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Root canal, terrrified of dental dam

T

tess456plum

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2010
Messages
41
Location
USA
Maybe need Root canal, worried

Has anyone had a root canal recently, and how long did it take? I have a tooth that has a temporary filling in it now, and the dentist said that it doesn't obviously need a root canal. There is one spot on the xray that they cant tell much on that is a little suspicious. I had a wisdom tooth removed last month right next to this tooth and now this tooth is sensitive. I also had a lesion on my gum a few days ago that hurt quite a lot. Saw the dentist and he wasn't sure if it was the tooth in question getting bad or just the sore on the gum. Anyway, the sore is better but the gum around the tooth still hurts and is sore. I'm hoping that the tooth is just reacting to everything, but I'm worried that it will need a root canal. I take xanax to help me but I'm still worried. Any thoughts will be welcome.
 
Hello. I am pretty sure I have to have a root canal and I'm very worried about the dental dam. I've had a root canal before many years ago but my anxiety was not as bad as it is now. Please, if someone could tell me about it, and how bad the root canal was? I hate feeling like I'm trapped in the chair and start panicking. Thank you .
 
A dental dam is a small square piece of rubber with a hole in the middle which goes over your tooth. The idea is all the bits from your tooth go into the dam and not into your mouth and makes the area around the tooth easier to work on. Its no big deal and you hardly notice it there.

You'll do fine.

:thumbsup:
 
Hi

Grahamdee is absolutely correct. Root Canals have become much easier or the years. They are not much different than a filling from the patients point of view. They just take longer.

There is no pain. Actually, a lot of the time is spent waiting for stuff. New techniques and equipment have made these much easier than when you last had one.

You will be amazed at how easy they have become.
 
I had FOUR root canals in the past week. Two one day, and two a few days later. I had never had one before and didn't know what to expect. The stigma that they carry around is just not true. They are not that bad. They will numb you and wait until the novocaine has set in good, then proceed to put a block, to keep yr mouth open usually on the opposite side and the dam. I must admit it was slightly uncomfortable as I was not used to having my mouth open that wide and for that amount of time but u just need to relax yr mind and yr jaw and you'll get thru it fine. A single RC takes around 45 mins to an hour and since I got two at a time I was there a little longer and they had to go back in a few times because mine were a little complicated so I did start to freak out and squirm a little. I just wanted everything out of my mouth but I just thought that there are such worse things that I could be going thru and it gave me piece of mind to just ride it out. If I can do it, anyone can! You will be fine and it's completely normal to be uncomfortable. Good luck!:thumbsup:
 
Think of it as a 'raincoat' which you hide under whilst 'your tooth' not 'you' is being treated ;).
 
I have recently had a root canal treatment and the dentist never used a rubber dam thing at all, He never even offered, the worse part was keeping my mouth open for as long as it needed to be kept open for as the tooth he was working on was a molar with 4 roots so took a bit longer than usual. I dont think I would have minded them using the dam, Just wish I had thought to take my MP3 player with me to listen to it as I found it boring lay there as its just like a filling just takes twice as long....
 
Re: Maybe need Root canal, worried

Hi, I had a root canal done, took about a month in total to complete as the dentist wanted to be 110% sure that he had every last bit of canal clear, plus the tooth had 4 roots and each appointment took about 20-25 mins so not that much longer than an ordinary filling, I am/was very against root canal fillings and did start my treatment by refusing to have one done, I was talked into giving it a go and being reassured that at any point during the treatment the dentist would stop and remove the tooth but I soldiered on with .
 
I had a root canal yesterday. I told the dentist ahead of time that I was afraid and he called in halceon for me. I remember the block in my mouth and the novicane and the nurse explaining the dam, but I think it was pretty small and not a big deal. I was awake but it didn't upset me at all. The only issues I had were things kept flying up into my eyes (gross) and I had to ask them to stop so i could cough a couple times. Nothing they did made me cough, we are having some construction done on our home and I'm allergic to something in the place we are staying.
 
The only issues I had were things kept flying up into my eyes (gross) and I had to ask them to stop so i could cough a couple times.

:confused: what do you mean exactly - I'm puzzled - were you not wearing protective goggles/glasses? Or do you mean you could see the little endo files out of the corner of your eye as they were being inserted into your tooth?
Sounds like you did great though congrats.:jump: :party:
 
:confused: what do you mean exactly - I'm puzzled - were you not wearing protective goggles/glasses? Or do you mean you could see the little endo files out of the corner of your eye as they were being inserted into your tooth?
Sounds like you did great though congrats.:jump: :party:
Thanks. I wasn't wearing the glasses, which I thought was really weird, but being doped up and having a huge block in my mouth I couldn't really bring up the issue. I just eventually kept my eyes closed.
 
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