Root Canal/Crown - I'm a 58 year old dental n00b... what can I expect? (1 Viewer)

[Keerock]

So I'm 58 years old and have never had any major dental work. Had my wisdom teeth out when I was 19, but nothing else. No cavities, nothing. Until now I've loved going to the dentist for cleanings, etc. Would go 4 times a year when insurance would cover it.

Dentist has been "watching" a crack in my #30 molar for a few years... over the last few months it's become sensitive to heat/cold and painful when chewing. Went in this morning for my regular cleaning and he says it's time... need to do a root canal and crown.

I'm not really all that concerned, but I have heard horror stories about the pain during and after as well as lingering effects.

Am I just being a 58 y/o wuss? What can I expect?

 

[Nick Vermeil]

What can I expect?

Ball cancer.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

You’ll get a needle of novocaine - How this is administered will let you know how everything else goes. A good dentist- it will not hurt. They will ease it in a little, push the plunger a little, wait, a little more, super slow.

The jerks who cram that thing in there like they’re on the battlefield can die in a fire!

After the needle, some drilling/grinding of tooth. Drill a hole. Stick some pipe cleaner needle/feathery shaped things down in there to clean it out. Seal that puppy up with some goop and then you’re all but done.

Wipe the drool and wait for your face to stop being numb.

 

[belljr]

Never had a root canal but have like 4 crowns..... Crowns are easy

They will use what's left of the existing tooth shape it to act as a "lego base" - create the new synthetic tooth and basically glue - pop it right onto the other

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Never had a root canal but have like 4 crowns..... Crowns are easy

They will use what's left of the existing tooth shape it to act as a "lego base" - create the new synthetic tooth and basically glue - pop it right onto the other

Yup. Forgot that part.

 

[The Commish]

So I'm 58 years old and have never had any major dental work. Had my wisdom teeth out when I was 19, but nothing else. No cavities, nothing. Until now I've loved going to the dentist for cleanings, etc. Would go 4 times a year when insurance would cover it.

Dentist has been "watching" a crack in my #30 molar for a few years... over the last few months it's become sensitive to heat/cold and painful when chewing. Went in this morning for my regular cleaning and he says it's time... need to do a root canal and crown.

I'm not really all that concerned, but I have heard horror stories about the pain during and after as well as lingering effects.

Am I just being a 58 y/o wuss? What can I expect?

48 and had this exact procedure done last year...I guess it depends on your Dr, but it wasn't a big deal. My dentist farmed the root canal work out to a guy who ONLY does root canals. He shot me full of novocaine and went to town....put a temporary on and I went back to my dentist three days later. By the time I got the appointment, the crown was already at my dentist's office. He popped off the temp and put on the permanent. The most uncomfortable part of the entire process was him taking the cast of my tooth for the crown. The digital scan didn't work correctly so he did it old school where they created an impression. Throughout the whole thing, I think I took maybe four 800MG tylenol. Wasn't a big deal.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

This happens to be something I'm an expert in. I've had multiple crowns and root canals, unfortunately. The crown part is no big deal. Can be a little painful if there is deep decay to be removed. I've never had any lingering pain from any of mine. Usually the only soreness I've experienced is where they gave me the numbing shots in my gums. As for the root canal, I think that also depends on my how much decay there is and how aggressive they have to be in getting all of that out of there. I've had root canals that were easier than the crown procedures. I had to have a double root canal one time. My mouth was a little tender for a day or two after that but not really what I would call "painful" more of a nagging soreness. I've got a high pain tolerance apparently though, or so the docs have said. To me the worst parts of the whole thing are the sensations you feel during the procedures, the grinding noises/smells and the pressure you feel. Oh and jaw may be sore from having to keep your mouth wide open for a lengthy time, although they will sometimes put wedges between your teeth to help with that too. Most will let you wear headphones these days I think, which can be helpful to distract from the weird noises you will hear. But the WORST pain you will feel is when you have to pay for these procedures, particularly the root canal portion.

Bonus advice: I've had three procedures that were all more unpleasant than any crown or root canal I've ever had. Those were: deep cleaning, crown lengthening, and the worst... bone graft (to prepare for an implant). Basically anything where you are referred to an oral surgeon/periodontist, prepare for it to majorly suck .

GL GB

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

This happens to be something I'm an expert in. I've had multiple crowns and root canals, unfortunately. The crown part is no big deal. Can be a little painful if there is deep decay to be removed. I've never had any lingering pain from any of mine. Usually the only soreness I've experienced is where they gave me the numbing shots in my gums. As for the root canal, I think that also depends on my how much decay there is and how aggressive they have to be in getting all of that out of there. I've had root canals that were easier than the crown procedures. I had to have a double root canal one time. My mouth was a little tender for a day or two after that but not really what I would call "painful" more of a nagging soreness. I've got a high pain tolerance apparently though, or so the docs have said. To me the worst parts of the whole thing are the sensations you feel during the procedures, the grinding noises/smells and the pressure you feel. Oh and jaw may be sore from having to keep your mouth wide open for a lengthy time, although they will sometimes put wedges between your teeth to help with that too. Most will let you wear headphones these days I think, which can be helpful to distract from the weird noises you will hear. But the WORST pain you will feel is when you have to pay for these procedures, particularly the root canal portion.

Bonus advice: I've had three procedures that were all more unpleasant than any crown or root canal I've ever had. Those were: deep cleaning, crown lengthening, and the worst... bone graft (to prepare for an implant). Basically anything where you are referred to an oral surgeon/periodontist, prepare for it to majorly suck .

GL GB

Cleft palate?

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

This happens to be something I'm an expert in. I've had multiple crowns and root canals, unfortunately. The crown part is no big deal. Can be a little painful if there is deep decay to be removed. I've never had any lingering pain from any of mine. Usually the only soreness I've experienced is where they gave me the numbing shots in my gums. As for the root canal, I think that also depends on my how much decay there is and how aggressive they have to be in getting all of that out of there. I've had root canals that were easier than the crown procedures. I had to have a double root canal one time. My mouth was a little tender for a day or two after that but not really what I would call "painful" more of a nagging soreness. I've got a high pain tolerance apparently though, or so the docs have said. To me the worst parts of the whole thing are the sensations you feel during the procedures, the grinding noises/smells and the pressure you feel. Oh and jaw may be sore from having to keep your mouth wide open for a lengthy time, although they will sometimes put wedges between your teeth to help with that too. Most will let you wear headphones these days I think, which can be helpful to distract from the weird noises you will hear. But the WORST pain you will feel is when you have to pay for these procedures, particularly the root canal portion.

Bonus advice: I've had three procedures that were all more unpleasant than any crown or root canal I've ever had. Those were: deep cleaning, crown lengthening, and the worst... bone graft (to prepare for an implant). Basically anything where you are referred to an oral surgeon/periodontist, prepare for it to majorly suck .

GL GB

Cleft palate?

No, just thin enamel, great dental genes (thanks, Dad!) and not enough flossing. Floss those teeth, kids.

 

[McBokonon]

Just had my first root canal several months back and I was shocked by what a nothingburger it was compared to what we have in our brains.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I haven't had this yet, but I had a filling that was damaged and created a "food trap" that I tolerated for a while. The dentist was watching it but said there wasn't any decay, so it was up to me so long as I was keeping it clean. Recently it had been more difficult to floss, so we did a new filling. For some reason I just could not get fully numb. They had to shoot me up 4 times. And I guess the original filling was a decent size and because a new one was replacing it, there was a lot more drill work than normal. My jaw was sore for 2 days from keeping it open for so long.

 

[Poke_4_Life]

I've had two root canals and no cavities in my life. Both my root canals were because I broke my front top teeth off when I was in 2nd grade.

Anyway... the crown is nothing. However, my last root canal was about 5 years ago and it sucked bad. The procedure itself was not all that bad, but a few hours later my mouth really hurt. Really, really hurt. I used alcohol and green to numb the pain that night and basically passed out rather early. After that first evening it was fine. I would make sure you're well stocked for that evening.

 

[jamny]

I've had a couple and neither have been a problem. No pain. One had a root that was a little weird and they had to stop and send me to a specialist to make sure they cleaned it all out right but that was about it. Just annoying keeping your mouth open for so long.

 

[The General]

Never had a root canal but have had a crown. They ground my tooth down to this little nub, pretty sure this is normal. Resist the urge to touch it with your tongue in between when they cap it.

It freaked me out.

 

[gianmarco]

This happens to be something I'm an expert in. I've had multiple crowns and root canals, unfortunately. The crown part is no big deal. Can be a little painful if there is deep decay to be removed. I've never had any lingering pain from any of mine. Usually the only soreness I've experienced is where they gave me the numbing shots in my gums. As for the root canal, I think that also depends on my how much decay there is and how aggressive they have to be in getting all of that out of there. I've had root canals that were easier than the crown procedures. I had to have a double root canal one time. My mouth was a little tender for a day or two after that but not really what I would call "painful" more of a nagging soreness. I've got a high pain tolerance apparently though, or so the docs have said. To me the worst parts of the whole thing are the sensations you feel during the procedures, the grinding noises/smells and the pressure you feel. Oh and jaw may be sore from having to keep your mouth wide open for a lengthy time, although they will sometimes put wedges between your teeth to help with that too. Most will let you wear headphones these days I think, which can be helpful to distract from the weird noises you will hear. But the WORST pain you will feel is when you have to pay for these procedures, particularly the root canal portion.

Bonus advice: I've had three procedures that were all more unpleasant than any crown or root canal I've ever had. Those were: deep cleaning, crown lengthening, and the worst... bone graft (to prepare for an implant). Basically anything where you are referred to an oral surgeon/periodontist, prepare for it to majorly suck .

GL GB

Just want to give you a hug after all that.

 

[top dog]

I'm impressed that you're 58 and have never had a crown. I've had a number of them and had one of my molars pulled out due to an issue. No root canals. They wanted to do that at first on the one that ultimately got pulled, but after doing the x-rays, they could see that the issue couldn't be fixed with a root canal.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

As others have said, the thing that bugged me the most was the sensations (not pain, since you're numbed up) of them cleaning out the bad stuff. Your jaw will be sore when the juice wears off, but it's not that bad.

 

[Brownsfan]

Have had plenty of root canals and crowns. They have developed a new procedure for root canals that involves high pressure water. Was the easiest and pain free one I've ever had. Not all root canal specialists have the equipment as it is expensive and the technology was fairly new. I just checked his website and it is called Gentle Wave technology.

 

[STBootleg]

I wore my ear buds and listed to music during my root canal. It kept my mind off what was going on and didn't have to listen to the dentist and assistant yammer back and forth.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Pretty impressive no crowns or root canals. Ive had a couple of them. I don't know the full ins and out but the root canals/permanent crowns themselves were fine (and no lingering pain after)

Once had to have a temp crown on for nearly 3 weeks awaiting the subsequent root canal/permanent crown appointment (guess they had to send mold off to get permanent crown made?). It was the most pain I've ever been in my life even taking the maximum pain meds (didn't work/could barely function) waiting the 3 weeks between appts. I believe appt #1 they drilled existing tooth down / put on temp crown. Appt #2 they did root canal/perm crown. My only advice is if have to have multiple appts to do the 2nd one as quickly as possible.

 

[Keerock]

Pretty impressive no crowns or root canals. Ive had a couple of them. I don't know the full ins and out but the root canals/permanent crowns themselves were fine (and no lingering pain after)

Once had to have a temp crown on for nearly 3 weeks awaiting the subsequent root canal/permanent crown appointment (guess they had to send mold off to get permanent crown made?). It was the most pain I've ever been in my life even taking the maximum pain meds (didn't work/could barely function) waiting the 3 weeks between appts. I believe appt #1 they drilled existing tooth down / put on temp crown. Appt #2 they did root canal/perm crown. My only advice is if have to have multiple appts to do the 2nd one as quickly as possible.

They will be doing both the root canal and crown at the same appointment... ides of March

 

[Van Dyman]

Pretty impressive no crowns or root canals. Ive had a couple of them. I don't know the full ins and out but the root canals/permanent crowns themselves were fine (and no lingering pain after)

Once had to have a temp crown on for nearly 3 weeks awaiting the subsequent root canal/permanent crown appointment (guess they had to send mold off to get permanent crown made?). It was the most pain I've ever been in my life even taking the maximum pain meds (didn't work/could barely function) waiting the 3 weeks between appts. I believe appt #1 they drilled existing tooth down / put on temp crown. Appt #2 they did root canal/perm crown. My only advice is if have to have multiple appts to do the 2nd one as quickly as possible.

They will be doing both the root canal and crown at the same appointment... ides of March

How? Are they doing the scan (or cast) in advance so the permanent crown will already be there before the root canal even starts?

 

[Keerock]

Pretty impressive no crowns or root canals. Ive had a couple of them. I don't know the full ins and out but the root canals/permanent crowns themselves were fine (and no lingering pain after)

Once had to have a temp crown on for nearly 3 weeks awaiting the subsequent root canal/permanent crown appointment (guess they had to send mold off to get permanent crown made?). It was the most pain I've ever been in my life even taking the maximum pain meds (didn't work/could barely function) waiting the 3 weeks between appts. I believe appt #1 they drilled existing tooth down / put on temp crown. Appt #2 they did root canal/perm crown. My only advice is if have to have multiple appts to do the 2nd one as quickly as possible.

They will be doing both the root canal and crown at the same appointment... ides of March

How? Are they doing the scan (or cast) in advance so the permanent crown will already be there before the root canal even starts?

Beats the heck out of me. I'm a n00b, remember

 

[Da Guru]

So I'm 58 years old and have never had any major dental work. Had my wisdom teeth out when I was 19, but nothing else. No cavities, nothing. Until now I've loved going to the dentist for cleanings, etc. Would go 4 times a year when insurance would cover it.

Dentist has been "watching" a crack in my #30 molar for a few years... over the last few months it's become sensitive to heat/cold and painful when chewing. Went in this morning for my regular cleaning and he says it's time... need to do a root canal and crown.

I'm not really all that concerned, but I have heard horror stories about the pain during and after as well as lingering effects.

Am I just being a 58 y/o wuss? What can I expect?

I had the same thing last year. It was a long procedure but there was no pain as I was numbed, and no after effects at all.

Only thing is I am claustrophobic. So I asked for a valium because I could not lay almost flat with two people in my face working on a tooth for an hour without flipping out. After taking a valium I could have sat there a couple hours easy.

They had music playing in the background so it was cool

 

[Van Dyman]

Pretty impressive no crowns or root canals. Ive had a couple of them. I don't know the full ins and out but the root canals/permanent crowns themselves were fine (and no lingering pain after)

Once had to have a temp crown on for nearly 3 weeks awaiting the subsequent root canal/permanent crown appointment (guess they had to send mold off to get permanent crown made?). It was the most pain I've ever been in my life even taking the maximum pain meds (didn't work/could barely function) waiting the 3 weeks between appts. I believe appt #1 they drilled existing tooth down / put on temp crown. Appt #2 they did root canal/perm crown. My only advice is if have to have multiple appts to do the 2nd one as quickly as possible.

They will be doing both the root canal and crown at the same appointment... ides of March

How? Are they doing the scan (or cast) in advance so the permanent crown will already be there before the root canal even starts?

Beats the heck out of me. I'm a n00b, remember

Well if they are doing it in advance you'd have a separate appointment scheduled N days in advance. So...well...do ya?

 

[Osaurus]

Congratulations on becoming royalty

 

[Keerock]

Pretty impressive no crowns or root canals. Ive had a couple of them. I don't know the full ins and out but the root canals/permanent crowns themselves were fine (and no lingering pain after)

Once had to have a temp crown on for nearly 3 weeks awaiting the subsequent root canal/permanent crown appointment (guess they had to send mold off to get permanent crown made?). It was the most pain I've ever been in my life even taking the maximum pain meds (didn't work/could barely function) waiting the 3 weeks between appts. I believe appt #1 they drilled existing tooth down / put on temp crown. Appt #2 they did root canal/perm crown. My only advice is if have to have multiple appts to do the 2nd one as quickly as possible.

They will be doing both the root canal and crown at the same appointment... ides of March

How? Are they doing the scan (or cast) in advance so the permanent crown will already be there before the root canal even starts?

Beats the heck out of me. I'm a n00b, remember

Well if they are doing it in advance you'd have a separate appointment scheduled N days in advance. So...well...do ya?

Negative.

 

[SFBayDuck]

I had two root canals 20-25 years ago, and they were not fun - sore for several days afterward, couldn't eat solid food. But the worst part is that both of them failed within a few years and in each case I ended up with a painful, swollen abscess. Nothing like flying home with a throbbing cheek and pressure building. The feeling of having my gum cut into with a scalpel to relieve the pressure is something that still gives me the shivers. So two root canals trying to save teeth that both led to extractions anyway, and then having to get bridges done (also not that fun).

Recently one of the bridges broke, and one of the anchor stubs under it had decay so they advised a root canal. I asked for a consult with their root canal specialist before agreeing based on my history, and she assured me things had come a long way in the past 20 years, and that it was all she did. It ended up being painless both during and after, think I took tylenol for about a day and that was it.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Make sure you schedule it with someone who does root canals regularly. I'm not sure of the terminology - orthodontist or endodontist or whatever. Many regular dentists do these and I can say from personal experience they don't always have the capability. I guess they are often routine, but there can be complexities that not every dentist can handle. In my case I had a dentist I really liked and trusted. He got about 10 minutes into a root canal and stopped suddenly, then told me he had to send me to someone else in the practice group. When I saw that guy the next day, he started swearing and ripping on his colleague right in front of me and the assistant. He was very angry and told me what the first guy did wrong and that my tooth was now lost. I walked out and got a second opinion, ended up having to remove the whole tooth.

 

[Ilov80s]

Good luck buddy. I hate to hear this. I am 40 and have never had as much as a cavity. I thought maybe I was in the clear- modern pastes, washes, etc. I guess I can still worry about some sort of dental downer.

 

[beer 30]

58 as well

Have had a few crowns and my first root canal a few years ago. I detest going to the dentist from a terrible childhood experience. When I turned 18 moms said it's on you to go or not and I bailed for about a decade. I brush and floss like my life depends on it but I don't go out of my way to take care of my teeth. My mouth is a testament to it as it's filled with fillings. That said, with all the work I've had done, the root canal had me more than a little nervous. My dentist told me the guy he was sending me to was really good but had zero bedside manner so there wasn't going to be a lot of interaction.

Spot on, Indian dude that came in, prepped my mouth with a couple of shots. Said good morning, asked if I was ready, said yes and away we went. I close my eyes and concentrate on relaxing when in the chair, he finished messing around and I thought we're just taking a break to allow something to setup or whatever so I'm just sitting there and notice the assistant tossing stuff in the instrument cleaner. I look at her and ask if we're finished and she said yes, I can leave when I feel comfortable enough to. Painless, been good to go since, don't sweat it

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Does your butt hurt?

 

[El Floppo]

Google Image Result for https://media.tenor.com/kbIaUGIIoHEAAAAC/midnight-staley-pain.gif

 

[Keerock]

I had two root canals 20-25 years ago, and they were not fun - sore for several days afterward, couldn't eat solid food. But the worst part is that both of them failed within a few years and in each case I ended up with a painful, swollen abscess. Nothing like flying home with a throbbing cheek and pressure building. The feeling of having my gum cut into with a scalpel to relieve the pressure is something that still gives me the shivers. So two root canals trying to save teeth that both led to extractions anyway, and then having to get bridges done (also not that fun).

Recently one of the bridges broke, and one of the anchor stubs under it had decay so they advised a root canal. I asked for a consult with their root canal specialist before agreeing based on my history, and she assured me things had come a long way in the past 20 years, and that it was all she did. It ended up being painless both during and after, think I took tylenol for about a day and that was it.

:O

 

[Keerock]

Make sure you schedule it with someone who does root canals regularly. I'm not sure of the terminology - orthodontist or endodontist or whatever. Many regular dentists do these and I can say from personal experience they don't always have the capability. I guess they are often routine, but there can be complexities that not every dentist can handle. In my case I had a dentist I really liked and trusted. He got about 10 minutes into a root canal and stopped suddenly, then told me he had to send me to someone else in the practice group. When I saw that guy the next day, he started swearing and ripping on his colleague right in front of me and the assistant. He was very angry and told me what the first guy did wrong and that my tooth was now lost. I walked out and got a second opinion, ended up having to remove the whole tooth.

My dentist is a friend and neighbor over 25 years

 

[3C's]

Regarding the sore jaw, dentists I've been to have you open your mouth and leave it open for muscle cramp inducing amounts of time. I recently went to an endodontist and she had some hard rubber things that she put on the other side of my mouth and I lightly bit down on that and was able to relax my jaw muscles. Was very nice.

 

[PIK95]

I have had crowns, no biggie usually. I had a crown last week. I am still getting pain under it, so now I have to go see a specialist for a root canal with the crown in. Should be weird. It's covered at least. One time my guy hit a blood vessel with the lil novicaine. I guess it had eperneferin in it. All of a sudden my body started shaking like (can't joke anymore here) and wouldn't stop. It wore off after 10-15 mins and wasn't a huge deal once I knew what was going on. I assume thats what happens when you jam yourself with an epi pen? Good times.

 

[top dog]

Currently at the dentist. Waiting on my crown to finish milling. Doc makes them right here in the office so it ends up being a one day appt. With no temporary crown.

Counting the one I'm waiting to get done, this will he my 7th crown. I had one tooth that had 3 crowns on it before it finally had to go. My current dentist did the last crown and extraction on it. That tooth was a giant pain in the butt.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

Currently at the dentist. Waiting on my crown to finish milling. Doc makes them right here in the office so it ends up being a one day appt. With no temporary crown.

Counting the one I'm waiting to get done, this will he my 7th crown. I had one tooth that had 3 crowns on it before it finally had to go. My current dentist did the last crown and extraction on it. That tooth was a giant pain in the butt.

I feel ya! You and I are practically royalty with all these crowns! I had one break a few years ago. It was actually the "base" beneath the crown, so that ended up becoming a huge ordeal ending up with an oral surgery to extract the remains of the broken tooth, then a bone graft (still the worst thing I've had done, pain-wise) then an implant. 0/10 do not recommend.

 

[Birdie048]

I agree that the Crown is no major issue ... I have 2 currently ... 1 was due to Almond (broke tooth that had 30+ yo filling).
The worst part is Hold Mouth open for so long .. but there are no major issues with pain or sensitivity ... other then Cost ... most are about $1500 pre-insurance coverage

I have 3 current "cracks" being monitored. All will need crowns eventually ....
NOTE:: I wear a night guard to minimize the grinding of my teeth....

 

[brun]

Got a permanent crown installed yesterday. Relatively easy.
About a week and a half ago I got the temp. This included cleaning out the old amalgam. Took a while and was uncomfortable but not really painful. No root canal.
Odd thing was I felt weird because every once in a while I needed to swallow and doing that with my mouth propped open sometimes resulted in some saliva squirting out of my mouth.
When applying the novacane the dentist asked if my tongue was tingling and mine never really was even though she gave additional juice.
Dentist and tech are both 30ish and reasonably cute. Still, worst threesome ever.

 

[top dog]

Currently at the dentist. Waiting on my crown to finish milling. Doc makes them right here in the office so it ends up being a one day appt. With no temporary crown.

Counting the one I'm waiting to get done, this will he my 7th crown. I had one tooth that had 3 crowns on it before it finally had to go. My current dentist did the last crown and extraction on it. That tooth was a giant pain in the butt.

Update. Everything went well. 1 crown and 2 filling next to the crown. All upper right. Crown was on the furthest back molar. All nonvaccine has worn off and I now feel like I got in a fight. Currently treating the symptoms with bourbon.

 

[Keerock]

Tomorrow is the day... not really looking forward to it

 

[otb_lifer]

Root Canal >>> Extraction, and it ain't even close (pain/after care wise)

RCs are a snap these days - they've come a long way.

you'll be just fine

 

[belljr]

Tomorrow is the day... not really looking forward to it

Be sure use an enema tonight.. for safety

 

[otb_lifer]

nvm

 

[Sullie]

So, I've had 2 root canals and I can't even count how many crowns I've had and one dental implant. I think the most painful things for me have been the times I've NEEDED a root canal. The two times I've needed a root canal, the pain was so intense it was unreal. The last time was really strange because, coincidentally, on the opposite side of my jaw, the day I was scheduled to start a dental implant procedure I developed this insanely intense tooth ache so I had asked my dentist to take a look at it. They're going on and on about the implant (I totally understood, it's a long and carefully scheduled and planned out procedure) but I kept begging them to look at this tooth. Finally, at the end, my dentist took x-rays, etc. and he said "you're going to need a root canal, I've got a guy, here's their office number."

I called and they were booked up and I, quite literally, BEGGED them to get me in. It was so horrible, I couldn't think straight. I really dislike pain medication because it either doesn't work or it works too well and I hate being in either situation. Anyway, by sheer luck, one of the oral surgeons had a cancellation in the afternoon and they got me in. The actual procedure itself was not a big deal, lots of drilling, that God awful noise that drill makes, horrible smell of your burning tooth, bits of tooth hitting you in the face, a flood of water in your mouth, and this alarming sound that they're stuffing a thousand rubber balloons into the place where the inside of your tooth once lived. Anyway, a couple hours later you feel like your jaw will never align properly again but you're all good to go but most importantly that pain is gone and that's the biggest thing to me.

 

[dgreen]

Like others have said, root canals aren't that bad. I guess they used to be horrible and that's how they got a reputation, but mine was pretty easy. It took a long time, but that's because he said I have deep roots . The hardest part was keeping my mouth open that long.

I was like @Sullie and really needed a root canal. I waited too long to mention the pain to my dentist. The pain was awful so I actually really wanted to get it done. Instant relief.

 

[heckmanm]

Agree with @dgreen - NEEDING a root canal (due to infection) is much worse than actually getting it done.

When I had mine done, I took in headphones and an iPod (as was the style at the time). Nice to be able to crank up tunes to block out the drill.

 

[otb_lifer]

Agree with @dgreen - NEEDING a root canal (due to infection) is much worse than actually getting it done.

oh, boy ... THIS ^

abcess tooth pain is about as ugly as it gets ... no matter what anybody's preconceived notions about root canal may be, they'll be begging for that sweet relief.

the last one i had (abcess) was so bad it impacted my ear & eye socket - face grew swollen like i had a tangerine stuck in the jawline, which happened overnight.

the throbbing, like it's gonna bust any second - the excruciating pain of any percussion - effin' unbearable.

when that needle was readied, i didn't even care about the mandibular pinch - because i knew in mere seconds i would be delivered.

the suckiest of suck, them infections