Your root canal experiences here

I had a root canal about 2 years ago, injections are pretty nasty but the worst bit for me was actually after the treatment, when the anaesthetics wear off and the cotton thing they stuff down your gum to kill the nerve kicks in - probably the worst pain i've ever felt. :D
 
I had one after my dentist managed to leave debris in a tooth when doing a filling, so I was in quite a lot of pain before I even went in. It was quite uncomfortable, but I think I was in more pain after the diazepam and anaesthetic wore off than during the procedure.
 
Rotty said:
the only bad bit is having your mouth open for so long, may not be an issue for you though ;)
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Cheeky! :o

Going by some of the replies in the thread so far, it'll be an uncomfortable process. I know the dentist as a friend, and I trust him - but it doesn't help, I have a slight phobia of dentists in the first place. :p

I think the receptionist only booked me in for 15 minutes, so I'm guessing it's a simple job. Well he can do my fillings in about 8 minutes flat, including 5 minutes numbing-up time. :D
 
Had 2 first one wasn't to bad, next one few years later was horrible not helped by my dentist trying to explain the process to me and showing me the tools he was about to use and explaining what each one did:eek:

nearly put me off dentists for life :( now when i go back i sit in the chair, eyes closed, humming to myself till its over :D
 
I find that the key to stress-free dental work [and I'm speaking from some experience here] is to make sure you use the phrase "dope me like a shirehorse, you Porsche-drivin' ************".

Do this before the first of any injections, as the dramatic impact is lessened with subsequent applications.
 
I've had 4 now, and they all went really well, In-fact, I don't see what all the fuss is about (one of those was with an abscess clean-up too). Bit of Bach, nice and slow drilling, no pain and minimal jaw ache :). But then that wasn't with an NHS dentist. No idea what the deal is there, but it's bound to be brutal..
 
basmic said:
I think the receptionist only booked me in for 15 minutes, so I'm guessing it's a simple job. Well he can do my fillings in about 8 minutes flat, including 5 minutes numbing-up time. :D
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15 minutes?. I was in for an hour and a half for my last back tooth (that's without a fitting for a crown etc), and that was considered to be quite quick..
 
The experience will depend upon the location, your age and the condition of the root itself.

This is why some people have a breeze and some are traumatised, rest assured the younger you are the worse it will be. (Generally)
 
It's where they make an entry on the back of your tooth (if at front teeth, in my case) and remove the root.

In cases where it is growing, they have to "file" it down every so often.
 
I'm an absolute coward when it comes to the dentists to the point where I've got to compose myself or literally run out of the door. Being told I needed root canal on one of my teeth was about the worst news for me. I can hand-on-heart tell you it was a very easy procedure. I had to get mine done over 3 sessions, it was uncomfortable and I would have wished to have been anywhere else, but the work was absolutely no problem. The initial local anaethestic, and the taste of the gunk he pored into the tooth were the only bad bits.
 
An hour and a half isn't exactly quick. Time really depends on what tooth it is (i.e how many root canals it has), complexity of the root structure and also what technique/instruments the dentist uses. In a lot of private practices they have rotary instrument which take about a third of the time than when you use hand instruments.

As others have said though, I would say the most uncomfortable part is having an injection, if you still feel it after that, tell the Dentist. If you're that worried you could always ask if your dentist does sedation, that'll put you at ease just a little (think effect of 3 bottles of wine!)
 
oh Jesus just had a look, good god they scrape out the never inside with wires/hooks. and other hiedius things, rather hove the tooth out thb :eek:
 
Basmic, is this going to be done by a dentist that's treated you for some time now, and is therefore familiar with your comfortable anaesthetic/adrenalin dose? If so, it should be nothing like the dread experience that it's made out to be.

If not - just make sure that you work with the dentist at the injection stage, and not accept just the first injection unless you're confident that you have no feeling in the right area. Apparently, the amount of anaesthetic/adrenalin required varies significantly between individuals.

Dental technology has also made amazing progress, too, should your last dentist memories be from childhood. Well, I was amazed, anyway.
 
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My dad used to have fillings without injections. If they got too much he'd ask for anaesthetic.

This leads me to believe that my dad is harder than he looks.
 
I'm not at all worried about my dentist - known him for about 4-5 years now, and I do the odd computer repair for him and other members of his family.

Rest assured, I will be taking as much anaesthetic as required to make me comfortable. :p
 
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