Has anybody had a root canal?
Has anybody had a root canal?
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 :(
Due to poor life choices, I’ve had six.
I had a really good dentist and none of them were a big deal in terms of pain or discomfort. Just boring sitting there for long periods waiting for it to be done. I closed my eyes and meditated into a half doze. Good luck!
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!
I agree with the other comment - root canals aren't as terrifying as years ago. I had 2 done in the past year and the edodontist was so skilled that I didn't even feel the anesthesia injection. The entire procedure after that was painless, and there's literally no pain to deal with afterwards because the nerve is gone. Compare that to when I was a kid in the 90s and it was excruciating.
I'm late to the thread, but just wanted to reiterate what others have said. The "pinch" of the anesthetic injection was probably the worst pain. The process was relatively quick, especially if they're only doing one tooth. Heck, the real pain was covering the costs that my insurance didn't cover. :)
My guy did have me use a bite block to hold my mouth open. Very handy, definitely made it easier. When the process was all said and done, my jaw was a bit sore from being in that position for that long. But that past very quickly.
Be sure to communicate with your dentist and be honest. Before, after, and during the procedure. You're the patient here, and they need to listen to you especially as it pertains to what you're feeling. If you're still feeling anxious (and who could blame you), you might ask to have one of those heavy xray blankets. It acts like a "weighted blanket" and can really help with some of those nerves.
I have a long involved horror story that led up to me needing a root canal that I decided not to post here because it probably isnt nteresting to anybody but me.
For the most part, a root canal is kind of minor. They numb your gums where they're going to inject a numbing agent, then they inject a numbing agent, worst case they go a little nutso and try to inject a few places in there but the pain is there and gone in 5 seconds. If at any point you feel pain they can do a better job of numbing you. Honestly, any pain caused in the numbing process goes away pretty quickly when they successfully do it.
They poke around, there's a little drilling, some bad smell maybe heat maybe cold a lot of spitting out little sandy chunks of debris. If the tooth is still in pretty good shape they just pack it back up and you're good to go.
If you end up needing a crown there's a good bit more drilling a good bit more spitting a good bit more smoke. But it's really just the same thing prolonged.
It won't kill you, it will annoy you and it's marginally unpleasant, The anxiety of being there in the anxiety of not knowing what's going on is much worse than the actual procedure. Meditate, chill, roll with it you'll be fine.
I've had several, due to childhood trauma making me not take care of my teeth.
It's a lot better these days. They numb, and if I say it still hurts, they get more novacaine into the tooth. They also listen when I say I need more than typical because of genetics.
Also my primary doctor gives me xanax. It helps.
For me it's three visits for each root canal. First is the drilling, second is the temp plastic cap, third is the permanent cap. Third is very quick cause is just putting it in basically.
I've had several, performed by good dentists. By far the worst part is administering the anesthesia. Second to that is the long boring wait in the dentist's chair.
I had a double root canal a few months ago, no anesthesia, and literally couldn't feel anything. The nerves on both teeth were already completely dead, there was simply no sensation at all.
I had the root canal done without an anesthesia, because I did not want a needle sticking into my gum.
It was tolerable, I did not cry or anything like. The nerve was mostly dead anyway.
The dentist took his sweet time removing the nerve piece by piece with a probe, instead of just drilling the whole tooth through. It did not matter at the end anyway, because he filled the canal afterwards. And the molar has three roots, so he repeated that two more times.
I guess it depends on your pain tolerance.
I had one a couple of years ago. The worst part was the anesthetic injection but it was smooth sailing once it kicked in. No pain afterwards.
Root canals used to be a lot worse than they are now, now it’s basically like getting a cavity filled. You just get a shot and don’t feel anything painful afterwards, although the drilling is loud and you can still feel pressure.
Depending on the office they may need to put in a temporary cap and wait for the actual cap to be made off site and mailed in to them, so you may have to wear the temporary for a week or so. It’s not uncommon for the temporary cap to fall out, don’t freak out if it does. You can put it back in or leave it out and just gently brush the hole normally (it won’t be painful).
If you have a strong fear of getting a shot in your mouth, you can ask the dentist to prescribe you anti-anxiety medication to take beforehand, but you’ll need someone to drive you to and from the appointment.
But honestly it should be a huge relief once it’s done, in terms of tooth pain. It will instantly be better once the numbing wears off.
I had one done recently due to breaking a filling while eating a Jolly Rancher. The whole thing took maybe 2 hours.
The shot of novocaine to numb my jaw was the only pain, and even that wasn't bad because the dentist used topical numbing before that. It was no different than getting a cavity filled.
My dentist has a cnc machine (CEREC) in the office to make the crown, so I didn't need a temporary cap. Waiting for that to be milled was the longest part.
I had a bruise on my gums for a couple days from the shot and the retainer clamp, but it wasn't even bad enough to stop me from eating.
The analgesics today are really good, so you won't feel much, just pressure as the dentist drills through the roots.
Otherwise, tell your dentist if you feel anxious or afraid, they are pretty used to that and will generally try to make you comfortable.
Afterward, your gum will be a bit sensitive, but your tooth won't hurt since you don't have nerves endings anymore.
You got this.
It really depends on the doctor handling it. If they're good, it's nothing to worry about.
I had a dental abscess that ultimately required a root canal to fix. Before I could go into surgery I was in the worst pain of my life. Some people exaggerate when they say they were in the worst pain of their life, so to be clear I'm rating the abscess as causing more pain than when I was hit by a car, fell off a cliff, or had life threatening appendicitis.
I had never had a root canal before, so I was pretty nervous going in. My dentist is pretty cool though, he talked me through the procedure and was very patient with me.
The surgery came in two parts. He did most of the work the first day, and had to do some finishing touches the next. Honestly, the hardest part was just sitting in the chair with my mouth open for an hour. I do remember a period where there was a lot of pressure - not pain, but pressure. That's when they're filling in your roots with... whatever it is dentists use.
Part of the procedure involves removing nerve tissue. That made me anxious to hear, because I imagined that was going to hurt, but I didn't feel a thing. Well, that's not exactly true, about halfway through the surgery I suddenly had immense relief and couldn't feel my abscess anymore.
Root canals kind of have a bad reputation because they're one of the more involved procedures at the dentist. I had heard horror stories and seen it lampooned on sitcoms, but the truth didn't live up to my fears. Dare I say it, it was almost a pleasant experience.
Good luck with your procedure, you've got this!
Like everyone else, I agree that pain management can be pretty good these days. For me the experience was:
- dentist comes in, says hi, reviews what's going to happen, asks if you have any questions; tell them if you feel nervous, it's ok
- doctor puts a "local anesthesia" (something on a q-tip) to your gum, so the needle won't hurt too much
- then the doctor injects the "real" anesthesia in the gum. (an assistant may do this part - it varies) Depending on how deep they need to put it, you may feel a bit of pain, but not too bad. Pinch your arm moderately hard, and imagine that happening in your gum, and that's the most I've ever felt for a very deep injection for a removal. it lasts about 1 second. (some places might give you nitrous oxide for this part, but I've never had that.) They may give more than 1 injection, depending on the situation. From this point on you should feel no pain.
- doctor/assistant goes away for 10-15 minutes to let the anesthesia spread. your mouth starts to feel numb.
- the dentist comes back with an assistant, they get organized (figuring out what tools they need, etc) From this point on they're mostly just drilling or doing whatever they need, and your job is just to move your head however they want and keep your mouth open and spit when they tell you. it's a little boring, tbh, at one point I almost dozed off and made a bit of a snoring sound.
- it can be a little weird having saliva pool in your mouth. the assistant should be vacuuming it out regularly. if they're not doing this often enough, let them know. It is also very very helpful if you can breathe through your nose. if you have a problem with this just let them know.
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
I heard the horror stories but from older generation. My root canal was easy.
They took xrays to view how deep the tooth went.
Froze area flattened a spot drilled in, and would stop and measure depth compared to xray and go again.
Dentist explained, too shallow and they would miss infected material, too deep and they could damage bone and nerve in jaw.
They cleaned it with a flexible metal tool, like I imagine as a tiny baby bottle brush, and a solution that smelled like bleach.
Filled it with a rod of material, and then did the regular filling type stuff on the hole.
Zero pain after, and abaolutely no after affects or pain.
Many. There wasn't fluoride in the water where I grew up for the first decade of my life. Tips:
Bring earbuds and clear it with the dentist that they'll tap your arm if they need to talk to you. Have a playlist ready. If you can afford it / have the right insurance, ask for gas to help you zone out. If you feel pain, they didn't give you enough novocaine. My dentist informed me that people with red hair are less sensitive to the drug and need more of it (she noticed my beard comes in kinda reddish when she told me about that). Don't be afraid to let them know of discomfort; they want you to be ok during the procedure so not to make you avoid getting treatment right away in the future, thus making whatever problem worse.
You can maybe ask for a single pill script for a downer like zanex if you don't drive to the appt.
I had my first root canal recently. Honestly it was no worse than a filling, the most painful part was simply having to lie still with my mouth open for so long.
(I hate the injections, but I always hate injections, worth it to go through the procedure pain free though)
I used to have really bad dentist anxiety, so my teeth got pretty bad before I finally saw someone. My dentist prescribed some kind of twilight drug before my procedures, so I could still respond to commands, but I'd have no memory of the event. I've had two root canals and the surgeon had me use the same drugs for both procedures. I don't know if that's a viable option, but I don't think I could have done them without.
Otherwise, when you go in for your consult, be honest about your anxiety. If you don't want to hear the details of the procedure, tell them that. They have to inform you of risks, but they don't have to go into detail about the procedure. I brought in headphones, which helped me calm down until the drugs kicked in, though, oddly, I can remember the music I woke up to and not much else. I was so scared in the days leading up to the first procedure, but the pain relief was so great that I'm glad I did it. If nothing else, focus on that.
I had one on an incisor as a teenager (a wrestling match knocked it loose and it formed an Abscess). It isn't exactly fun, but it won't hurt much except the needle at the beginning. I was only under local, but i hear sometimes you get the option to get laughing gas, I would take the gas if you can. It was significantly more painful before the operation than during. The vibrations are pretty intense at times and you have to stay in a pretty uncomfortable open mouth position for an hour (although they prop your mouth open for you). My least favourite part was when they clamped a uv lamp around the tooth, which felt like a big pressure for me. My mouth and tongue also got very dry, and the squirts of water they provided didn't do much to make that better. I don't remember much of the after care but it wasn't bad.
10years later fwiw, my root canal developed an infection and I needed dental surgery to clear it out. During this the local numbing was ineffective for some reason and the dentist had to go in 3 times to try and renumb it, but it never really worked. That really really hurt, but it is not exactly a typical case.
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.
I used to get cavities filled without numbing, until I was 22 and needed a root canal. They make you get numbed and I haven't gone back when getting work done. I don't think the tooth pain is bad, and if you feel tooth pain, let them know. It should be completely shut down. The most uncomfortable part is really having your mouth kept open if they do it right. The light in your eyes too, but you can close your eyes. Also the vibrations sometimes make my nose hairs tickle. All that should be worse than the pain.
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 :)
If you are in pain now, you will love it when they are finished with the root canal. I have had six of them over the years, and every time I went from feeling absolutely horrible to 100% in the 1 hour it took them to do the operation.
The only thing that is not comfortable are the initial numbing shots.
Make sure they get you good and numb. If you have any doubt as to whether you need another shot, just get another shot.
After 3 or 4 or 5 shots of numbing agent, you won’t feel a thing.
Once the numbing wears off you will feel totally fine.
It’s really not that bad, much better than living with tooth pain.
Also, ask for a big gloop of topical anesthetic where they are planning to do the injections, it helps a little bit.
Lastly, ask for 10 milligrams of diazepam if you have someone to drive you. A little benzo to take the edge off goes a super long way and dentists have no problem prescribing it. Have the dentist prescribe it and take it 1 hour before the appointment. I am 200lbs and 10mg does the trick.
I've had two in the past, had my third just three days ago, my gums are still a little raw. My most recent root canal was on a hyper-sensitive tooth, so there was initially some pain, but once the dentist applied another couple of doses of anesthetic, it was painless, basically a more prolonged filling. The only thing I'd add is that my dentist recommended ibuprofen for after the anesthetic wears off, since there may be some pain, I'd second that recommendation since your gums will be sore for a few days
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. 👌🏾
As far as fearing pain: I got drugged up enough as I assume most did that you can’t feel a whole lot—& we aren’t talking anything beyond local anesthesia + strong paracetamol (just make sure you take something before bed or GG sleep). I will never get used to getting needles in gums tho.
If possible, seriously try to get a one-shot appointment. Mine had 5 1-hour visits every 2 weeks (not what I expected or would have signed up for) & each time they would spend like 15–20 minutes of that clearing out & reapplying a temporary resin. In this state your tooth is quite compromised state. My tooth ended up getting a fissure all along it after the penultimate visit—which ended up being irrepairable. Which meant they had to do an entire extraction for an implant wasting more money & time. I do not wish this on anyone.
Adding fuel to the shit fire was after visit 3 I had massive pain on the other side. They were going to start a root canal on that one too but I begged for a temporary filling (was supposed to hold up 2 months but has been a year) so I could still eat. Tooth 18 was under repair so I had moved all chewing to 31 as my mouth favors putting a majority of pressure on these 2 molars. I don’t think I could have reasonable eaten anything enjoyable for months if both sides were out.
Of note: the root canal isn’t like a finalized thing either. They seem to inevitably, eventually break down & will likely require an implant anyways in a few years. When my right side goes out—which it is—I may just consider doing another implant there too since it can be done in just 2 visits here.
The worst part in my experience was actually getting numbed. You can't see the needle going in so a lot of people with needle phobias won't have any problem, but for me the feeling of a needle is repulsive. After that it was smooth sailing, just a bit boring.
The pop culture reputation of dentists as literal torturers is pretty outdated. Medicine has improved a lot in a short amount of time. Just look up reviews before picking your dentist, and don't cheap out if you can help it.
I literally had one on Friday! Long story short: mine was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting.
I had a wisdom tooth removed a couple of years ago and that sucked but it was bearable - it hurt for about two weeks, but Tylenol made it manageable. So I was expecting something along the same lines here. The actual procedure itself was fine - the scraping out of the inside of the tooth is a weird sensation, but not painful 'cause they freeze you up. Then afterwards, once the freezing wore off it hurt for about three hours and I was expecting it to suck for a while. But I had a Tylenol and a nap, and when I woke up it wasn't hurting at all and it's been fine ever since.
Other people have told me that they had pain for a week or so, so your mileage may vary, but yeah for me it was literally just a few hours of discomfort and then back to normal. Nowhere near as big a deal as I thought it was going to be.
I had half of one. It fixed the pain, never went back to get the other half done.
I had one, from a tooth that got damaged with braces as a teenager. It finally got to the point in my 40s that it hurt all the time and couldn't be saved. My dentist suggested the root canal. Like you, I was scared.
I didn't need to be scared. It barely hurt after - in 48 hours it was like it never happened. During the procedure (maybe 75 minutes total?) they had really good pain blocks. My advise is to let them know your fear. Good dentists/endodontists expect it and have ways to help you.
If you've been in pain from this for a while, you have already been feeling the worst of it. It'll be so much better afterwards. Really!
They will likely fit you with a temporary crown to protect the remaining tooth until a proper crown is ready. Most of the pain will be from your irritated gums after the procedure, which will ache. Root canals terminate the damaged tooth nerves, so you may need to relearn how to chew on that tooth a bit. But did I mention it won't hurt?
had ones done with a local only was not that bad just be careful with that you eat as you don't feel it as much if something is stuck downstairs there like a seed or chip. years later had something stuck didn't know it and snapped the screw and lost the tooth without ever feeling it. bended up having to have the tooth pulled and getting a implant for way more money.
Even had the tooth pulled with only a local was not that bad my jaw hurt from holding my mouth open than the tooth than the tooth itself
I've had two. If there's an infection and the dentist get's a person on antibiotics several days beforehand, then the procedure has a pretty limited amount of pain. Usually less pain than a typical filling. As others have pointed out, the local anesthetic shots are often the gardest parts which aren't that bad. Don't avoid the local anesthetic. If you need more, speak up. Basically, if you can handle a few seconds of being pinched then a root canal is no problem. There are also bad dentists out there.
It's not all that bad. Ever done body work on a car with bondo fill, grinding, drilling, and sanding? It smells, sounds, and vibrates just like that, but in your mouth. The drugs will work, unless you take drugs like weed recreationally. Go ahead and tell the dentist this because you will need more than normal. Follow all the dentist instructions, especially about icing afterwards and taking ibuprofen (not for the pain, but to reduce inflammation), even if you feel okay. The worst part for me was always how sore my jaw was just from holding it open so long. Don't try to go to work afterwards, it'll just interfere with your aftercare of ice to the jaw. Besides, you'll just end up drooling on yourself. It's not so bad really. You'll be fine.
My nerves were dead in that tooth. They died before the appointment date. All the pain from the toothache disappeared. The doctor did the root canal without anesthesia and i didn't feel a thing. Also because i went to a specialist it was far more professional than a cavity at my main doctor. Two thumbs up
Had one.
- it's okay to be apprehensive
- use a reputable clinic - Dr Nick will give you PTSD
- it's gonna cost a bit. Ensure you have insurance or a healthy bank situation. It's like us$2k here all-in but we can get it back from taxes.
- it's a long process and there is weird stuff going on. Listen to the practiced pros and warn them you're a noob. They'll understand and ideally warn you which ooky thing is happening next so at least it's not a surprise.
- sometimes the temporary cap pops out if you have one while waiting for the permanent one. As long as you can bring it in to the office, they'll glue it back in in 2 minutes. You want them to glue it back in.
After a period of time you will be totally unaware of it as anything other than a tooth. It's not expected to fall out, split, or receive coded messages.
Breathe.
My dentist had to break apart a wisdom tooth and remove it in pieces. They also had to drill and fill cavities in nearby teeth.
They gave me a shots in that area to numb. They did a bit of testing before doing to work to make sure I was sufficiently numb. It didn’t hurt much, but there was some pinching that didn’t feel awesome.
The worst part for me was the pushing, pulling, and vibration of the tools in your mouth. It doesn’t feel natural and it made my skin crawl. I didn’t like the sound either. I recommend earbuds.
Afterwards, I had no pain at all. They gave me hydrocodone to take but I honestly didn’t even need ibuprofen. That isn’t the experience of most people, I’m told. I’m very lucky.
Aside from the headphones, my best tip is to visit a dentist that you feel comfortable with. Tell them up front, that you’re feeling anxious and any worries you have. A good dentist will do their best to explain the process clearly and do what they can to ease the pain.
The worst thing of the root canal for me was that they had a hard time getting the numbing agent where it needed to go, so they used a lot, so half my face was numb for the rest of the day. So I looked really weird when eating/drinking/speaking/smiling.
Yep
I have "tight jaws" problems so a trip to dentist generally is a pain for me, even without surgery. There are hygienists and surgeon dentistry. You only want to have regular business with the first. So brush brush mouth wash.
I learned the hard way that after root canal there is a chance you loose your tooth if you don't get it cared over fully promptly. (if a temp cap has any problems it's an emergency.) I think numbing the tooth is the worst part because for a root canal they have to (and you want this) kind of over do it. After this, no problem. Always tell beforehand if you have fears of the operation, so they can adjust how they work.
I've had two root canals. One in 5th grade, and one in college. Local anesthesia only. It was a long painful process. Both teeth eventually failed anyway, and had to be pulled, and replaced with implants.
So my opinion is, if you can afford it just skip the extra misery and have them yank it out and replace it from the start.