Can you have more than one root canals done at the same time?

[kevinlad]

Hi, to cut the story short, my scheduled root canal appointment is this Friday. Because there are two teeth that need to be root canal treated (and an extraction of a third tooth, a re-filling of a fourth tooth), is it possible, or a good idea, to have the two root canals done at once, to save time? The two teeth are one of each side at the back. I've heard it's not a good idea to numb both sides of the mouth, but surely if I don't eat or drink for the next five hours the effect would have worn off? Or are there other concerns?

 

[norwegianchick]

If you want to overcome your fear of dental treatments, it's a better idea to have your treatments spread out over smaller, more manageable sessions. That way you can get used to it, and it won't be too tiring or uncomfortable making it a bad experience. You want good experiences to build on.

I had my root canal in two sessions for each tooth (except the "exotic anatomy" ones, that took a bit extra), which was quite easy for me.

I can't answer the anesthetic question, as I'm not a dentist, but I'd think you'd be way more comfortable with only one half of your tongue numb than both, and this is good enough reason to split it up in more sessions.

I ate straight after my root canals no problem.

Good luck with your treatment, root canals are piece of cake when done by a competent dentist!

 

[Gordon]

It's generally not recommended to freeze both sides of the tongue and jaw at the same time, there's a significant risk of trauma to the soft tissues if you can't feel them at all!

It's a big "ask" of a patient to keep their mouth open for two molar root canals as well, that would be the best part of 2 hrs worth of treatment in my clinic...