I just learnt a sore tooth of mine is caused by my tooth root never fully closing (due to getting braces and shifting my teeth around). Now at 30 I need a root canal.
I’ve never even had a cavity before. I’m legit terrified. Teeth are the one thing that are much worse than nails on chalkboard for me.
How was your experience been? Any words of advice or words of encouragement? I could use it :(
Don’t worry. I’ve had a lot of work done on my front teeth due to an accident when I was a child. Eventually needed root canals on both.
Honestly those root canals weren’t even as bad as cavity fillings.
Most painful part, as others have said, will be the numbing injections. If you still feel pain, let them know and they’ll give you more (different people have different levels).
Make sure to ask for a bite block so you don’t have to hold your mouth open, that’ll help a lot.
They might even let you listen to music, audiobook, or podcast, depending on your dentist.
Here’s what you’ll experience:
They’ll put you in the chair, and they’ll use a q-tip to apply some local anesthetic to your gums. They’ll give that a bit to kick in, then they’ll inject your gums with a tiny little hypodermic needle to really numb them. This is the only part that hurts. I find if I grip the arm of my chair and focus on that, I get through it easier.
They’ll likely do 2-3 injections around the area, depending on the tooth and where the nerves are located. But the first is the worst, because the numbing agent will start to take effect for the others. Also your body is gonna flood with endorphins because of the pain, so the injections following the first won’t be nearly as bad. Then the dentist will probably leave the room for a few minutes while they let that kick in. If the assistant is there, strike up a conversation! In my experience, the relief that the injections are done, along with the aforementioned flood of endorphins, almost feels like a mild high.
The dentist will come back and ask how you’re doing. Your lip will feel huge right now (though it isn’t, it’s just the way the nerves interpret not being able to feel what’s going on).
Here, if they haven’t given you one yet, ask for a bite block. Seriously, it makes the process so much easier.
They’ll start working by drying the area with some air. Then they’ll probably begin drilling. If you feel any pain at all, let them know. They’ll be looking for it, and may even ask you. I’ve only ever had to get an additional injection once or twice. By this point, the injection won’t really hurt because the area is so numb.
When they’ve drilled in they’ll begin using tools to clean out the inside of the tooth, clearing as much of the infected tissue as possible and removing the nerve. The work and the drilling all feel kind of weird, because the area is numb but you can still sense pressure in other parts of your mouth. You can also hear it, unless you choose the music route. I actually find this kind of fascinating.
Once they’ve cleaned the area, they’ll put in what’s called gutta percha, which they use to plug up the canal. This will feel funny, you’ll definitely feel the pressure. It won’t hurt though.
Then they’ll plug the hole with some bonding material or cement or something. This will probably be UV cured.
And then you’ll be done! Unless you’re having the whole tooth replaced with a crown. In that case, they’ll have made a mold beforehand for a temporary and permanent crown. They’ll drill away more of the tooth and put a post in to hold the crown in place. Then they’ll put the temporary crown on while they send the mold out to make a proper one.
Then you get to go home. Take a sick day if you get them, not because you need it but because it’s a good excuse and your co-workers will all feel sorry for you. 🤣
Don’t fret! You’re gonna do great. If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to ask!
This is a great step-by-step. If I were having a root canal, this would make me feel immensely reassured
I really appreciate the fully detailed response. Thank you! Being aware of them messing around and the pressure are probably the worst parts for me. I don’t even mind the needle in my gum. My mind just goes wild imagining what they’re doing and it’s all down hill from there 🤪
Yep, mine got infected on a trip the usa, food hygiene there isn’t what I’m used to. I was considering ripping my own teeth out, over the counter pain killers didn’t help one bit.
It was a horrible experience
Wtf were you eating that led to the need for a root canal?
I had a lot of different stuff that vacation to the us, most of it absolutely garbage compared to what I’m used to. But unfortunately that was all that was available there.
Safe to say I’m bringing a bunch of protein shakes next time I’m there
Garbage is not all that’s available here, there are plenty of healthy choices everywhere. You just have to stay away from the fast food peddlers, which includes “fine dining” chain restaurants.
There’s a reason I said ‘compared to’
That sounds horrible! How did you resolve it?
I called my dentist, and got my appointment scheduled to the next morning
I’ve had a number of cavities repaired but only one root canal. It wasn’t a fun day, sure, but one thing that I appreciate was that it was such a complete fix for the problem. Some of my other work has had to be repaired, or I’ve had more issues on the same tooth. But with the root canal I went from being in a lot of pain to having none at all.
And no future issues with that tooth? I’ve got an irrational fear of losing my tooth haha
No future issues. But there isn’t that much of the tooth left, I have a crown there which is most of what’s visible. Make sure you look up or have explained to you the steps of the procedure so you aren’t surprised.
I’ve had good dentists that have kept me mostly pain free. Hope you have the same. For me, it’s mostly about tolerating the amount of stuff put into my mouth at once, which can be uncomfortable. But it’s not too bad. You’ll be fine I’m sure :)
I’ve had one and I am straight up terrified of needles in general. The only thing that hurt me was the initial needle. I won’t lie, getting a shot in the roof of the mouth is not a good time, but literally everywhere else is on par, if not less than a regular needle. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s less resistance, and a good dentist will numb along the way. Also, let your dentist know. You’re not the only one who finds it scary. They’ll do what they can to make it comfortable. And if it’s long, they usually let you wear headphones. It’s not a spa by any means, but once you get the injection (which I promise is not bad), that’s it. Hard parts done. And you’ll sleep great that night because it’ll be all over. 👌🏾
Yep
