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Root Canal Anxiety

T

teethlearning

Junior member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
2
Hi All,

my story - I attended the dentist as a kid every few years and recieved the occassional filling and had to have tooth extraction done once. at the age of 16 i stopped going to the dentist and put it off until losing a filling at 21 and deciding i needed to fight the fear and go to the dentist. i had treatment of 6 permanent fillings and was lucky enough to be able to avoid root canal on a molar that was very close to needing it. Ever since (2+ years now) I have attended the dentist every 6 months for regular cleanings and check ups. I have been lucky to stay problem free with the exception of a minor filling i will need in the next few weeks.

my problem - for some reason i have a huge fear of root canal, i have never had one and live with permanent anxiety that my next visit will yield an unseen issue resulting in a root canal. I (like a large amount of users here im sure) make things worse for myself by researching doctor google, currently i have a small white line running horizontally on one of my mollars. there is no pain and everything seems fine, I have managed to convince myself however that this is a stress fracture and will no doubt need a root canal treatment which leads to huge anxiety.

my question - why am i so scared of this? my understanding is that it is just another procedure like a filling which does not hurt and is no more of an issue than getting a tooth filled - is this the case? how can i move forward with my dental anxiety? I am in a good space and am recieving constant treatment/cleaning etc but yet between visits i still amange to convince myself the dentist has overlooked something and I am on the verge of another big issue.

thanks for your help/ideas/advice it will all be put to good use.
 
the best way to move forward is to face your fear.. believe me i know :) i know its not easy but its the only way its going to get any better!
i was in your position of being terrified of root canal, i had one last year. and it was nothing like i expected! the worst part is easily the injection because you don't feel anything apart from that! :)
 
Hi teethlearning

Welcome to the forum :welcome:

Our minds are amazing things. They can fixate on a issue and turn it into a problem that can ruin our lives and fill them with future dread.

Anxiety is always future based. It paints ugly pictures of what may or might happen. Dr. Google helps to supply the data. :o

Lets take a moment and look at this.

You might not have anything wrong the tooth. It could be just fine.
If the tooth needs work, worrying will not make it better.
Hundreds of thousands of root canals are done every year and everyone makes it through. Therefore, if you need one, you will do fine. Worrying about it will not change the procedure. Living in this fear will make your life miserable.

One thing I can guarantee you is, worrying about this will cause you more pain and misery than any root canal.

Here is the bottom line. If you need a root canal, you need one. What you need to do is convince yourself no matter what you need, you can handle it.

This is a not a dental procedure issue, it is a self-confidence issue. We do not worry about anything we believe we can handle.

To ease your mind;

Stop using Dr. Google

Go see your dentist and have them take a quick peek at the tooth. This will tell you what you need to know

Focus on the positive. You have been able to handle regular dental visits, fillings and the rest. If you need a root canal you will be able to handle this also. You have a great dentist that you trust. You are in good hands.

Above all, relax! You are going to be fine.

Blessings :)
 
guys,

thanks so much for your responses and advice it was all really helpful. Pippin you seemed to understand exactly what my thought process is. root canal has such a bad stigma attached to it, as a patient you blow it up in your mind to ridiculous proportions. i am hoping that through continued maintenance and care with my dentist if i ever need root canals they will be few and far between. but more importantly it was the negative cycle of thinking about it that i wanted to get out of my head. I dont like how every 6 months when i see the dentist i go in thinking "im gonna need a root canal" based on nothing what so ever.

really appreciate your stories and your input guys, i think i can break the negative cycle.:cheers:
 
Hello, i've had 3 root canals on back and front teeth at various times, when i told people i was getting them, they all had the horrified expression on their face, and exclamations of 'omg do you realise what they DO to you?!) i have to say it annoys the hell out of me when people say that when they know you are booked in for treatment i mean nothing like reassuring you is there!!
Anyways i just have to say that none of my root canals hurt, once you have the injection you can't feel anything apart from a bit of moving about.
The one thing i never do in the dentist is look at the needle or instruments that are coming towards me, i am a total believer that 'ignorance is bliss' when it comes to sharp point objects coming toward my mouth. This works for me, i just stare at that light above my head and think ofsomething else :)
 
Seems alot of folks are scared of root canals,the one I had wasn't much different from a filing.
 
Hi there,

I think the white line is probably nothing to worry about and as for root canal treatment, i have had two done on my upper front teeth. Apart from them having to be treated over the course of two appointments, they are no more worrisome than having a filling. Good luck with your appointment, try and relax and think of something nice like a holiday while the treatment is being carried out.:)
 
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