Flying After Root Canal

brunette11

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone might be able to offer me some advice:

I found out on last week that I need to have root canal treatment on a lower molar. I'm an extremely nervous dental patient and am absolutely terrified at the thoughts of this procedure! However I trust my dentist and really want to get the whole process over asap - I've been having nightmares about being in the chair and am finding it impossible to concentrate in work without images of drills and needles flashing into my mind!!:(

Luckily my dentist is available to complete the root canal within two weeks - I have an appointment next Saturday when he will do the initial treatment (extraction), and then another the following Saturday when he will fill the cavity.

I've had a trip to Paris planned for March 17th since Christmas. I'm really looking forward to the trip and am now seeing it as a kind-of reward for getting through the root canal!:rolleyes: However it seems from browsing the internet that some people experience pain when flying after dental treatments. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this before, and if it is safe for me to fly only five days after having a root canal treated?

I've been searching for a concrete answer but can't find one - any help or advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for any replies!

jimmyging

Hi

Dont worry about the root canal they are very straight forward .As regards flying ,there is absolutely no problem with flying after having root canal treatment done .

brunette11

Hi Jimmyging,

Thank you so much for the quick reply!:)

I'm so relieved to hear that there's no problems with flying, i've been planning this trip for months! And thank you for the reassurance about the root canal - I haven't needed a lot of dental work in the past so I think my imagination might be taking over a little on this one!
Thanks again!

brunette11

Hi,

Sorry to come back with more questions but I've been doing some research on root canals, looking around this forum and other sites, and it looks as though a lot of root canals can lead to further problems. I really want to ensure that the best possible job is done on this tooth and would hate to end up having to have the procedure redone or to loose my tooth.....:(

I was wondering if you would recommend going to an endodontist to have this treatment carried out? I can see that a lot of people are referred to endodontists if a root canal does not work out properly and I was thinking that it might be best to just attend an endodontist to begin with. While money is always an issue, I am willing to pay whatever is necessary to ensure the health of my teeth. If anyone has any advice I really would appreciate it!

Thanks again!

jimmyging

Ok

in the past root canal therapy was not as predicable a treatment as it is now . Huge advances in technology have been made in the last few years and so it has become a very predictable treatment modality. If you mention it to anyone they will normally tell you a horror story about a friend of theirs having had problems with it but this is normally from years ago if you ask further and also people love to have horror stories and to embellish them as they go along, its just human nature ....As regards going to an endodontist if you have the money for this then do but most competent dentists can do most rcts now and mostly are less expensive than endodontists.

suitseir

I am on my third root canal proceedure. I have just returned from the dentist and he started the first stage. He does it over 3 visits for one canal and this works better for me and I guess for him.
Ther is absolutely no problem with flying. I usually take a disprin about an hour before the flight and that will allay any pain that may occur.

The main thing when you are on the dentist chair is to relax, close your eyes and concentrate on something like being by the sea and imagine the waves and the sand etc. etc. and it is amazing how quick the time goes. The more tense you are, the longer it will take and if the dentist senses this and it takes longer.

It is the same as having a filling but just a little longer.

suitseir

brunette11 wrote: »

Hi,

Sorry to come back with more questions but I've been doing some research on root canals, looking around this forum and other sites, and it looks as though a lot of root canals can lead to further problems. I really want to ensure that the best possible job is done on this tooth and would hate to end up having to have the procedure redone or to loose my tooth.....:(

I was wondering if you would recommend going to an endodontist to have this treatment carried out? I can see that a lot of people are referred to endodontists if a root canal does not work out properly and I was thinking that it might be best to just attend an endodontist to begin with. While money is always an issue, I am willing to pay whatever is necessary to ensure the health of my teeth. If anyone has any advice I really would appreciate it!

Thanks again!

Don't believe all you read on the internet about root canals. The jury is out in a lot of cases. I go to a dentist and not an endodontist and have had no problems!This is my third root canal! It is that or false teeth, later on in life! No thanks!!

Depending on where you are living, you should ask for recommendations and get people who have gone through this to PM you with names of dentist.

brunette11

Hi guys,

Thank you so much for your replies! You have really helped to put my mind at rest and I really appreciate you taking the time to write back!:)
Decided to go with an endo - he seems to be well recommended and the clinic where he is based looks really nice and patient friendly. At this stage I just can't wait for the whole thing to be over! I've stopped looking up info on the internet and this has really helped - I think I was beginning to get a little obsessed with the whole thing!:o

Have my first appointment on Monday and the next the following Monday - am going to try to put it out of my head over the weekend, and will keep looking at the procedure as a big filling!! Those relaxation tips of thinking of the sea etc. sound great - I will definitely try to use them and might even ask the dentist if I could pop on my ipod, I hope this won't seem cheeky!

I'll report back after Monday, when hopefully I'll be agreeing that the procedure is just routine and I had myself worked up over nothing! Fingers crossed....!!:)

And thanks again for the advice!

AndrewJD

One point to make is if you've never had root canal, there'll be a lot of strange new tools in your mouth, doing strange new things. As well as this, I found there are some horrendous smells on the second part of the treatment. It's just worth pointing out to a nervous dental patient that these are obviously nothing to worry about

brunette11

Thanks again for all the help guys! And for the tip about the new instruments Andrew - I was prepared for those pokey little pins!:) Had the first of my appointments yesterday and I can honestly say that the entire procedure was painless - my mouth was fully numbed and the only thing I could feel was some pressure. Oh, and the pain of trying to keep my jaw open for over an hour of course!!

I wish that was my last post to this thread, but another issue has just popped up...this process feels never ending! Other than slight tenderness I've had no pain since the procedure. The dentist put in a temporary filling until next Monday when I'll have the treatment completed. I was just eating lunch there, a salad - nothing too crunchy, when what felt like a big portion of the temporary filling broke away. I've had a look in the mirror and a good poke around with my tongue and while a lot of the filling did crumble away, my tooth doesn't feel exposed and I'm not experiencing any pain. I'm terrified at the thoughts of reinfection so rang my dentist clinic. The receptionist checked with the dentist who said that he believes the majority of the filling should be remaining and I should be fine until Monday. They did however give me the option of going in tomorrow afternoon to have the filling looked at. I don't think my boss would be too happy with me taking another afternoon off so I said that I will wait until Monday. I'm just wondering if any dentists out there would agree that this is ok to do? I'm terrified of reinfection!!:(:(

I hate to be a pain but I really would appreciate any advice! Thank you.

ennage

I too had a root canal done on a canine tooth. However, while the procedures went ok. At the final procedure the dentist placed a final filling in the tooth opening . However, I'm still finding that area tender. I'm also finding there is like a double tooth in my mouth . It is a bit difficult to bite on the tooth. Not sure if this is too soon to be doing this but there is an uneven feeling in my mouth. I am not able to see what has been done only feel a strange heavy feeling where the root was treated?? Is this normal!!??

DublinDilbert

Hi all,

I'm part way through my RCT treatment, need to go back in 2 / 3 weeks time for the final root filling. So the Roots have been cleaned out and sill have a cavity inside my tooth.

Before then I've to fly over to the UK for work, will I be ok flying? should i expect much pain?

Thanks

brunette11

Hi DublinDilbert,

My RCT lasted two sessions and I flew only three days after the second appointment with no problems. My treatment had been completed and my tooth was filled (although I'm waiting to have a crown fitted), and I had no problems at all. I was worried that I might have some pain as I read a few horror stories on the net, but problems only seem to occur to people who's teeth are infected and who haven't yet gone for treatment - as your dentist has fully cleaned out the infection I imagine that you have nothing to worry about!
Hope your trip is a happy and pain-free one!

DublinDilbert

Hey,

Thanks for the feed back. It sounds like when you flew you had the root filling done, just waiting on the crown.

I won't be getting the root filling done till after I get back. So was wondering if I'll feel anything. I think I'm going to have pain killers on stand by...

brunette11

It's definitely worth taking some neurofen, just in case! Hopefully you'll be fine though - the fact that you're only travelling to the uk will mean that you won't be in the air too long, and hopefully won't be travelling at a very high altitude. Best of luck!:)