Just survived my first and hopefully last root canal!

[Zuzu03]

Yikes, 2 1/2 hours and quite a bit of stress later. The doc said that it was a particularly brutal one - yeah, tell me. I don't even KNOW anyone who has had a root canal so I had no idea what to expect! I'd broken my tooth off last Thursday, my regular dentist apparently packed up shop and retired (but didn't let any of his patients know), so I had to go to a new dentist, then to the root canal guy. Now back to the new dentist for a crown. Thank goodness for dental insurance!

 

[Micca]

Even under the best circumstances 2 1/2 hours in the dentist chair is a long time At least the worst is over. How did you break your tooth?

 

[Zuzu03]

Yeah, holding my mouth open for that long was excruciating. I was just eating Special K cereal. I KNEW eating healthy was bad for you, now I have proof!

 

[Micca]

I've had something similar happen when I broke a tooth. Dentist told me that sometimes when there is a large filling that has been there a long time(more than 20 years in my case) sometimes the tooth just kind of falls apart. I was eating a cheeseburger at the time, not the most dangerous food to chew

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I've had a lot of root canals. I love my dentist. He better never retire. Of course I think I am funding his grandchildren's college fund by this point. My mom and I have already put his son through law school. I just have crappy teeth that were filled many many years ago and like the PP said, the remaining part of the tooth just breaks off. Yuck!

 

[Zuzu03]

Sometimes I think it would be easier to just pull all our teeth out when we get to be adults and just have fake ones! Of course, my mom who does have fake ones says, "Heaven forbid!"

 

[micki7337]

Zuzu, I feel your pain. Honestly, I do! I just spent the last 3 hours sitting in the dentist chair getting a root canal on a bottom molar. I don't know how I held my mouth open that long and neither does the dentist. I think i had just had enough of the pain and was ready for it to be over. I broke my tooth Friday night in my sleep. I clench my teeth in my sleep and woke up with ragged edges. The darn thing had broke and like you, my prior dentist had retired. Fortunately, my husband had found a new one and everyone had been to the dentist except me. Now I'm sitting here trying to wake my mouth up so that I can eat for the first time in days.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Zuzu03]

Zuzu, I feel your pain. Honestly, I do! I just spent the last 3 hours sitting in the dentist chair getting a root canal on a bottom molar. I don't know how I held my mouth open that long and neither does the dentist. I think i had just had enough of the pain and was ready for it to be over. I broke my tooth Friday night in my sleep. I clench my teeth in my sleep and woke up with ragged edges. The darn thing had broke and like you, my prior dentist had retired. Fortunately, my husband had found a new one and everyone had been to the dentist except me. Now I'm sitting here trying to wake my mouth up so that I can eat for the first time in days.

Hope you feel better soon!

Oh my gosh, micki! I think you deserve some ice cream. That's what I'm going to tell DH when he gets home tonight - cremees would make my mouth feel SO much better!!! Do you have to get a crown too? My new dentist just called me and said they had a cancellation tomorrow morning so I can get in and get my temp crown. Does that hurt does anyone know? Sorry to be such a baby, but I have never had problems with my teeth!

 

[4nana]

I feel your pain and hope you feel better soon Zuzu03 and micki7337 . I broke my molar tooth last month, it was a tooth that already had a large filing. Thankfully my dentist worked me in and did the filling/build up, as I still await my root canal, then crown. Luckily I am blessed with a wonderful female dentist who makes me feel comfortable as possible, even tho I am totally paraniod . I've had several RC's and don't look forward to it, but thank God we're still affording dental insurance as my est. bill will be $2000. I'll only be covered at 50%, but it's better than footing the whole bill!

 

[Zuzu03]

Wow, Nana, this must be more common than I thought! I honestly don't know anyone who has had one (now I do!).

I know, I feel so lucky that I have dental insurance! They covered 90% of the root canal, but I'm not sure how much of the crown they're going to cover. I have $1500 coverage from July 1 to June 30 (it's a teachers' plan). Numbers were flying around in the dentist office on Friday, and I think I have to pay 40% but I'm not sure. Not much I can do about it anyway as of course I have to have it fixed! I still say knock me out, pull 'em all and give me false ones!

 

[hellokitty86]

My new dentist just called me and said they had a cancellation tomorrow morning so I can get in and get my temp crown. Does that hurt does anyone know?

A little advice from someone who has had several root canals :Keep your original appointment for the temp. crown. All of my dentists tell me to wait a couple weeks just in case there is a problem with the root canal and they have to go back in. You don't want to have a retreatment of that tooth through a crown, temporary or not, trust me! (I've done it before!)

As for pain, nope, getting the crown doesn't hurt at all. The tooth should be already dead, there isn't any nerve in it, so it is easy peasy!

 

[Zuzu03]

A little advice from someone who has had several root canals :Keep your original appointment for the temp. crown. All of my dentists tell me to wait a couple weeks just in case there is a problem with the root canal and they have to go back in. You don't want to have a retreatment of that tooth through a crown, temporary or not, trust me! (I've done it before!)

As for pain, nope, getting the crown doesn't hurt at all. The tooth should be already dead, there isn't any nerve in it, so it is easy peasy!

Oh my gosh, I didn't even think of that! My original appt was for September 8 and the root canal doc said that was too long to wait, that what they put on to seal it was really fragile! I'm going out of town to a conference next Wednesday, so it had better be alright - I'd hate to have a problem away from home! Another question - can the permanent crown ever come off? That would freak me out too!

 

[hellokitty86]

Oh my gosh, I didn't even think of that! My original appt was for September 8 and the root canal doc said that was too long to wait, that what they put on to seal it was really fragile! I'm going out of town to a conference next Wednesday, so it had better be alright - I'd hate to have a problem away from home! Another question - can the permanent crown ever come off? That would freak me out too!

I think waiting is just a precaution in case something goes wrong with the tooth. My dentist usually has me wait a couple weeks for the temporary, but every dentist is different. I know alot of endo's have you go in for a check up a week or so after the root canal, and then they clear you for the temporary crown, atleast that's what mine do.

If your dentist is ok with you putting your temporary crown on tomorrow, I wouldn't worry about it.

Temporary crowns CAN come off, but they usually don't. If it does I just go in and they glue it back in, its super easy and not a big deal at all. Be a little gentle when chewing on that tooth, and don't eat anything super sticky and you should be fine!!

 

[Zuzu03]

Thank you for all of your encouragement! I convinced DH that cremees were in order and he didn't hesitate! Of course I'm supposed to be dieting, so that was dinner (anybody know the calories, fat content of cremees?).

 

[DebIreland]

Oh my goodness, 2.5 hours?!! You poor thing.

I had a root canal a few years back but it was done over four sessions - approx 30 mins per session. It got harder and more uncomfortable with each session (cause I guess it was like re-opening an old wound ). After session 3 I was in agony and my face swelled up like a balloon as it had become seriously infected. I strongly feel now he should have done it all in one go like your dentist did - it's better in the long run.

I ended up swallowing my temp crown cause I kept putting off getting a permanent one! But it got infected so often too I was scared of anything permanent. (Ive since changed dentist!). So I now have a denture there which I'm happy with.

I'm glad you got yours over with - the risk of infection has been greatly reduced.

Take it easy for a couple of days. Don't underestimate how exhausting and traumatic dental surgery can be.

 

[Gina]

I can't believe y'all had to keep your mouths open that long!! Any dentist I have gone to (and lord knows I have gone to plenty) have put in a bite block at the beginning.

What really stinks is that, as a pp said, after a root canal the tooth is essentially dead. The crown helps to strengthen the outside, but it can't help the underlying structure of the tooth. One of the teeth I had a root canal on several years ago just popped off right at the gum line one day. I was eating something like a sandwich, no big deal, and suddenly there was $800 wasted dollars, in the palm of my hand.

You'd think that after alllllllll these years of scientific advances, there would have been SOME made in the field of dentistry that don't involve just making them whiter or straighter or whatever.

 

[Zuzu03]

Oh Deb, what a nightmare! I think you're right - get it done all at once (which goes along with my theory to knock me out and take them all out). I feel like I've been punched in the face, it's pretty sore.

Where are you in Ireland? One of my former students is in Achill as an au pair and she loves it so much. Thanks for your support and cyber hugs!

 

[Zuzu03]

I can't believe y'all had to keep your mouths open that long!! Any dentist I have gone to (and lord knows I have gone to plenty) have put in a bite block at the beginning.

What really stinks is that, as a pp said, after a root canal the tooth is essentially dead. The crown helps to strengthen the outside, but it can't help the underlying structure of the tooth. One of the teeth I had a root canal on several years ago just popped off right at the gum line one day. I was eating something like a sandwich, no big deal, and suddenly there was $800 wasted dollars, in the palm of my hand.

You'd think that after alllllllll these years of scientific advances, there would have been SOME made in the field of dentistry that don't involve just making them whiter or straighter or whatever.

OMG Gina, that is freaky! I hope they replaced it at no charge! I did have the bite block, but after the first hour it really stiffened up and hurt. I kept trying to think about other things, like WDW, but I just don't have that Zen thing down. I remember when I had my daughter I couldn't do the lamaze breathing either. I think I need to learn how to meditate!

 

[Gina]

OMG Gina, that is freaky! I hope they replaced it at no charge!

There wasn't anything to replace. The whole TOOTH, crown and all, just popped off at the gum line like it had never been a part of my head. Now there's just nothing there, except the dead root at and below the gum line.

I did have the bite block, but after the first hour it really stiffened up and hurt. I kept trying to think about other things, like WDW, but I just don't have that Zen thing down. I remember when I had my daughter I couldn't do the lamaze breathing either. I think I need to learn how to meditate!

You poor thing! I really do hope it's easing up now! I make them give me enough nitrous so that I don't really know what planet I'm on (I'd be in hysterics otherwise) and that seems to relax the muscles pretty well. I highly recommend the stuff for situations like that.

 

[Mickey527]

I have had 6 root canals in my lifetime. My dentist always puts in a post when he removes the root. The post is a metal wire like thing that goes into the area where the root was to strengthen the tooth so it won't break off as easily. I still need crowns because the root canal does "kill" the tooth and eventually it will discolor to black.
I am in the process of getting 4 crowns on my 4 front top teeth. I had 3 but they were very old, I got them in high school way back in the 70's. My brother threw a metal toy at me and broke 3 of my front teeth.
I spent 2 hours the first day at the dentist getting the root canal. The 2nd time was to take off the old crowns, grind the teeth more, have 4 impressions and have a temporary crown made. 3 hours.
My 3rd, 4th and 5th visits were 1 hour each, and I go in two weeks when the crowns are finished to get them glued in and have a 2 holur block of time.
My insurance paid about 50% so I had to take some cash from my retirement to pay for this.
I hated the dentist since I was a teen and had my first 3 crowns done WITHOUT novacaine. He did all the grinding down of the original teeth and I suffered. The worst part was.. this dentist was really old school and he didn't make temporary crowns. I had to go to school for 2 weeks with my 3 front teeth ground down to pegs. I didn't talk for 2 weeks and told the teachers not to call on me.