Root canal!!??!!

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So at the dentist today I was told I need to get a root canal. Apparently one of my cavities is too deep to repair with a filling. The dentist asked me if I knew anything about a root canal. I believe my response was "Only that is the most god awful dental procedure you can have." He laughed and said that's only partly true. If you wait too long apparently something happens with the tooth and novicane is not affective. So you go through it with no pain killer at all. I believe he used the term "excruciating". However he also said that if you do it quick, there's no pain and it's no worse than getting a filling done.

So i'm looking for experiences from people, good or bad, who have also had this done. I already have an appt for 2 weeks from now so hopefully I'll be fine. Thanks!!
 
Both my wife and I have had this procedure, and if done by a good dentist, is no worse than having a cavity filled.
 
I have had a couple of these at different times. The first one was excruciating, but only because I let it go for too long. The actual procedure wasn't as bas as the pain leading up to it. Get it done now if you have to at all.
 
i had half of it done last week was to bad dentist had to shoot me up 3 times and i did not feel a thing but the worst wast first 3 days after reackted to evertything now i have to wait a month to finalized i guess we have a short for dentist in ct
 
Yikes! The sound of 'root canal' does not sound fun. I'm sorry but I've never had it nor have I had friends go through it.

Good luck with that, and remember think happy thoughts during the procedure.
 
THX for the replies. I should be ok since i'm getting it done soon. Nasty as it sounds I think the dentist said once it gets infected you start to get puss and that makes the novicane in effective. Fun stuff!! I'm actually going to a specialist for this, the dentist said he could do it but it would take a couple visits and this guy can get it done in an hour or so. Hopefully the shots won't hurt to bad but if that's the worst of it, I'll be happy. Best part is I get to go to work that night afterwards!
 
I've had one done before and i was in the air force. But based on my experience it was painless. like someone said before no worse than getting a cavity filled.
 
Had one done several years ago and it was totally painless, took a little longer that a filling but no strain. Good luck.
 
Couple Of Visits?!?!?

I had it done, again, like most, no worse than a filling.

My dentist at the time said that in this day and age and with the drugs that are out, there is no reason anyone should feel killer pain (ok, I'm paraphrasing).

Good thing your dentist suggested a specialist. I imagine that a couple of visits with an exposed root would be painful.

Don't know about others, but I had to get a crown on the tooth they did the root canal on. Sounded like that was a pretty common occurrence.

Anyone else have that experience?
 
Most are not that bad

local anesthetics are crystaline powders that only dissolve in an acidic solution. Thats why they taste so bad. Your body tissues neutralize the acid and make the anesthetic effective. In an infected area the tissues can be acidic, rendering the anesthetic less than effective. This is most common in upper teeth. Most root canal treatments are pretty uneventful and patients often wouldn't know your were doing a root canal unless you tell them. A very small number are stubborn and PITAs. If the tooth feels fine after your first appointment (called a pulpotomy) the root canal treatment should go well. Since you're seeing a specialist your dentist may have just put in a temporary filling and given you an antibiotic. Specialist (endodontist) rely on referrals from General Dentists, so they are all very good or they don't stay in business very long. Good luck, and take 3-4 200mg ibuprofens or a naprosyn tablet an hour or so before the appointment.

Bob
 
Well a week from this past Friday, I had the procedure done. As far as the actual procedure itself, painless. Small pinches from the needle but that was it. Took all of a half hour. I was instructed to take 2 Advil, every 4 hours for 2 days. To help with any pain I might have but more importantly to keep the swelling down. I was also told I needed a crown and to not chew on that tooth until I had the crown done.

The first 2 days were fine. If I accidentally chewed on it, It hurt pretty good but not horrible. However, I figured after 2 days I would be mostly 100%. I was wrong. My first impression is that the dentist hit the nerve directly with the needle. Because I had pain from my jaw hinge all the way down. The area was also EXTREMELY sensitive to cold. As in any thing colder than luke warm sent an instant sharp pain up my jaw. I took advil as needed and tried to keep food and drink away from it.

I ended up calling my endodontist 2 days later to make sure everything was fine. Since I was in Florida on vacation, I didn't want to wait and end up making things worse for myself. He assured me that the pain chewing was still normal. The cold thing however must have been another tooth next too it. He said it wasn't possible for that tooth to hurt like that since there isn't a root anymore. Made sense to me.

Finally yesterday, things seemed much better. Maybe it's the cold I've developed so I didn't pay as much attention. However I tested things out today and chewing is all but pain free and the cold sensitivity is GONE So weird.

So all things considered I guess it went very well. I have another reg. dentist appt this week and I guess then they will decide when to put the crown on.

Thanks for all the responses and support everyone. It definetly put my mind at ease going in.

OH! As I was coming out from the procedure there was this woman sitting there with a friend. I walked out and she looked at me with this deer in the headlights face and said "Are you ok????" I just kind of smiled and said "Yeah, I'm fine. What are you having done?" She was having the same procedure done but she was scared to death! So much so that she brought her bible along! I think I put her mind at ease a little because she seemed to relax a bit when she saw how nonchalant I was about it. But that woman, was damn scared!
 

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