Root Canal

Bicycle

Before I start can I say a very big thank you to all on this forum who helped me either explicitly (by responding to my earlier thread) or implicitly (by posting on other threads here which I read).

I had my root canal done yesterday in Galway. A No 6 lower right molar, I think.

Before I travelled up, I was incredibly nervous. I had previously travelled up 4 weeks ago and been told it was unlikely I needed one but a trip to my own dentist where the tooth was opened up revealed that I DID need an RCT.

I read lots of posts here and was dubious about the painfree nature of the process (Fitzgeme, thank you for your vehement post that RCT was definately a pain free process!!). Was so nervous, I went to my GP and got some xanax. I took a xanax going to bed each of the two nights prior to the surgery but didn't take any before it (although I had an emergency one in my pocket).

Before I went to Galway, I had loaded my MP3 with both hypnosis tapes (never did find one off-line that dealt with fear of the dentist) and 4 hours of classical music. Hub drove me up.

So, I sat in the chair, the dentist put a small plug in my gum area and chatted to me for a few minutes. Then he started the injection. It hurt a little bit - an ooh rather than an ooh arrgh aghhhh. There were a series of injections (each being less felt as the anaesthetic started to act) but I never felt as if I was totally paralysed. Pain free but not frozen is the best way to describe.

So, the process began, and I put my music on (didn't need the hypnosis). I also put on a pair of slipper socks because my feet get cold - this was a great idea . And the process started. Now I have to say, I have a noise sensitivity (I'm mildly dyspraxic) and the noise didn't impact on me at all (there's one drill in the conventional dentists, the gnrrrllll one, that makes me cry with the pain). I had warned the endodontist in advance but there was no need to warn him. At no stage did I feel uncomfortable with the noise.

The dam wasn't in the least bit claustrophobic, didn't make me gag or anything/

A couple of times I needed to go to the bathroom, and there was no problem.

My jaw did get a bit tired after a while, but nothing serious.

There was a little bit of a zing at one stage when the polymer was going into the roots but that was it.

2 hours and 45 minutes after I sat in the chair, I got out of it proud as punch. I was relaxed, I wasn't in pain and best of all I could talk . I was warned that I should take some pain killers (and had some with me) so I took one before I left the surgery.

I then went shopping in Galway (oh how I love M&S!!), collected glasses from an optician when we got back to Limerick and then went to work for a few hours.

Today I am feeling great (better than the daughter who had her braces adjusted on Tuesday) and am not on painkillers. I will get my crown done before the end of next month.

So, to all of you worried about a root canal, don't. Its not much more difficult than getting a set of highlights in your hair - but at least with an RCT, you don't have to listen to someone's inane stories about getting drunk in Ibiza. And on a like with like cost basis, after about 2 years and 3 months, your root canal will work out better value than your hair colour.

I have been a very nervous dental patient all my life, got banned from one dental practice as a child :D:D because I kept running away from the dentist. Root Canal treatments get a very bad press. Wrongly.

I'm happy I got my RCT and would have no problems or no nervousness getting another.

Thanks again, everyone. You have been a tremendous help to me.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Excellent news

Next time the man in the pub / keyboard warrior starts bigging up the macho image telling tales of dental torture you tell him he is telling fibs. The pain of root canal is a myth, along with the knee on the chest myth.

Modern dentistry is pain free.

day dreamer

Delighted to hear that, things are not so bad at the dentist after all. Thanks for positive post too, there isnt too many posted! I love the point about the RCT being better value than highlights after 2 years. Does that mean you are high or low maintenance?

helimachoptor

Miya Odd Sauce wrote: »

Excellent news

Next time the man in the pub / keyboard warrior starts bigging up the macho image telling tales of dental torture you tell him he is telling fibs. The pain of root canal is a myth, along with the knee on the chest myth.

Modern dentistry is pain free.

Agreed Fitzgeme, a lot of my friends are now considering going for dental work (crowns, root canals,fillings) after my own success (pics to be posted next week btw). The most painful thing in recent memory was keeping my mouth open for 2.5 hours for the RC

Dentists these days are also a lot more "patient friendly" i think.

Bicycle

Thanks everyone.

Daydreamer lol!! My teeth are high maintenance. One of my few indulgences is my hair colour .

It was only after many years I managed to find a colourist/stylist whom I could relax with. And only then did I get colour in my hair. And interestingly she has a similar personality to the wonderful endodontist in Galway.

Both of them have lovely, relaxed and non-condescending approaches.

argosy2006

Only pain with my root canal was the 1400 euro cost

Bicycle

argosy2006 wrote: »

Only pain with my root canal was the 1400 euro cost

Was that just for the endodonthic work or did it include the crown as well? (I'm expecting to pay €1300 or so for my crown on top of the €900 I paid for the endodonthic work.)