Root canal

[IrishAngel]

Hi,
Have a dentis appointment on Monday and think i may need one. My symptons all match, pain when biting and chewing, toothache, and sensitivity to hot and cold.

Anyway what i would like to know is how bad is it?? No gory details just on a scale of 1-10 maybe. I really don't like going to the dentist and i'm already terrified by the thought but if i know what to expect maybe it won't be so bad?

 

[DISshopkeeper]

Must be an Irish thing. I've had my share of root canals. Not bad at all. Easier than a filling, not so much drilling. Hey..that RYHMES!!

I'm dental-phobic, too. Honestly, try not to worry too much. It might be a bit sore afterwards for a day or two.

 

[Jillpie]

I need to hop right on this thread. My poor DH thinks he may need one too. He got a filling done a week ago, and the dentist told him that if he still feels sensitivity to cold and hot, he may need one. He's still feeling it. He said the filling was "deep". So I too will await the answers.
I'd like to know how long it takes, hours? Should he have it done on a Sat. and he'll feel ok by Sunday?

 

[MerryPoppins]

Mine wasn't fun. Having said that, they always have trouble getting my mouth numb. Once it was FINALLY numb, it was a piece of cake. Took no time at all. I was sore afterward, but I think that was from all the shots they gave me. I had a big knot that was sore. The tooth was great and never gave me any more trouble.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have had a couple, not really bad at all. Takes a bit of time (mine did), maybe an hour or so. A bit of an ache for maybe a day after, but not bad. You'll be fine.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I have had two done in the last six months. And I am going in for a filling today.

My first root canal went off with no problems, and this was after it was infected. The good thing is that they were able to complete the root canal and I just had to go back for the permanent filling.

The second time was not as great. They didn't complete the root canal at the first appointment. But there was some miscommunication and I was told they had. I was still having some pain and totally freaked out. Turns out it was partially done AND the dentist had missed a canal (which she didn't know at the time). So the second appointment to finish the root canal was made, and when she went in and took an xray, she noticed what she had missed. The bad thing was, that because she thought she was just finishing it, she didn't numb me. OUCH. But at that point I didn't want to stop the whole production and get some shots. I lived through it, and was happy not to have more chemicals in my body.

Root Canals can last from an hour to three hours depending. And like I said sometimes they do it in stages so you are not there forever at one time.

I still have to get my crowns.

 

[nativetxn]

My root canal wasn't all that bad. They have to numb you up...I hate that part...but it wasn't all that painful afterwards.

Good luck with this, you're going to be alright, honest. I'm dental phobic and I did alright

{{{HUGS}}}

 

[HoneyPooh]

Took me four trips at about an hour apiece including the crown and it still bothers me. It's still sensitive to heat and cold and if I touch the crown with my finger it hurts. I work for an oral surgeon and he said I should just have the thing out and be done with it. Easy for him to say right .

 

[IrishAngel]

Thanks for all your replies i'm not dreading it quite so much now. The next big moment will be when i walk in the door of the dentists surgers and have to force myself not to turn and walk right out again. The smell always gets me. Then when i hear the drill going!! The receptionist practically has to lock me in the waiting room to make sure i stay there!

 

[MaryJ]

The hardest part is keeping your mouth open for so long. Ask if you can use a "bite block." It will prop your mouth open so that the muscles in your jaw don't have to do the work.

 

[mickey65]

I have had a couple too. They were not that bad. This summer however the crown fell off one of the teeth that had the root canal. I had to have a bunch of gum surgery to amke enough room to put the crown on (that was not fun) Anyway, when the surgery was done and healed and the dentist went to put the new crown on he had difficulty. Something. about the posts they used the last time were metal and not some kind of flexible material that could be later fixed if needed. So, if I had another root canal I would make sure I asked what kind of posts were going in just in case.

Good Luck!

 

[skiwee1]

I had 2 done at once! I had a bridge fall out and under it was two very bad teeth. Luckily I found a dentist, called something else but I forget, that only does root canals. I had to go there 3 times for 2 hours each within 10 days to get all the work done. I had NO pain or discomfort at all the entire time. After the first trip I felt so much better because the excrutiating pain I had been living with was gone. This guy even had TVs in the ceiling for you to watch while he worked on your teeth. I got to pick out 3 different movies to enjoy while he worked on my teeth. I even had headphones!

 

[Mjasp]

Jimmy...Indy Jammer where are you for this question?

 

[DisneyMim]

I am REALLY scared of the dentist, but I have had 3 root canals so far and will probably have to get more. Really bad experience with a really bad dentist when I was young left me with mega dental problems. Trust me, if I can survive you will have no problems at all. They really aren't that bad, I think the thinking about it and worrying is worse than the actual prodecure! Right now I need to get a tooth pulled and a cap for it, but I am sooo nervous I keep putting it off, so as you can see you are not alone. Irish Angel you will do fine.

Good Luck!

 

[IndyJammer]

It has been my experience that the worst part about Root Canals is the Reputation. There have been a lot of advancements in Root Canal Therapy over the last 5-10 years, and they have become a lot easier on patients (and dentists!). Root Canals are almost always easier than Fillings nowadays!

They can usually be completed in about an hour - in one appointment. (Only about half of that hour is with the Dentist - the other half is waiting on X-Rays to develop!) If there is a lot of infection present, then the dentist will usually place some medicine in the canal & have the patient come back to place the Canal Filling at another appointment after the infection has subsided. (The tooth will also need a crown to hold it all together after the root canal, but that is usually a separate appointment - and then the tooth no longer has a nerve, so there is no pain with that either!)

The problem with root canals is that people will wait until they have an abscessed tooth before going in for treatment. Then, they tend to blame the root canal for pain, when it was just the abscess. The root canal procedure is usually fairly comfortable - the worst part is the shot! (But, if you've got a good DDS, then the shot usually is not as bad as you Imagine it will be!)

The patient may experience some discomfort after the procedure, but it is usually minimal - more often it's the TMJ Joint b/c they have sat with their mouth open for so long! Over-the-Counter Pain meds are almost always enough to take care of any discomfort.

Hope that helps! You should be fine!

IndyJammer, DDS

 

[MaryJ]

Originally posted by skiwee1
Luckily I found a dentist, called something else but I forget, that only does root canals.

This type of dentist is called an endodontist. That is what my DD and I went to and I would recommend doing this over just a regular dentist. They really know what they are doing.

 

[Scratch42]

It's a pain!

Just got back from my dentist and still have to go back next week! Apparently there is a blockage in one canal!

It's great for the DIET, that is if I was one one right now!

I have to go back next week again! Luckily I am a chicken and have my mouth frozen and it's not too bad afterwards! At least it wasn't last week!

Scratch

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Scratch42
It's a pain!

Just got back from my dentist and still have to go back next week! Apparently there is a blockage in one canal!

It's great for the DIET, that is if I was one one right now!

I have to go back next week again! Luckily I am a chicken and have my mouth frozen and it's not too bad afterwards! At least it wasn't last week!

Scratch

Where you limited on what you could eat? I had two root canals and was never told I could not eat anything after awhile. I was told nothing for the first hour but after that I could eat anything I wanted.

 

[Scratch42]

Today's visit was after 2 hours!

But when you have this chunk of what feel like a boulder stuck in your tooth and then there's this anti-bacterial packing that seems to release every time you bite down! YUCK!

As DD says, I have Dental Breath!

I guess if I really tried I could eat something a little more solid but when I accidently bite down on that tooth, OH BOY OH BOY! The PAIN just shoots right thru me!

Scratch