Root Canal

Now I am pretty much looking as tho I may have to have Root Canal on one of my small molars.  I have never had one before. I am petrified of the dentist, but I can reason that fear if I know what to expect. I can come to terms with any pain I may suffer.

Whats your experience of root canal?  were you in pain afterwards and what helped you take the pain away?

Be brutally honest - no *bleep* footing. 

Whats your experience of root canal?  were you in pain afterwards and what helped you take the pain away?

I had two root canals in my lower front two teeth when I was 12 years old.  My father was a pharmaceutical salesman and we had amazing health care insurance, so anytime I had dental work, he paid the $50 for me to get totally knocked out (anesthetic) - he did this as well for me when I had all four wisdom teeth removed at age 16.

If I had to pay out of pocket for the anesthetic now that I'm not on his insurance anymore, I would certainly do it!

And no, I wasn't in any real pain afterwards, but I do have a high tolerance to post-op pain (I just don't want to experience anything during the procedure itself).

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

I had two in the same tooth.  Long story.  I was so, so worried, but it wasn't all that bad really.  

It takes a long time and holding my mouth open for like an hour hurt.  It didn't hurt after I got home. They gave me pain medication, but once they remove the nerve there isn't much pain at all.  

It usually takes two trips.  They put a temporary filling in with stuff to treat the infection and then you come back in a week later.  

If it is a molar you will probably need to get a crown as well.  I waited about 10 years, but I had a lot of natural tooth left and it was ok.  Your doctor will let you know if you need a crown.

I had one done about a year ago and it was a miserable experience.  Although he gave me 3 shots it still hurt the whole time, i'm no wuss when it comes to pain but I was almost crying.  The infection seemed to nullify the effects of the shots.  I just hope and pray I don't have to get another one.  I know most people don't feel anything at all but it's just made me terrified of the dentist when I wasn't before.

Sorry, you said to be honest.  If you don't have a bad infection with it it will most probably be fine.

When I had dental treatment in the US I always had nitrous oxide gas because I had complete nerves about dental treatment. It always made me not feel the needles when they did the painkilling injection and just not care what they did...I was a happy camper the ENTIRE time...I wonder if they do gas here?

I had one done about a year ago and it was a miserable experience.  Although he gave me 3 shots it still hurt the whole time, i'm no wuss when it comes to pain but I was almost crying.  The infection seemed to nullify the effects of the shots.  I just hope and pray I don't have to get another one.  I know most people don't feel anything at all but it's just made me terrified of the dentist when I wasn't before.

Sorry, you said to be honest.  If you don't have a bad infection with it it will most probably be fine.

No this is good stuff.  I do have a bad infection   Grreaaatttt!!   I think I am going to be a grumpy bunny tonight  

I wish they could knock me out for the duration. 

I had one a couple of years ago and it was broken into two appts.

1.)  They drilled out the tooth and the root.  They started with a shot of novacaine on the gums for the first bit and as soon as the root was exposed they put some directly into the root.  The first bit was like getting a normal filling, not that bad for me, but other people hate getting fillings.  Once they got to the root, I definitely felt a little bit of pain, but as soon as that happened, in came the direct novacaine into the root.  After that I didn't feel a thing.  They then spent a little time cleaning out the root with file thingies and put some antibiotic in and a temporary filling over the whole. 

2.)  A week of so later I went back to get the permanent filling.  They removed the temp one, put some special stuff in the root and then filled it back up.  I can't remember if they even gave me novacaine this time, since the root is gone I don't think you feel anything anyway.  But this second time didn't hurt at all. 

So the only time I felt discomfort was during the first procedure when they got down to the root.  But after 3-4 sleepless nights and constant pain from the infection, I didn't think it was bad in comparison! 

I did got to private dentist, so not sure if that makes a difference in which kind and how many pain injections they will give.  I asked them to walk me through the procedure and what they would give me before they started.  I think that helps prepare yourself, so you know what to expect and when you are likely to hit the worst pain.

Good luck!

No this is good stuff.  I do have a bad infection   Grreaaatttt!!   I think I am going to be a grumpy bunny tonight  

I wish they could knock me out for the duration. 

Next time I have to get anything done i'm going to try getting knocked out.  I know they hardly ever do it here anymore, maybe i'll get it done in the US.   

I had one a year ago - the last time I saw my mom alive (last March) in the US, and I fractured my lower left molar on a bone hidden in some pork BBQ I was eating.  The tooth was hanging on by a shred of enamel, so (in between visits to see my mom & accompanying her to doctor's appts because she'd fractured her wrist just in time for my visit there!) I rang up my old dentist there in town - who I'd not seen since I was 19 years old (many many years ago  ).  He took the hanging tooth off, did the root canal & plugged up the hole with temporary white filling stuff until I could get back to England & get my crown done on the NHS.  (Fortunately, my travel insurance reimbursed me for most of the root canal expense done in the US.)  So yeah - that trip to the US was as much fun as a root canal, plus my mom wasn't in a good state and then some.

I didn't have any infection though.  I told him to make sure I was completely numbed up because dentists seriously freak me out, ever since I had all my wisdom teeth removed in one go (which was the last time I saw that particular US dentist!).  So he gave me an extra shot - the second shot freaked me out, because it was like I felt a vein in the side of my face sort of 'pop' & I thought - great, I'm going to stroke out here in the dentist's chair a thousand miles away from my home & my husband.  I felt light-headed then, but nothing worse happened, although I was still extremely tense & was weeping in the chair more out of fear & frustration (at the whole crappy situation overall) than out of pain.  (I didn't ask for gas because I didn't want to pay for it, and I had to be able to drive myself around because I was there alone.)

No pain after the root canal, because they took the nerve out & like I said - there was no infection.  Although I made the dentist give me a course of antibiotics just for safety's sake, since I was due to travel internationally again shortly thereafter.

The most annoying part was how long & how many visits it took to get my crown fitted on the NHS.  And that cost me a bundle too because I opted for white porcelain instead of the NHS 'special' which is tin & that still costs a fair amount - £100-200 I think?  I hate the crown now as well, because everything gets stuck underneath it when I eat - so I'm keeping the dental floss companies in business for the rest of my life now. 

It was an international US-UK inter-dental exchange experience!

The most annoying part was how long & how many visits it took to get my crown fitted on the NHS.  And that cost me a bundle too because I opted for white porcelain instead of the NHS 'special' which is tin & that still costs a fair amount - £100-200 I think?  I hate the crown now as well, because everything gets stuck underneath it when I eat - so I'm keeping the dental floss companies in business for the rest of my life now. 

Can I be cheeky and ask how much the porcelain crown was?  When I was quoted a price from the NHS for a root canal they said £198 - I didn't realise that they have probably quoted me for a metal crown! I assumed they were white.

Cripes...I have this awful vision of me looking like "Dawn of Dead" dribbling on myself walking home, with a mouth like "Goldie" 

Do you necesarily need a crown?  I didn't have to have one with my root canal.  Mine was just an infection though and not a crack or anything.

Do you necesarily need a crown?  I didn't have to have one with my root canal.  Mine was just an infection though and not a crack or anything.

Yes I think I will.  The tooth in question already has deep filing inside of it.  I think the enamel will possibly come away when they drill it out again..

Can I be cheeky and ask how much the porcelain crown was?  When I was quoted a price from the NHS for a root canal they said £198 - I didn't realise that they have probably quoted me for a metal crown! I assumed they were white.

Cripes...I have this awful vision of me looking like "Dawn of Dead" dribbling on myself walking home, with a mouth like "Goldie" 

What they quoted you is for the tin crown, yes - that's the NHS rate.  IIRC, the white porcelain was £500, and gold was £550.  Some friends told me I ought to just spring for the whole lot (gold tooth) & become the Leeds Queen of Bling - yo yo, and I definitely considered it just to do something different - out of character for me.  But I went the safe route & chose white.  It was a molar though so I'm not sure if it would be less for a smaller size tooth?  (also maybe I should have got a gold tooth, because if I'm ever stranded at sea - then I've always got my gold tooth to pay for my burial at sea arrrrrr)

Between that and my (not cheap) glasses, it was an expensive year last year!  And now my only 1-year-old glasses have a horrible scratch in the middle of one of the lenses, and so I'm going to have to get another new pair this year. 

If you have had a root canal you will probably need a crown at some point.  I waited ten years, but without the root the tooth becomes weaker and weaker until it can no longer support itself and finally cracks.

I went crazy and got a e-max crown.  It cost way more than I would have liked to pay, but then that is always the way. 

I had one when I was 10 (bad teeth due to a disease I had as a baby). It wasn't too bad, but I do have a pretty high tolerance for dental pain. I had to go in 3x, but I think they tend to do it in 2 now.

I've had other dental procedures which were a lot worse. I don't remember being in too much pain after the procedure. The pain I was in before hand was worse.

I've since had my crown replaced (after about 15 years) as they do wear out.