root canal!

najla56
najla56 Posts: 195 Member
in Motivation and Support
well, i guess this is the right forum to post, because i am in dire need of support.

so, I went to the dentist today, and he said i have a cavity on a tooth so deep that i need it root canal-ed.

the problem is i had got another root canal about 10 years ago from a different doc, and that was so terrifying, -to the point that i used to get nightmares of the doctor around that time.

has any one here got a root canal here? please please share your experience.

Replies

  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    I have had one and it wasn't bad at all. Don't be scared!
  • deniseearheart
    deniseearheart Posts: 919 Member
    I've never had one but I've heard tons and tons of horror stories ...
  • pxpwop
    pxpwop Posts: 704 Member
    I had one as a teenager. It was not fun. But I have been told with newer technology it's not nearly as bad today! Good luck
  • marekdds
    marekdds Posts: 2,233 Member
    Root canals are like anything. You only hear the horror stories, (like 30 hr labors). Nobody talks about the ones that were easy, (like the 30 min labor). If you have good dentist, it is one visit. You will be numb. You can ask for laughing gas, if you are really nervous. Every tooth is different. Just b/c the other experience was bad, doesn't mean this will be. Techniques have improved in the last ten years. Don't be scared. I had one, not bad. Some post-op pain, which you will get pain meds for. good luck.
  • najla56
    najla56 Posts: 195 Member
    wow, thanks guys, i am feeling much better now about it.
  • SueCBrannon
    SueCBrannon Posts: 34 Member
    I had a root canal about 2 weeks ago. Nothing to it.
  • Dee_84
    Dee_84 Posts: 431 Member
    I had one about a year ago. I was freaked out cause I can't stand the dentist (REALLY bad gag-reflex). It took me 3 visits altogether because my roots were unusual long and they had to use special equipment. The most painful part was the anaesthetic injection, the treatment itself and afterwards I did not feel any pain. So don't stress over it, it's not that awful after all :)
  • Drastiic
    Drastiic Posts: 322 Member
    I had an incident where 2 of my teeth half-shattered and the nerve endings were sticking out. I had had bad experiences with the dentist prior to that, so I didn't want to get it taken care of immediately. I wanted them to knock me out instead of giving me the gas. Let's just say that after a very long week of agonizing pain, I couldn't wait any longer. As soon as I had the root canals done, I had no more pain. Just go through with it. It's not bad at all.
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    I have had two root canals, one on the tooth to the right of my right front tooth and one on my front left tooth. One had nerve damage from getting my wisdom teeth out and the front one had an abscess that almost killed me, from nerve damage as well. Neither hurt at all, I was awake for both of them. I brought my iPod and listened to music and just layed there. My root canals didn't hurt afterwards either. The only pain I had was with my teeth before I got the root canals, they hurt so bad. I'm a little iffy about the dentist, but I went to one of the best dentists and got them done, and I couldn't be happier. I don't have dental insurance so I ended up paying $6,350 for them combined, still paying on that, but it was worth it. They did an amazing job with all of my teeth.
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
    it really all depends on the state of the tooth, and the amount of drugs you opt for! nowadays, i prefer to get the valium-like drug that you take before hand to calm you down. :love:

    i have had 4 root canals... first one was an emergency situation where my face swelled up out of the blue. it was terrifying, painful, and completely turned me into a sissy at the dentist. next 2, easy... because the teeth were already dead, so there was no feeling regardless. last one, so-so... but i went in already terrified so that didn't help. but once i managed to calm down it was fine. not fun, but fine.

    just be prepared that your tooth (or the area around it) may be painful and sensitive for up to 6 months afterward, to the point where you think it didn't work properly... but trust me, it's normal. i still feel a twinge in the most recent one (from 3 years ago) every now and then when i bite down on some foods.

    good luck. and, get the drugs!
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 913 Member
    They give me a pill an hour before my appointment so I am out of it the entire appointment...so root canals are easy to me :) I wake up a happy girl and no memory of the appointment!
  • soaps54
    soaps54 Posts: 564 Member
    I had one a few years ago and was terrified before I went in because of all the horror stories I had heard. It turned out to be fine! I don't remember any pain during or after which is a miracle because something always goes wrong when I go to the dentist. Good luck!
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
    I've had five so far, and potential one to go (three of which have been on teeth from a previous root canal). I am terrified of needles, so I get a prescription to take Valium before I get there. As long as I can't feel the pain, then it hasn't bothered me (other than the needle issue). I had one incident where I could feel some pain, and I told the dentist. He quickly remedied that problem.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    I had my first one recently. Piece of cake. I only took Advil following the appointment, too. I'd say the scariest part of the whole thing was the $750 it cost me out of pocket, and that's with dental insurance!
  • najla56
    najla56 Posts: 195 Member
    well, thanks again guys, Im off to the dentist now, will be back with the results
  • mcaffreyg
    mcaffreyg Posts: 69 Member
    I had one a couple years ago when I was 16 (3 years ago), It was no big deal at all. You cannot feel it, or tell what they are doing.
    You can hear the drill noise (which personally I think is that worst part). But bring ipod or somehting and listen to music or hmmm in your head. Or go to sleep. I almost did during my root canal!

    I wouldn't worry :)
  • najla56
    najla56 Posts: 195 Member
    i got mine done:) piece of cake! thanks guys!
  • Ketomaniac9
    Ketomaniac9 Posts: 108 Member
    I had one a couple years ago when I was 16 (3 years ago), It was no big deal at all. You cannot feel it, or tell what they are doing.
    You can hear the drill noise (which personally I think is that worst part). But bring ipod or somehting and listen to music or hmmm in your head. Or go to sleep. I almost did during my root canal!

    I wouldn't worry :)

    I had one today and didn't feel a thing.. the worst part really was the smell of the drill going straight in your nose. Dentist did try to get me to get a crown right after but it costs 700 dollars.
  • KCoolBeanz
    KCoolBeanz Posts: 813 Member
    I had my first one a few months ago, and I can honestly say it was a piece of cake, and this is coming from a huge dental-phobe. As in I cry at regular cleanings, kinda dental-phobe.

    A huge part of the problem for me, is that I get so anxious that the freezing doesn't always work as well as it should. It sort of creates a viscous cycle of fear for me.

    My advice to you, would be to make sure you communicate your fears to your dentist. Bring a list of questions if you have them. If your dentist doesn't listen, or wants to rush you, I'd suggest finding someone your comfortable with.

    My dentist is wonderful. She's patient, kind, and empathetic. Ultimately, she gave me a prescription for lorazepam (I literally was on the verge of being sick with anxiety), but i can honestly say that if I ever needed another procedure like that, I'd feel comfortable without.

    Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to try and answer them for you :)
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    Mine wasn't really much different from getting a filling. It takes a bit longer. The only issue I could see with it is if they aren't gentle with your face or they don't give you enough Novocain.

    When i was a kid I would think it was polite to try to suffer through the pain. No, ASK for more. No shame in that!

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