Root Canal

[brenalexacamp]

Not to worry! You just need to keep your mouth open! you will be numb so you will feel nothing! the little bump may not go away but the infection will be gone enough that the root canal can be done comfortably- just take all the antibiotic.
sometimes it takes more than one visit to complete a root canal- the roots have to be meticulously cleaned out-the more roots- the longer it takes- a front tooth has one root canal while a molar has 3.
once the tooth is cleaned out it is going to be a shell- no blood supply so the tooth is very brittle and can break- that's why you need to crown it- to protect it. and soon!

the post will make the crown stable. you cannot just lop a cover on the tooth- you want it to be stable and last a long, long time.
It is an investment- you can easily spend 1100 on a root canal and up to1500 for a crown depending on what area of the country you live in. A post and core is usually250-300. You are doing the right thing- Never take a tooth out if you can help it- it gives shape to your face- aids in speech and chewing.

If you did take it out because of cost- youwould still need to consider replacing it- an implant could easily run you 3000. Better to keep your own tooth.

Remember a smile lasts a lifetime!

My license plate- 2TH-FRY(tooth fairy)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I'm going to get a bit technical about this.

The local anesthesia which is use chemically is a base. If you have an infected abscess, the infection is actually acidic. When you mix an acid and a base you get both heat and neutralization.

So if you have an infected abscess it both attempts to neutralize the anesthetic effect as well as create heat, which will lead to pain.

However, without an infected abscess the anesthesia will not be neutralized and there will be minimal pain during the procedure. And, of course, once the root canal is completed there is no more nerve to transmit any pain.

And, depending on the specific tooth, as well as the number of roots it has, the regular dentist will either close it up with a regular filling or put on a crown. Depending on how much work has to be done will be the deciding factor as to whether a post will be put in and then a build-up around the post prior to the final closing.

 

[tvguy]

If it is a molar it will require more than one visit as there are more roots in a molar and they do one at a time. .

A good endodontist will do it in one visit. I've had 2 root canals, 1 in a molar with 5 roots, no big deal, no discomfort. I find a plain old filling far more unpleasant and uncomfortable.

 

[Buckalew11]

OP, I am the Queen of Dental Anxiety. I can tell you, you will be fine! I was petrified about having a root canal. I had heard so many horror stories. I had my 1st done and actually had 2 teeth done at once since the next to each. I figured they could easily numb both at once and that was once less time in the chair for me. These were lower molars. No pain, no problem. I took about 1/2 of .25 mg of xanax and had nitrious oxide.

Next time I had 4 root canals on my 4 front teeth which I had recrowned almost 2 years ago. Same treatment. No pain. Quite a breeze. Of course, front teeth have 1 root each so this was quick and easy.

Nitrious works for me. I am so relaxed using it. It does not help with pain, it helps my anxieties. I am not sure I could stand that dental dam without it. That is one of the worst parts of procedures that call for those. However, I think they are great inventions cause you don't have bits of junk flying around and your tongue can't get in their way. I get nitrious for a cleaning. Told you I was the Queen of Dental Anxiety!

 

[prncess674]

Agree with others, call and see about getting some sort of anit-anxiety med to take before the procedue. Take the pill with something easy on your stomach that you like.

Root canals do not get better on there own. A root canal is needed once the tooth decay reaches the tissue in the root. It may not hurt now, but it is not a matter of if it will hurt, but when. Root decay pain is incredibly painful. I started having pain on a Friday with my last root and kept thinking it would go away (easily took over 50 Advil over the next five days) and finally got into an endo on Wednesday morning. I hated going, but at the end of the appointment I was ready to kiss the ground he walked on, because the pain was finally gone!

I am not a fan of wearing some sort of eye mask because the assistant is looking at you through out the procedure for signs of distress. The last endodonist that I went to had me wear wrap around safety glasses since there is some wayward water spray, etc.

I would just prepare yourself and have a calm experience before your appointment.
Listen to relaxing music on the car ride over.
Take any anti-anxiety meds they give you
Wear comfy clothes
Bring a blanket to throw over your legs (sounds crazy, but being snuggly and warm, will help you relax)
Close you eyes once they start

Some endos like to give you the blow by blow of what they are doing. I just told him to not tell me too much. The only real conversation we had during the procedure was he would occasionally ask me if I was still comfortable and not feeling any pain. He explained when he would be pushing down, but that should just feel like mild annoying pressure, but should absolutely should not be painful and if anytime during the entire procedure I felt pain that I should raise my hand.

 

[luvmyfam444]

You can do it! I was in pain from my tooth last summer - took the antibiotic & real pain meds & went on vacation & never thought about it again - UNTIl FEB when it started bothering me again.
Turns out I needed two root canals.
Made the apptmnt - he did them @ the same time - it was 4 1/2 hrs. But during the procedure there was no pain - well not from the tooth anyway - it was in my jaw from keeping it open so long & even then I wouldn't call it pain - just really big discomfort

I would use the nitrous oxide - it would make you relax or anti anxiety pills

BTW - they didn't give me just novacaine - they gave me something stronger - which naturally I've just forgotten the name of it - I felt weird & my heart raced @ 1st & then all was fine within 30mins.

BUT to know the truth I was in pain afterwards for about a week - took pain meds - but I'm not sure if it was my tooth or my gums really it just hurt back there - and it didn't help that I thought I could eat like normal (had cake with sprinkles - a NO NO!)
The dentist did everything,in the one sitting - including the temporary crown

I went back 2 weeks later to get the permanent crown & there was no pain with that either

My dentist talked the whole time making sure I was okay - remember they are very used to people being scared

 

[luvmyfam444]

Why are they doing a root canal if the tooth isn't bothering you? I'm the queen of root canals, not a big deal. My dentist is awesome and none have taken longer than 45 minutes, done in one visit. Second visit is impressions for the cap, post put in. Third visit, cap on!

If you don't cap a tooth that is root canaled it will deteriorate over time.

My dentist told me I have 3 more root canals I need - none of those teeth hurt - he said to get them done before they get really bad...

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

How is it you need so many?? Did you get cracks in your teeth or are they just decaying??
How long until you can chew on that side?

 

[luvmyfam444]

How is it you need so many?? Did you get cracks in your teeth or are they just decaying??
How long until you can chew on that side?

Nope no cracks or anything - from what I understand & what they've shown me on the xrays its from cavities getting to the roots - they aren't all there to the roots yet - but they are past the filling stage - I don't have pain 'cause it hasn't gotten to the roots yet