Phone: 574.807.9050
Fax: 574.807.9051
54505 26th St. Unit E
South Bend, IN 46635
Please call 574-807-9050 for the first appointment if your referring office has not already done so. While convenience is important, we do not compromise our exacting standards. We are proud our office is quality oriented but striving for excellence takes time and patience. We provide caring, individualized, state of the art, superb dental care, all of which take time! Please bring your referral information with you to your appointment.
An endodontic consultation will be completed prior to the initiation of any treatment. No pain medication or anti-inflammatory drugs should be taken 8 to 12 hours prior to your appointment. Unfortunately, diagnosis can be difficult and pain medications, either prescription or over the counter medications can skew testing. We recommend you refrain from them, even if you think you’re sure, otherwise it may delay diagnosing the culprit tooth. Please take your other normal medications, just not your pain medications.
Your health is of utmost concern. Please bring a list of all prescription, nonprescription, natural or herbal medications along with the dosage and frequency for each medicine.
Your physician’s name and telephone number may be needed so have it handy. In some cases we will need to contact your physician prior to dental treatment. While you may or may not have taken certain medications prior to dental treatment in the past, the guidelines change every few years. We use the most recent recommendations within our office. We will need to contact your physician specifically if you have or had a heart murmur, on blood thinners, used diet drugs such as Fen-Phen, have heart problems such as mitral valve prolapsed, or any other major medical illness that requires further information. Usually your cardiologist will have the needed information, or sometimes your family physician.
Please take your other medication(s) as directed but avoid alcohol and non-prescription medications that cause drowsiness.
If you have Dental Insurance, bring your information such as name and address of your insurance, insurance and group number, plus insured's SSN.
In office temperature is usually 72-78°. A sweater or jacket is recommended for comfort. Endodontic therapy is usually completed in one or more visits after the consultation.
Time involved for an endodontic consultation is typically 1 – 2 hours with an average of 1.5 hours in our office. For a recall and re-evaluation it is usually 30 - 60 minutes.
When you arrive, please ask to use the restroom, if needed, after checking in.
If you have been advised to take an antibiotic pre-medication for Mitral Valve Prolapse, Prosthetic Joints, Heart Attack, Rheumatic fever etc. please make sure you are on the appropriate antibiotic for your appointment with us.
We hope your experience at Endodontics of Michiana P.C. has been a pleasant one. Please read these instructions carefully to participate effectively in the healing phase and proper success of the procedure performed.
Following root canal therapy, there may be some soreness in the area of the treated tooth for the following few days. This is due to a healing response at the root ends and the injection sites and is normal. We recommend that you take 600-800mg of Ibuprofen (3-4 Advil or Motrin tablets) every 4-6 hours after the procedure and thereafter as necessary for pain. If you cannot take Ibuprofen, Advil or Motrin due to an allergy, stomach ulcer, or as per your physician’s advice, you may take 1000mg Acetaminophen (two extra strength Tylenols) every 6 hours.
The amount of discomfort after the root canal is dependent on the kind and the type of infection you had prior to the treatment. In general, teeth that are severely infected or present with a swelling have more discomfort after the treatment and require stronger pain medication. If a swelling results after the root canal therapy, antibiotics may be indicated. Please contact us for a prescription and follow the instructions on the bottle.
Depending on the condition of the tooth prior to the root canal, the healing phase may be swift or lengthy. Please be patient with this process as it can take up to several days to a few weeks for proper resolution of symptoms. Most often, any remaining symptoms from the tooth will resolve in time.
Do not chew on this tooth until your dentist completes the final restoration. Your tooth may feel sensitive to chewing pressure for several weeks after root canal treatment is finished. You may also feel some tenderness in your jaw and jaw muscles from keeping it open for an extended period of time.
Generally, the tooth should be back to normal within a month after the completion of the treatment.
Narcotics, if prescribed, may make you drowsy and caution should be exercised when operating dangerous machinery.
A temporary filling is placed in the root canal treated tooth. It is common for a thin layer to wear off between appointments, however if the entire filling falls out at any time, call us immediately.
Following root canal therapy, a final restoration has to be placed on the treated tooth by your general dentist. Failure to do so in a timely fashion will result into failure of the root canal or a possible root fracture resulting in tooth loss.
PLEASE SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR DENTIST FOR FINAL RESTORATION.
We recommend that you continue with good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing normally.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our office @ 574-807-9050
Thank you for trusting us with your endodontic care and we look forward to serve you or anyone you refer to us in the future with the same courtesy and respect.
Following root-end surgery it’s important that you do not disturb the affected area with manipulation and touching the sutures (stitches) with your tongue. Do not lift or retract your cheek to examine the stitches. Sudden, aggressive movements and stretching of the lip (laughter) can loosen the sutures and promote some bleeding.
A little bleeding/oozing is normal after surgery. If worried, use a warm moist tea bag for 20 min. over the area. If bleeding still continues, call us or an emergency room immediately.
Please favor the area for the following 48 hours. Follow the instructions on the medicine bottles and take your antibiotics, if prescribed, on time and for the full course of the therapy. Applying ice compress for 24 hours following the surgery is essential to reduce post-operative swelling and expedite healing.
Swelling in the area will peak at 48-72 hours after the surgery. If you experience prolonged swelling or a rise in body temperature greater than 98.6°F, call us immediately.
Apply the ice pack gently to the cheek for ten minute periods (10 min. on, 10 min. off) for the day of the surgery until going to bed that night.
No aggressive rinsing or suction forces should be created in the mouth that could dislodge any effective clot. Starting tomorrow, rinsing with the prescribed rinse or warm water with 1 tsp. salt should be done gently, and twice a day (after breakfast and before going to bed) and for only a week following the surgery.
Smoking is prohibited for 48 hours following surgery to improve healing.
Tooth brushing can be resumed 24 hours after the surgery in the rest of the mouth, but the surgical area should be avoided for 48 hours. Brushing of the surgical area after 48 hours is recommended for better healing but should be done gently to avoid gum recession.
Eat anything besides steaming hot liquids/foods and brittle/crunchy foods such as crackers, chips, celery, peanuts, etc. Drink plenty of fluids for the next 48 hours.
Take all your medications according to the instructions on the bottles and do not skip doses. Pain is usually not a big factor following surgery. The pain can be controlled by taking over the counter Ibuprofen.
If surgery was performed in upper jaw and the sinus was involved, over the counter nasal sprays, such as Afrin, for a week is recommended.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the office.
Thank you for trusting us with your care and we look forward to serve you in the future with your endodontic needs.