chapped lips after your root canal, apply petroleum jelly or lip balm to your lips before the procedure. These products will help stop them from drying out.

Take Your Pre-Procedure Antibiotics as Prescribed

When you schedule your root canal, you'll usually be prescribed antibiotics that are meant to be taken before the procedure. Taking antibiotics won't completely heal the infection within your tooth root, but it can reduce its severity. Reducing the severity of your pulp infection can reduce the amount of pain you feel before your root canal, and it also makes the procedure itself more comfortable — less infected tissue means that your pulp will be less sensitive, making it easier for your dentist to perform the procedure without causing you any pain.

Use Over-the-Counter Pain Medication to Reduce Swelling

Taking an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen before your procedure can help reduce the amount of pain you feel afterwards. Over-the-counter pain medication is anti-inflammatory, so it reduces the swelling that you'll experience after your root canal is done. Swelling around your tooth can cause pain as it presses on nearby tissue, so reducing it by taking over-the-counter pain medication can help make you more comfortable while you recover from your root canal.

Overall, there's not much that you need to do in order to prepare for your upcoming root canal — the most important thing to keep in mind is to bring entertainment so that you're not bored during the lengthy procedure. Most root canal procedures aren't complicated and are nearly painless, and following the tips above will help you remain comfortable throughout the whole event.