Root Canal...

O.K., I have to have a root canal next Wednesday and have a pretty big fear of the dentist(hence the root canal). I've never had one and was wondering how bad they are. Your thoughts?

I have had several done. Not that bad. Half your face will be knumb for a while and you'll talk funny till the pain killer wears off....It really isn't bad.

I've got several customers that are dentists or endodontists and I'll say this. It's not too bad, sort of like a filling except it takes longer.

I would take an ipod or something to listen to. It'll take your mind off what's going on and help to pass the time more quickly.

One customer I have has ipods strapped to all the dental chairs. You get to pick your choice of music, as long as it's classical! :mecry:

Root Canals are not bad at all, they just take forever.

You need to figure out how you react when you go to the dentist, and then adjust appropriately.

I have a great dentist and I'm not nervous at all to go, consciously anyway, but I guess sub-consously I am still nervous because my flood flow slows and my arms FREEZE, so I wear a long-sleeved thick comfy shirt to the dentist even if it's the middle of July. My dentist recently installed massage mats in all his chairs with...heat, which helps too. TeeVees in the Celing with Dish Network too. I had a root canal this summer and all went very smoothly. Couple months later I went back and got my crown, plus the crown for another tooth I had a root canal on. This was worse than the root canals -- it took FOREVER and a day, but only because I was getting 2 crowns made at the same time.

Cost of a root canal at a good dentist with all these goodies: Too much
Being able to go to the dentist and not be a nervous wreck: Priceless

Have you tried a couple different dentists? You really might not have a very good dentist.

I've had a couple. It CAN be painful IF your dentist isn't careful. Then you should complain (i.e. moan/grunt!) until he numbs the right nerves. The upper teeth are supposedly a little easier to numb with general injections of xxxcaine. The lower teeth have a different nerve structure and it can be critical the dentist numbs the exact nerve. He may have to take several tries. Then it's no problem for people with normal pain tolerance. Yes, it's annoying to have so much work going on in your mouth. Hopefully though, it saves the tooth and you don't have to pull it and build a replacement.

I got this info from my dad, the dentist - although he didn't do my 2 root canals since he retired. Yikes! The cost isn't pretty, though. I could've bought a couple of Surefire U2s for my last one!! Insurance covered most of it though.

I OUGHT to have one (plus a couple of crowns)... I just can't afford it right now.

I did a little research on it a few weeks ago.... And according to what the 'internet' says, root canal procedures have improved significantly in the last decade and there is rarely any really acute pain anymore... mere discomfort is the most common complaint, and even that is not the norm.

I wouldn't worry about it being an excruciating experience if I were you. The biggest pain would be the bill if you don't have insurance or a big bank account..... I'd be in a dentist's chair tomorrow if I had insurance or enough cash.

I've had a couple done. No problems. They numb the area and then you just feel them digging around for a while. Sometimes you'll feel very mild pain even with numbing, but nothing which will cause you to jump out of your chair. I had one done once without anesthesia where the nerve was completely dead already and didn't feel much pain. Overall, it's far less of an ordeal than having a tooth pulled (had that done without anesthesia once also). Then again, I'm pretty good with pain regardless since I routinely have fillings done without anesthesia (the minutes of pain are worth not having your mouth feel like it's stuffed with cotton for hours, not to mention the drowsiness I get from anesthetics).

Thanks for calming my nerves guys, I just about canceled the appointment due to my nervousness. I could cut my leg off...no problem. Going to the dentist...I scream like a sissy!!

tiktok, i've had 3, my experiences reflect most of the others, not a big deal, time involved was the most irritating part of it. one of those things that you hear about and dread, and then when you go thru it, you realize that it's not that bad. hope it goes well for you.

Just greet your dentist with "We ain't gonna hurt each other today, are we??". Generaly just as Curbry said above.

Help put the orthodontist at ease. Let him know you appreciate and respect him, and that screaming and writhing in pain aren't necessarily indicitive of anything in particular.

A big thing is..................making sure you go to the bathroom before getting in the chair. You can be there for a while and doing the dance in the chair will not make him/ her go faster :laughing:

I've had one too, it was no big deal, like having a filling only it took a lot longer.

They numbed me up so good I really didn't feel any pain. It's still uncomfortable though.

Dont be afraid to complain if you feel some pain, they will stop and give you another dose of juice. They also normally give you a swab of something prior to sticking you with the needle too so you dont even feel that the first time. And certainly any more than you need you wont feel that either.

So, a bit yucky overall, but not much worse.

I have just two words Valium and Nitrousoxide

I'm no fan of medical procedures but suprisingly they don't hurt. I have had three in last four years. They do hurt the wallet an awful lot.

Thanks guys, The Nitrous is standing by.

curbry said:

A big thing is..................making sure you go to the bathroom before getting in the chair. You can be there for a while and doing the dance in the chair will not make him/ her go faster :laughing:

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Good answer!

Getting ready to head out. Wish me luck!!!

Good luck! Wear long sleeves!

Thanks Saaby,

I had it done and the numbing is now gone. The process was completely painless. I am having a little discomfort, but nothing bad. The only pain I had at the time was from the rubber block used to keep my mouth open. It gave me a headache. Thanks all.