Having a root canal tomorrow

[Pollyanna]

Hi I am new to the forum and found it after Google search of absolutely petrified and scared to death of dentists. When I started reading some of the postings I could se that perhaps I may have exaggerated but only ever so slightly. I am writing this with a glass of wine in my hand which isn't the first and probably wont be the last tonight.

I only have seven teeth to my name (plus dentures) and they are all crowns which I had done 30 years ago, which is the last time I went to a dentist. Anyway broke a tooth on New Years Eve and it came off completed with crown with part of the tooth still inside. I had to go and see an appointed NHS dentist and he spent an hour with me explaining the options - then I went to see a private dentist today and to be honest I felt more comfortable with the NHS dentist so I am going tomorrow to have the root canal. I feel sick at the thought and every time I speak to someone about it I start crying, so pathetic but not sure what I can do to ensure that a) I don't choke to death whilst lying in the chair b) he doesn't fill my mouth with so much stuff that I feel sick c) I will feel pain either during or after - oh and also everything else in between like having a heart attack whilst in the chair to having a coughing fit and peeing myself!!! How am I going to get over this in such a short space of time, am even thinking that I should cancel as I need more time to think about it. Can anyone please help, such a wimp

 

[carole]

Hi to the forum.

Please don't cancel the appointment. This only gives you more time to get worked up stress out about it. You will be totally numbed ask the dentist to test the tooth before they start to make sure if you are worried. They can top up the stuff if it is needed at any time.

Arrange a stop signal before they start, so that if you need a break they can stop and allow you a few minutes.

Once you are numb they will put on a dental dam which covers your mouth, you can breath and swallow as normal. You will not have loads of stuff in your mouth at any time. The dam is stretched onto a frame and can be released in a second and removed.
There is very little drilling, it takes seconds and they then use hand files to clean the roots and shape them, they usually take an x ray to make sure that the roots are all cleaned out and ready for a filling. The nerves at this point have gone and you cannot feel anything at this point. The cleaning of the roots may take a bit of time, but it is over quicker than you think. The dentist will also use a liquid to clean the roots out too. They then dry the tooth and either put a dressing in or a filling.

If the rct is done in two visits the filling will be a temp one, and the second visit will be much the same as the first.

I felt the same as you did with the same thoughts and when I had to have one done last year I lived and was fine. It is a very gentle and quiet process and I would rather have a rct than a filling.

I wish you well and you will be fine, if at any time you feel anything stop the dentist and let them know so that they can give you more of the numbing stuff.

Good luck this time stressing is the worst you are going to feel and it is much worse than the visit to the dentist. I and others on here have ourselves in knots over dentist visits and most of us come out skipping like school kids feeling really pleased with ourselves. I also have an appointment tomorrow so we can catch up and compare visits tomorrow evening.

 

[Pollyanna]

Hi Carole

So pleased you replied, thanks for your words of encouragement, it has made me feel a bit better. I keep projecting ahead as in this time tomorrow night it will be done. I know that the waiting is the worst and just want it to be over. Hope all goes well for you and will let you know how I get on

 

[Pollyanna]

Isn't 4.00 in the morning a wonderful time to sit and worry????

 

[spanna]

Hi Pollyanna,

Not sure what time ur appt is so (hopefully) u may be done by now but just wanted to say good luck and second what Carole has said. I've also had my fair share of rcts recently and they have been fine. In fact the most uncomfortable parts for me were keeping my mouth open for so long and the nurse was a little heavy handed with the suction thing, never really felt any of what the dentist was doing! Im sure you'll come out of there surprised at how painless it was, it can be a pretty long and boring appt but it really shouldnt be painful. As Carole said if u feel anything just use the stop signal and tell them and they can numb u more. They dont want to hurt you and you dont have to put up with painful treatment these days.

Thinking of you and looking forward to hearing how it went.

 

[Pollyanna]

Hi Carole and Spanna - thank you very much for your words of wisdom and YES I have been done As you both said, nothing like I imagined it to be. Very quick tiny bit of numbing injection and when that took effect he put the rest in ever so slowly. I didn't have a dam and he didn't use hand tools - he just said it was an electronic tool for going down to the bottom of the tooth and he kept changing the tip for a bigger one each time but I couldn't detect the change in size. The tooth was probably in a good place (front bottom) in the grand scheme of things if you would choose to have one, that would be it!! The dentist was lovely and never stopped talking about what he was doing and why. The only down side was I waited half an hour before I went in and I probably would have left if I my daughter hadn't come with me - talk about role reversal. I have an appointment on Monday for the proper filling and another one to have to have a post put in to accept the crown, so I assume I am over the worst - unless you guys know differently.

I am a born worrier and worry about anything and everything so I feel such an accomplishment - just hope the experience is not spoiled by pain when the numbness wears off.

Thank you both very much, it was lovely to have this remote help to make me feel better. I can also recommend the short videos about coping with panic attacks on this website, they were very useful. I hope your visit today went well Carole - just wondering if you are a recovering phobic or do you still have to brace yourself for visits. Oh well, going to have a nap now, these 3.00am starts are murder

 

[Dancinhamster]

Soooooo glad I read this post!
I'm booked in for a RCT on Tuesday. I had one years ago - it was agonising, and resulted in multiple abscesses. Complete nightmare for someone with a dental phobia!

I hope that now, ten years on, the treatment has advanced, and that I'll have the same experience as you

 

[Pollyanna]

So pleased you found this useful too Dancinhamster. I was aware that the dentist wasn't only going to fix my teeth he was going to reprogram my brain. Because it was a positive experience, when I think of the dentist now I think of today not the nightmare from years ago. Its so important to feel at ease with your dentist and I visited two before I made a decision and I just chose the one I felt comfortable with. Carole's experience was different to mine and probably Spanna's but all of them were positive - I'm sure you will find it a positive experience too. Good luck for Tuesday but sure you won't need it.

 

[Dancinhamster]

I'll need it
I am a wreck - I've had panic attacks in the waiting room before. When you're so very frightened, and the treatment is consistently painful it's tough to break the cycle.
Just glad these experiences shared here are so good!

Hopefully I'll manage some sleep between now & Tues

 

[carole]

Hi pollyanna I am well chuffed for you that it went well. Yours sounds a lot more high tech than mine, mine was done by the nhs but I was really happy with how things went for me.

congratulations

Don't worry you are over the worst now, it is plain sailing from now on, how lucky are you. The worst wasn't bad at all

Dancinhamster I have had a panic attach in the dentist chair as has many others on here if you use the stop signal which you can arrange to use before any work starts, explain that you suffer panic attacks and they will understand. When I suffered mine it passed quite quickly because the dentist realised before me that I was struggling and stopped and asked me if I was okay, because he did this it seemed to steer me off having a full blown panic attack. I think the shock that I was asked and the fact he noticed put my mind to rest.
The best of luck to you

To answer your question Pollyanna I was a shaking, trembling nearly having a heart attack, couldn't sleep for weeks, crying, panic'd, nearly passing out, couldn't even stand the word dentist being mentioned, couldn't even walk past a dentist office without feeling like I was going to pass out and having panic attacks about it all. I could not have even come on here at one time I was so scared. So yes I am a reconditioned x phobic, I will sometimes maybe feel a bit nervous but I have over the last two years seen 4 lovely dentists all working to help me get my oral health back after a dentist neglected my mouth and left me in a mess, they have all been wonderful. I had to suffer a difficult one for two appointments inbetween. I left the one that wasn't very good before he sent me back to square one and total phobic again and I now go like a normal person. I have found educating myself in a non threatening manner on this forum has helped me enormously. I never wanted to know or see anything but a little correct knowledge does help. I cannot see tools or needles as I would be out of there.

My appointment went very well today thank you for asking, I have to go on the 30th Jan for a little filling redoing on a tooth that is going to get crowned, then she is going to crown it over two more appointments. She did a full check up today and my gums are good apart from a couple of areas the measurements are all 0 and the problem bits are 2 which isn't bad but could improve.

Good luck to you for your next appointment you will be fine, your dentist sounds lovely. It really is all down to the right dentist.

 

[Pollyanna]

OMG Carole, you have really been through so much and must feel so proud of yourself when you look back on your journey - and then hand holding the rest of us too.

My dentist was an emergency NHS dentist found for my on New Years Eve by my local health trust. It looked a bit rough from the outside and wouldn't have picked it out if I hadn't have been desperate. He was just on closing when they rang too. He waited for me to come as it was 10miles away from where I lived and then spent an hour just sitting with me and going over everything with me, didn't have to sit in the chair, he even gave me a prescription for antibiotics in case it all kicked off on new years day and no access to advice. All of this on New Years Eve.

I also had an appointment the day after new years day with a private practice just in case the local health trust couldn't find me one so thought perhaps I should go to this one as well and then make a choice. It was very palatial with sofas in the waiting room and very posh indeed. When I seen the dentist I felt no connection whatsoever, he seemed very flat and not at all warm. So I paid the fee and then returned to my nice NHS guy for the treatment. There must be a moral in there somewhere.

Thank Carole, you are awesome. Good luck to you on the rest of your journey, you are such an inspiration.

 

[carole]

I am really pleased that you met your nice dentist, that is all we need. I know sometimes they are pushed for time but a few kind words and a smile goes a long way. I think we all understand that they work wonders in the time they are allowed to spend on us.

Your experience just goes to show it isn't always as simple as going private. There are good and bad in all aspects.

Good for you whooooooooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooo

I would also like to add that I only give back on here what I have had, this forum was and is a god send for me. I got a lot of support so I like to PASS IT ON.

 

[spanna]

Wahoo! I am so glad everything worked out well for you! Well done for being brave, your next appointments will just get easier. Sounds like you found yourself a great dentist there!