Root Canal

[Blisterfinger]

Just received root canal treatment today and half to go back on Monday for the latter half of the treatment. The left half of my face is still numb from the anaesthetics (from which I'm getting endless enjoyment ...). From what I gather, the next few days are going to be excruciating. I've rounded up my painkillers and I have anti-inflammatories so I'm prepared.
Anyone ever experience the root canal treatment before?

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Blisterfinger

Just received root canal treatment today and half to go back on Monday for the latter half of the treatment. The left half of my face is still numb from the anaesthetics (from which I'm getting endless enjoyment ...). From what I gather, the next few days are going to be excruciating. I've rounded up my painkillers and I have anti-inflammatories so I'm prepared.
Anyone ever experience the root canal treatment before?

Be careful with that numb half of your face. Its really easy to attempt eating something and bite off a chunk of your inner cheek. Ive only had one root canal, and it really was not as painful as Ive always been told. Then again, Ive always thought I may have a higher threshhold for pain. I didnt need painkillers the next day. After about 2 days I was no longer sore.

[Chainsaw Willie]

I heard all the horror stories, but when it was my turn it was not too bad. Maybe the pain stories are just an old TV urban legend, or maybe modern techniques are better than they used to be, or maybe I just had really good luck.

A friend had a root canal and stopped taking the pain meds too early. The pain returned and the meds were slow to take effect when he decided to take them again. The pain got much worse before the meds kicked in.

Follow your doctors directions on the meds and don't figure you know better than the doc.

[lucas vigor]

A root canal (if done correctly and they get all the "root") should not hurt at all afterwards. They are basically turning your tooth into a prosthetic tooth with a real tooth "base", if I understand the procedure correctly. Your jaw might hurt from having it open for an hour or two, but other then that, consider the tooth "dead" from now on with no sensation at all.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by lucas vigor

A root canal (if done correctly and they get all the "root") should not hurt at all afterwards. They are basically turning your tooth into a prosthetic tooth with a real tooth "base", if I understand the procedure correctly. Your jaw might hurt from having it open for an hour or two, but other then that, consider the tooth "dead" from now on with no sensation at all.

Yup, having your jaw wide open tends to create more of a sore spot than the actual drilling and root pulp removal. Also, the sight where they inject anaesthetics will remain sore.

[macaroni tony]

I had one recently...yeah like what was already said, the pain is not so bad. The worst part was having the cold air blasting on my other teeth during the treatment. Afterward, it was the corners of my jaw from holding my mouth open for so long. But that pain was minor and fleeting

[DeadGoonz]

Had mine done yesterday. I still have pain, I believe it is my jaw that is sore from the procedure.. a hand full of Hydros and its 4:20 all day long this week, so I am getting by.

[Skitch it!]

I've never had a root canal but a friend had one recently and didn't find it too bad.

I never liked the injections for dental work, a few years ago I had a filling and asked the dentist to leave out anesthetic shot.

That brought me to my senses

[Waffles and Scotch]

Originally Posted by DeadGoonz

Had mine done yesterday. I still have pain, I believe it is my jaw that is sore from the procedure.. a hand full of Hydros and its 4:20 all day long this week, so I am getting by.

Fun times...fun times...

Yep - when I had my root canal I didn't have any more pain afterwards than if I'd gotten a couple of cavities filled. I'm sure some of that depends on the dentist, though.

[Phalex]

I think I've been lucky. I've never had a root canal. I have several crowns they did instead, but no root canals.......

[bassguppy]

I had one several years ago. The near minimal pain was gone by the next day.

[Blisterfinger]

I'm actually in quite a bit of pain right now, though it hasn't been 10 hours since the first half of the procedure. I've taken painkillers but I've strong feeling I'll need the Cataflan (anti-inflammatories) from my desk tomorrow. I've a strong glassy, sharp pain where I had it. The dentist only put a temporary filling in whereas on Monday she intends on completing the procedure and filling it permanently.Though I KNOW I have a high threshold for pain (once broke my thumb, forefinger and middle finger while playing sport and still continued to play ) I'm not used to a constant jarring pain like this.
i'm not criticising the dentist, they were 100% professional but I'm slightly sceptical as to why everyone who has posted above has stated that they experienced a minor pain as opposed to what I'm experiencing....?

[bassingeorge]

Pain is normal within hours of doing the root canal. In most cases, painkillers aren't even a necessity, because the anti-inflammatories take care of the pain.
Most people complain about general mouth pain, and jaw pain, like you guys said, because of the fact that you had your mouth open for a while, but it should only be uncomfortable the rest of the day (max).

And Blisterfinger, like any surgery...everybody reacts very different from one another. You can have an endodontic treatment in one tooth, and be completely painless, have another one the next day, and hurt like all hell broke loose! That happened to me!

Just take your prescribed medication and you'll get through the pain.

Just play your bass and forget about the pain for a while!

[mellowinman]

Don't be a wimp, man!

I've had quite a few of them.

They all pale in comparison to my spinal fusion.

When they cut a big slit in my back, took out the disc between my tailbone and my first vertebrae, and screwed them together? Now THAT was something!

Root canals?

Kid stuff.

My worst dental procedure was a molar that abscessed. That one actually hurt so bad that it made me unable to stop moaning out loud; a truly pathetic sound. I had to call an emergency dentist, who I went to see at three in the morning. I had no money, and I talked him into seeing me if I left my VCR and a Fender Stratocaster. He was pissed that he had to do the work that late, and that I was a stoner bum, and he just took the pliers and yanked that sucker, without properly working it loose, or anesthetizing me. That tooth came out with chunks of bloody flesh still attached to it, and I am one of the lucky people who has five roots instead of three or four. Mine are long and curvy, and they really like to grab ahold.

I should've killed him, but I was young. For those of you who are as young now as I was then, a VCR was a device where you stuck in this huge plastic thing containing magnetic tape, and that tape was dragged across moving heads, and as the tape was being destroyed by the player, you could watch movies, or TV shows you had recorded. It was like a DVD player, if the DVD were being ground against a sanding disc.

Anyway, you'll be fine, and if it hurts really bad, then GOOD! It'll make a man out of you, and build character.

OK, just TRY and believe that.

If not, just take more Vicodin.

[Frank Tuesday]

I've had a couple, and neither hurt at all after the fact. Once the numbness was gone, there was no discomfort at all.

[Rob22315]

I dodged a root canal over the holidays - I was getting sensations in a crown, jaw pain, and numbness in my ear. My dentist suspected the tooth was dying under the crown so I went to a specialist. Turns out it was temporary TMJ from my CPAP machine mask.

OTOH, I had 4 teeth removed to make room for orthodontics. The roots of the two upper teeth snapped off during the removal so the nurse had to stand on my chest to hold me still while the dentist pried the bits of root out of my upper jaw. I had good things to say about the guy who invested laughing gas that day.

[Blisterfinger]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

Don't be a wimp, man!

I've had quite a few of them.

They all pale in comparison to my spinal fusion.

When they cut a big slit in my back, took out the disc between my tailbone and my first vertebrae, and screwed them together? Now THAT was something!

Root canals?

Kid stuff.

My worst dental procedure was a molar that abscessed. That one actually hurt so bad that it made me unable to stop moaning out loud; a truly pathetic sound. I had to call an emergency dentist, who I went to see at three in the morning. I had no money, and I talked him into seeing me if I left my VCR and a Fender Stratocaster. He was pissed that he had to do the work that late, and that I was a stoner bum, and he just took the pliers and yanked that sucker, without properly working it loose, or anesthetizing me. That tooth came out with chunks of bloody flesh still attached to it, and I am one of the lucky people who has five roots instead of three or four. Mine are long and curvy, and they really like to grab ahold.

I should've killed him, but I was young. For those of you who are as young now as I was then, a VCR was a device where you stuck in this huge plastic thing containing magnetic tape, and that tape was dragged across moving heads, and as the tape was being destroyed by the player, you could watch movies, or TV shows you had recorded. It was like a DVD player, if the DVD were being ground against a sanding disc.

Anyway, you'll be fine, and if it hurts really bad, then GOOD! It'll make a man out of you, and build character.

OK, just TRY and believe that.

If not, just take more Vicodin.

Brilliant post! You've put me in my place. However, shouldn't you take better care of yourself...?
Anyway, I've no more pain and haven't needed any painkillers today. I'm just relieved that I can actually eat solid foods for a change! Totally worth any short-term pain.