Pre-surgical information

CENTER FOR ENDODONTIC CARE
SURGICAL ROOT CANAL THERAPY INFORMATION
The following is an explanation of what typically happens at surgery appointments. Please note that each patient is
different. Treatment and healing/recovery may vary.

 SURGERY CONSULTATION: This appointment is required before any surgery can be scheduled. During this
visit, an examination of your x-ray, along with testing of the tooth in question is completed. If you are traveling from out of town, this visit may be replaced with a phone consultation once we have received x-rays of your tooth from your family dentist. ♦ Education: We want you to be well-informed and educated about your upcoming surgical procedure, so you
will be provided with an in-depth explanation about what to expect before and after the procedure. In addition, a step-by-step discussion of the surgical procedure will be given with illustrations from our surgical pamphlet. At the end of this visit, you will be given an information packet which reviews the consultation discussion, and you will have opportunity to ask questions. ♦ Medical/Health Concerns: All medical and/or health concerns will be addressed at this time. If you take
aspirin or Coumadin daily, you should inform the doctor who will be treating you. You will also be given ♦ Appointment Length: This appointment takes approximately 30 minutes.
♦ Checking Out: Before leaving your consultation, you will be given the opportunity to make the necessary
financial arrangements and schedule an appointment with the receptionist.  PREPARING FOR THE SURGERY:
♦ Driving: We highly recommend that you have someone drive you to and from your appointment.
♦ Medications: Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Coumadin, and other blood thinners make it more difficult to control
bleeding. If you take aspirin on a daily basis, please stop taking it 5 days prior to your appointment. Do not take any aspirin or Ibuprofen products (i.e., Advil, Motrin, etc.) before the procedure. If you are taking Coumadin or other blood thinners, please let us know before surgery. ♦ Prescriptions: You may have been given up to 3 prescriptions which will need to be taken:
 Antibiotic: Antibiotics are not also necessary. However, if they are needed in your case, take 2 pills
the morning of surgery, then 1 pill every 6 hours until gone. If you are already on antibiotics, just continue taking this medicine according to the directions on your prescription container. If you run out of antibiotics before the surgery, you may need a refill to start the morning of surgery.  Pain Medication: Take 1 pill 1 hour before surgery.
 Mouth Rinse: Rinse with Peridex before your surgery appointment.
♦ Eating: It is important to maintain proper nutrition up, so eat a good meal before your surgery appointment.
This does NOT apply if you are being sedated by I.V. during the surgery; please refer to “I.V. Sedation  THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE: You will be scheduled for a 1 to 2 hour appointment for the day of your
surgery. The procedure typically takes 30 to 45 minutes. The remainder of the scheduled time will be used for allowing the surgical site to numb (15-30 minutes), and to review the post-surgical instructions. The following is ♦ Local anesthetic is given. ♦ The surgical site is incised; the gums are reflected to see the underlying bone. ♦ Removal of inflamed or infected tissue around the root end ♦ Removal of the root end ♦ A small filling is placed to seal the end of the root canal. ♦ Examination of root structure for cracks or splits ♦ Gum tissue is placed back to position and sutures are placed. ♦ Final x-ray is taken. (This x-ray will be sent to your family dentist with a letter.) ♦ An ice pack is applied to surgical area. After your surgery, it is advised that you be escorted home by your designated driver. Once home, try to get as much rest as possible for the remainder of the day and the following day. Please read the “Post Surgical Instructions” completely for specific information about proper care following your surgery.  SYMPTOMS TO EXPECT AFTER THE SURGERY:
♦ Inflammation of the tissue around the surgery site ♦ Slight bleeding for the first 24 hours ♦ Some swelling for the first 24-48 hours ♦ Some bruising and discoloration of the tissue near the surgery site ♦ Some bruising of the cheek around the surgery site ♦ Anesthetic numbness 4-10 hours after the procedure ♦ Paresthesia is a risk when performing surgery; however it is very rare. Paresthesia means numbness which can occur in the jaw, tongue or lip area following root canal surgery. Please discuss this with your doctor if you have any questions. Note that all of these symptoms can be reduced significantly by icing the surgical area for several hours after
treatment. You should thoroughly read the “Post Surgical Instructions” for detailed information about what to
expect following your procedure.
 POST SURGICAL APPOINTMENT: Typically scheduled one week after surgery, any remaining sutures will
be removed at this visit. An examination of the tissues at the surgery site is completed.  RECALL APPOINTMENT: 6 months to 1 year after the completion of your endodontic treatment, our office
will send you a postcard reminding you to schedule an appointment for a check up. There is no charge for this appointment. It is typically a 10-minute visit for us to take a new x-ray of the surgical site and re-confirm that the site is healing appropriately. This x-ray will be sent to your family dentist along with a letter. Thank you for choosing the Center for Endodontic Care for your root canal We trust that you will find that our many years of experience, specializing only in make us exceptionally able to provide you with first rate comfortable care. Please do not hesitate to call us with any questions or concerns.

Source: http://centerforendocare.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Pre-Surgical-Information.pdf