Root canal removal - no alcohol?!

[shivvy]

I have had quite a bad phobia of the dentist for decades but over the last few months I have started going back and having work done.
Today I plucked up the courage to have a root canal removed and decided to reward myself with a nice glass of something later tonight. However I have just noticed that the advice leaflet that I was given (although it was guidance for a tooth extraction) says to avoid alcohol - aargghhh!!

Why would this be advised?

[Count-A-Strong]

Cos if it gets in the wound you'll hit the ceiling.

[jno]

You're not supposed to mix itt with some antibiiotics, but I've had a drink after a root canal before (especially the ones without anaesthetic!) and had no problems.

[Robinia]

You shouldn't drink alcohol after extraction, something to do with increasing bleeding. I don't know about root canal work though.

[ummmm]

Root canal removal?

Root canal is treatment..

[J9PUR]

There are no specific reasons why you cannot have an alcoholic drink after having had root canal treatment.

[shivvy]

Sorry ummmm, think I got the words a bit wrong. I had root canal treatment which resulted in the root being removed. Does that sound more like it?!

Its beginning to throb a bit now so the wine doesn't seem so attractive any more but, going by your answers, I reckon that if I feel like a glass later then it probably won't kill me.

[shivvy]

One other question . . .
The dentist said to eat and drink as normal and do a few salt mouthwashes but I forgot to ask about brushing. How soon can I brush around the stitches?

[Sqad]

J9PUR.........I agree.

[Dris]

Alcohol thins your blood so lessens the chances of the wound stopping bleeding sooner.
I would still have one -I have to have one before I go to the dentist or I couldnt go i'm so phobic.Little wonder the last tooth took over 40mins to extract and the freeze had worn off.

I blame it on the mask we used to get when I was little -the smell of rubber then zonked and the horrible vivid dreams-all to get a filling.Think we have advanced now:)

[ummmm]

Yes....a root canal is where they take out the nerve from the tooth. I had one done a few years back.....once they had jabbed me up and drilled away...turned out I didn't need one. So he gave me a white filling in the price.....(he didn't know until he'd done the damage) Left the nerve in place though and you'd never know I had a filling :-)

Over £200 quid though...

[J9PUR]

Putting all the pieces of the jigsaw together,you have obviously had a tooth root extracted, hence you were given a post-operative extraction advice sheet, advised to avoid alcoholic drinks, use HSWMW, and would certainly not have had sutures placed following root canal treatment. With regards to brushing, it is normally advised to brush gently as soon as it feels comfortable. If the socket is painful and you do not brush it for a few days, this will do no harm at all in the long-run. The other really important advice is not to smoke (not implying that you do though) for as long as possible afterwards as some studies show that this can give rise to a greater incidence of 'dry socket'. Don't worry if you need some analgesics for a few days either.

[shivvy]

Thanks for all the info J9PUR although I definately do have stitches.
The work was done because an abcess had been popping up and down for too long. It was under a crown if that makes any more sense?

They also found the broken off end of some sort of tool that my previous dentist (who is also a tool) left in there.

[boxtops]

A tool? That's dreadful! Did that cause the abcess? I would have thought you might have some redress against your earlier dentist if his bad practice caused you to have to spend £200 with the new dentist!

[Vagrant]

If the dentist has prescribed antibiotics, and the antibiotics say avoid alcohol, then do so. One of the antibiotics dentists use causes extreme reactions to alcohol.

[saxy_jag]

Ouch! You have my sympathy, Shivvy. I had one done three weeks ago. Dentist didn't say anything about not having alcohol, but I had to go back because the treatment triggered an infection in the gum. Penicillin didn't work, so I was put on some much stronger antibiotics and told not to mix them with alcohol. Not because of any violent reaction, I was told, but because the tablets can make you drowsy as it is, without the alcohol, and also because if you do drink it, then it can make you feel quite nauseous.

[Vagrant]

I think it's Metronidazole

[shivvy]

No - no antibiotics prescribed.

£200 boxtops? - I wish!!

[Whoever]

Because alcohol and anaesthics don't mix.

[shivvy]

No anaesthesia either Whoever , , , well I wasn't sedated or knocked out - just the injection.

[cazzz1975]

its not forever, just follow the advice