For other situations, a doctor can give you a blood test and the results will come back either positive or negative. It’s not so cut and dried with root canals. Diagnosing whether you need a root canal does have a scientific basis but it can be a bit of an art form to find out how diseased the pulp of the tooth is.
Dental anxiety is one thing that many people experience while they are planning for a tooth extraction or even a root canal! It helps when you are going in for that emergency root canal, to be prepared for it.
Avoid smoking and alcohol
Tobacco and alcohol can decrease healing times and may affect healing after the root canal is completed.
Eat a few hours before the procedure
Eating before a root canal ensures that you will have adequate nutrients for healing. Also, after a root canal the tooth may be sore and you may not want to eat as much as usual.
Pain Medicine
Your dentist may also advise you to take over-the-counter pain medicine. This helps to reduce any inflammation near the tooth. This should be taken a couple of hours before the root canal.
Antibiotics
Root canals are most often done because of bacteria in your tooth. While antibiotics are not helpful in removing bacteria from the tooth, they can sometimes be helpful if there is a large abscess outside the tooth. In most instances, antibiotics before a root canal are unnecessary but in some cases they can be a great help!
Get a good night’s rest both before and after your RCT
A good sleep before the process is necessary to keep you free from anxiety. Also, good sleep can help shorten the recovery time as your body heals. As with all healing, it is important to get good rest both before and after the procedure.