I have a dentist appointment today in about an hour and a half for a root canal. I've never had one before and I'm a bit worried. How much does it hurt? How long will it hurt? Will it hurt bad enough to miss class?
2007-04-17 05:54:19 · 44 answers · asked by blue_cow27 4 in Health ➔ Dental
I just had one done about 4 hours ago--and I am scared to death of dentist--thank god I have a good one--Anyway NO pain at all other then holding your mouth up for so long thats the worst part I thought--Took an hour or so to get it all done (root canal and post) But right now the numbing is almost completely gone and I still have NO PAIN--Im sure you will be the same and do fine
2007-04-17 08:58:55 · answer #1 · answered by jen.mccollum@sbcglobal.net 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Modern dental surgery doesn't really hurt. It is uncomfortable, but rarely will you suffer any significant amount of pain if you follow all instructions given to you by the dentist. You should probably take a couple of pain killers as soon as you're able to drink liquids after the surgery, because once the numbing effect wears off, you may experience pain for a short while (I recently had an extraction and this is precisely what happened to me--trust me, don't take the chance, just take the pills).
Root canals do not intrude into the tissues of the mouth the way extractions do, so you're not likely to experience much, if any, discomfort. At worst you will have minor pain localized in that one tooth, but you will find yourself quite capable of moving on with your life almost as if nothing happened.
Just be sure to get a proper crown done within a few weeks. If you don't, your tooth may literally crumble inside your mouth.
2007-04-17 14:37:10 · answer #2 · answered by daivoxx 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i have had two. the first hurt after the numby stuff wore off. badly but i think it was dur to the dentist keeping my mouth held open for a half hour while he tended to a patient on the phone. yeah i was mad.
the second one was done in a flash and did not hurt at all.
different people have different tollerances of pain. i can handle pain pretty good but even the people i know that cannot handle pain did not experience much pain with a root canal either.
you'll be fine. just relax while they are doing it and take some tylenol afterwards or follow the dentist instructions to a T
2007-04-17 06:01:20 · answer #3 · answered by jezbnme 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've had a lot of root canals, unfortunately, and can say that they don't hurt any worse than other dental procedures. I think the punch line of ,"I'd rather have a root canal" came from the early days of root canals, about 40 years ago. Most people will have a little bit of tenderness in the gum, but no more than if you'd had shots followed by a filling.
2007-04-17 14:56:30 · answer #4 · answered by Annie D 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Root canals have a stigma attached to them that are not necessarily justified. Perhaps in the past they were nothing but pain and agony...? I had one about a year ago and was terrified going in but it turned out to be more pleasant than most visits to my own dentist! I had to go to a root canal specialist because of the way my tooth and nerve grew and his office was like a hotel! The technology they have today is amazing which I assume may contribute to the ease of this procedure. I was shocked for him to tell me I didn't need painkillers and that if it bothered me I should just take ibuprofen. I didn't have to take a thing! I would recommend him to ANYONE. Good luck!! =)
2007-04-17 11:14:24 · answer #5 · answered by Caralyn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seriously, everyone talks about how horrible it is, I've had it done twice--the first time 3 hrs. in the chair and I fell asleep!! Not painful at all and afterward I had no pain but I got the prescription filled anyway in case. Usually you're having it for a reason so you feel better that it's done. I figure the way my luck is, I'll get hit by a bus AFTER the root canal instead of BEFORE it!! No, it's not bad at all. But I'd shoot for getting out of class if you want to--just say it hurts, lol.
2007-04-17 06:03:44 · answer #6 · answered by Helen L 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't really hurt so much, if you get enough novocaine, and your dentist waits long enough for it to work. It does feel REALLY WEIRD, though. They're going into your teeth and digging out the nerves! It's definitely a strange sensation.
You might not get back to class the same day... and your teachers will probably excuse you for a root canal.
2007-04-17 15:52:00 · answer #7 · answered by Petey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've had nearly a dozen root canals, and I guarantee they're nothing. Be sure to take 800 mg of Ibuprofen afterward, and you'll be fine. There will be a slight throbbing, but nothing you won't be able to handle. The only reason I wouldn't go back to class is because half your mouth will still be numb. When you smile, everyone will tease you. (:
You'll be able to chew on that tooth by the next day. Be sure not to eat anything hard on that side until you have your crown, though, and don't wait longer than two weeks to have your crown placed.
2007-04-17 06:14:38 · answer #8 · answered by no name 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, I've had two root canals and I didn't feel a thing. Usually, the dentist will numb you pretty well. You might feel a little sore tomorrow from where you had to hold your mouth at a certain angle or your gumline might be a little sensitive to extreme hot or cold for a couple of days, otherwise you should do fine.
2007-04-17 05:59:35 · answer #9 · answered by Mrs.Blessed 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had a root canal a few years ago.
They knocked me out with gas and was done before I knew it. I was extremely sleepy afterwards and slept the rest of the day.
My coworkers freaked me out about the pain they went through. However, I had no problems at all. A week later I went to a wedding and was eating with no pain. I just had to be careful not to take big bites for fear of opening up the extraction points in the back.
2007-04-17 09:48:50 · answer #10 · answered by Dave C 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋