Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic Root Canal

Have any of you Folcs had one? Horribly (I admit to being a dental coward) I'm scheduled for one on Friday and was hoping it's not as horrible as some of the stories I've heard?

Wish me luck,
Mona

I've had one. They can be simple or an adventure. I've had firends that swear it was as easy as getting a filling. Of course, unfortunately they don't all go that well.

Let us know how it goes.

Good luck!
Bob

Mona, mine was easy because the dentist took one look at my x-rays and sent me to a specialist who drilled the roots out with little drills that he rolled between his finger and thumb. He gave me something to completely numb my gum before I got a shot; then he put headphones on me with my choice of music and let me half-doze off while he followed those nasty curving roots. It was pretty simple, but the specialist was really into no-pain dentistry. My kind of guy.

Thank you Bob and Sheilah for your kind replies. Bob, I hope your experience was an "easy" one. Sheilah, I sure wish you didn't live in Colorado (assuming that is where that specialist of yours was)! That's awesome (and hopeful for me) that he was so good and to you as well.

The truth is the dentist I will be seeing is actually not one I know or necessarily like-though I believe he knows his stuff-all that much. I had been a patient of his partner since I was a young teen but unfortately she retired and moved out of the area. As a result I admit to having put off cleanings thus the trouble I'm in right now. Yes, I've seen him a few times but just at the end of a cleaning, never for a major service like a root canal. I've actually been trying to find another dentist, but this tooth trouble took me by painful surprise and I didn't think that'd be the time to go to someone completely new. Although, I did a Google search for "pain free dentists" and contacted one about a free second opinion so will see if they get back to me.

For now, supposedly Friday will be part one of the root canal and then the following week after I get a major tooth cleaning, it'll be finished up, if he can do it. He claimed he wasn't actually sure he could do it himself, so we shall see.

Anyway, enough "tooth" talk for now. Thanks again.

Mona

I've had one. One of my top front incisors. It was easy. The needle was gross, but didn't hurt. Luckily he did numb it before the needle. The freezing took wonderfully!!!

I am absolutley afraid of the dentist. I often choke. As a child I kicked my dentist. Even now I shake or rather shiver without warning. So I guess I should be happy it wasn't on one of my deep molars b/c I think it would have been harder. Though, instead I've treated myself to three crowns :rolleyes: on those far back teeth. I have one more to go, but I've been putting that off.

I found the whole root canal experience with a dental surgeon MUCH easier than any filling or crowns I've had done with various dentists. All my molars have fillings.

Don't worry... it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I was worried sick almost at the point of tossing my cookies and I didn't get much sleep. When I was done and the freezing wore away, my mouth/tooth felt weird.

I think dentistry has improved in leaps and bounds over the last couple of decades.

A short time back I was told by my dentist that she was going to have to send me to a specialist to remove a problem back tooth. I fretted for weeks - if the dentist couldn't remove it, it must be a difficult case, right?

In the end, it turned out to be a case of tug, tug, gone. It took less than a second and I didn't even realise it had been removed. The specialist fiddled around at the back of the room and I was sitting there wondering what next, was it going to hurt, would there be lots of hauling and pulling...

...and then the specialist came back and said, "Okay, that's us." And I'm like, "Huh? What?"

So trust in your dentist. I'm sure it won't be anything like as bad as you fear.

Good luck!

We'll be 'rooting' for you!

LabRat

Had a root canal last summer to replace a broken molar (broke off at the gum line - very unusual - while I was chewing a granola bar) and it was uncomfortable but not painful.

Contrast that with the time I was 19 (a dependent) and had a lower wisdom tooth removed by a USAF dentist. He told me to make a fist and put it under my chin. Didn't tell me why. Then he took a chisel, pressed it against my tooth, and hit it with a hammer to split the tooth. He said it was easier to get out that way.

Oh, yes, he did numb it first. And he had me put my fist under my jaw to keep from breaking it with the impact of the hammer. Military dentistry, what can I say?

Hug, Superoo, I'm the same way. While I'm not much of a bigger doctor fan (though I'm working/saving to go to school to become one) I'd rather go there than to the dentist. The "sad" truth or maybe even not so bright truth is that while I know there are topical anasethetics doctors can use before shots I did not realize dentists had such things. Sigh, if I had let's just say I'd have had the "tiny" cavity filled way back when. Not "blaming" the dentist as I'm a grown lady but still..you know. Anyway if only's don't get you or lol me much if anywhere positive so moving on...

Labbie, all I can say is :p but also . Heck, a hug for you too. Lol. I've had teeth extracted a couple times first before I got braces--in retrospect that wasn't so bad and then my second year of college all my wisdom teeth. That experience well, any of you folcs (especially younger ones) whose wisdom teeth might be coming in still or not that big..if your dentist thinks eventually they'll have to go, just get them out before they come in all the way.

Aw, Terry, I would have run the other way from that dentist I admit. Glad that's over for you!

Thanks again everyone for the support.

Mona

I survived the Root Canal. I am so relieved it's over with. It honestly was not anywhere near as bad as I feared. Even the dreaded "shot" which truthfully was my biggest fear, thanks to the topical did not hurt at all. Hooray. I am hoping that if need be Tylonel later will allow me to sleep and all will be well.

I do go back next Thursday for a final "filing" the permanent filling and a long overdue teeth cleaning. The dentist said, to my relief, that that visit will be much easier than this one was.

Thank you everyone for your support and wishes.

Mona

Excellent! Thanks for the update, Mona - I've been thinking about you all weekend, wondering how you got on.



LabRat

Saw this a bit late - I've had three or four over the years, the first one was very painful, but the last one, a couple of years ago, was completely painless - the only part that hurt was the injection, and that was mainly me being too psyched up about it.

Aw, thanks, LabRat.

Marcus, I hear you on the injection. However, , there's no longer anything to fear where that is concerned. As I've said, that was honestly what scared me the most about the entire thing and why I had avoided having the original cavity filled 3 years ago. Anyway, before giving me the shot, the dentist put a q-tip swab containing a topical anasthetic along the gums where the shot was to be given. He let it "sit" for like 5 minutes tops and I felt nothing when he gave me the shot. If I say nothing trust me it was nothing. I was even holding the nurse's hand despite already feeling numb. The only "bad" thing about the topical was it's nasty so-called cheery taste but I will take that anyday over needle prick pain.

I also found, just last week when I was learning about root canals and trying to find extra support of others who had one this forum:

http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/forum/

It offers message board type support, answers to common dental questions and even recommendations of dentists for folks who well don't like going to the dentist! And here's a link about the gel itself.

http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/topical_anaesthetic.html

I had never known such a thing existed. I know there are topical creams for medical injections but admit to never having thought of the possibility of a similar item for dental ones.

Anyway, thanks again everyone for your good wishes and support.

Mona

I do definitely believe that dentistry - especially in the form of pain control - has improved massively in the last decade or so. And dentists themselves have become better at reassuring patients and ensuring that pain is kept to a minimum, I think.

Things have certainly improved since the time I went to the dentist several decades ago and he stood in front of me with a very large needle and said: "This is going to hurt like hell and it's your own fault for not coming to me sooner."

It did, too. Needless to say, I changed my dentist shortly thereafter!

LabRat

That is so, so evil Labby. I'm so sorry that happened to you. Heck, yeah good you found a different dentist. Normally I am anti any form of violence to a tee but in this case...might have been tempting at least to have told the so-called dentist off. Though I'd probably have felt trapped myself by his sheer meanness.

This is sort of related but a horrible memory I have of a doctor's visit as a young kid--even then I was terrified of needles and back then there was no such thing (at least I don't think there was) as topical creams...anyway during one visit the nurse announced it was time for my blood draw. You can guess my reaction. Anyway, she ended up getting angry and threatening to have her young daughter (I think the daughter was younger than I was at the time) who was with her that day at the office help hold me down! I am sorry, I was so tramatized by the needle itself that it never even ocurred to me to either run out into the waiting room, where I'm sure my Grandmother (who probably had brought me) would have told that "nurse" a thing or two or even to stood up for myself but I didn't.

Sort of amazing that despite that it's my dream to become a doctor myself. Though I intend to do all I can to not come across as a scary, supposedly all-knowing monster.

That was off topic. I wish healthy teeth and good doctors, worthy of your seeing them on all folcs. Until we figure out the Superman-factor and don't need them that is.

Mona

The funny thing is I normally don't mind needles at all - I've given blood nearly ninety times - but the idea of a needle in my gums totally freaks me out.

I'm glad all went well, Mona. I didn't mind the root canal I had at all - at least mouth wise. The position I had to stay in did make my neck hurt terribly (I have 5 bulging disks) and I had to use an ice pack to my neck the entire time.

Has anyone had the numbing cream used for an intramuscular injection? I have to wonder how much it would really help since, with an injection in the muscle, the medication usually hurts more than the needle.

Marcus, any and all needles can be kept far from me thank you! The idea of one in my mouth was not a pleasant thought at all--especially since I had never had it done before--so I was extra plesantly surprised by the topical. It really, really worked. it, lol, better work again when I go back on Thursday.

Thanks, Clasicalla. Aw I'm sorry you had to go through that. Yuck. I have no clue about your question but the dentist said (I also read this on Google) that at least for dental shots, if the novaccaine is injected slowly that also prevents pain so I wonder if the same is true for medical ones.

Humourous, off topic-sort of- question--I would like to thank the dental nurse for being so very sweet and kind. The only problem is my normally (honest :p ) good memory, especially for names absolutely fails me in her case. She's been with the practice for 7 years. I've been going there for 20. I've never had much interaction with her but lol I still ought to know her name. Any ideas on how to ask her without sounding too dumb? I had the idea of filling out a quick thank you note and then when I see her simply ask how to spell her name as I want to be sure to get it right. The truth is that sort of sounds pathetic huh? Any clever ideas?

Mona

I'd just ask her straight up. Tell her you aren't good with names and ask her. Being in the medical profession, she is used to people not remembering her name. The patients I currently care for are likely to remember my name because of the interaction we have (I'm a psych nurse.). But when I took care of medical patients, it was rare for them to remember my name unless they had been in the hospital for a very long time. And you have really only seen the dental nurse for a few hours at at times. I assure you, she won't be upset.

My dentist works in an office with his identical twin. Every time I go in, I have to ask the receptionist to please remind me which one it is that I see.

Thanks, Clasicalla. Lol, I hope you "like" both of the twin dentists just in case! That is funny though.

LOL - reminds me of the James Herriot story of how he used to ask his clients to spell their name when he first started work in Yorkshire and had trouble with the accent. A practice he ended when one day the farmer in question looked at him oddly and said slowly: "S...M...I...T...H..."

LabRat