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How can I get through RCT?

N

Nicci

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Messages
85
I have a RCT booked for January.

I wanted to put it off as I had a filling on that tooth in June and it took months to settle, so I didn't want to mess around with it before Christmas when the practice is closed for a long period.

The cost alone has depressed me, £1300 just for a RCT and a crown, (that's the "from" fee.. so it could be higher).

I told someone and they told me not to do it as they usually fail..

Pulling it out is only £122 and it's done with (it's a visible tooth , but only with a v large smile!)

I have never spent such a high amount on myself.. I don't drink, smoke, go out, so I can't cut back on anything either.


I'm trying to convince myself I will try my best but I fear this will be the tipping point and put me back to square one.
I can cope with check-ups, x-rays, fillings but nothing more.. sitting through a lengthy appointment (multiple fillings) was what started all this.

The jaw pain from holding my mouth open for so long becomes unbearable, to the point I can barely open wide enough.
The lack of control - so sedation won't help.
The nausea..

I'm terrified.

Added to that, yesterday and today it's started to twinge, so I know I can't back out. I'm scared of it flaring up/ hurting all night long and I end up going in after a sleepless night and end up feeling out of it or nauseated from lack of sleep(!). I'm filled with worry.

I'm hoping I can take headphones, try and breathe deep and all that..

But what will get me through?
 
I wanted to add, and maybe get a dentist opinion - I get a low (or no?) adrenaline anesthetic as the usual ones react with my medication and gives me a racing heart, palpitations etc.

Will this be a problem with a lengthy RCT, as it's wears off very quickly?

Thank you.
 
No, I had 2 RCTs carried out on 2 teeth last month in one appointment and had non adrenaline anesthetic and it was fine.
 
I had two RCTs in October. The process wasnt long at all. I listened to an audiobook and got the nonadrenaline anesthetic and was fine!
As for sedation (IV or nitrous), i was concerned about control issues too. But i was able to do both for an extraction/bone graft no problem. It was actually kinda fun!
 
Thank you for your replies. I was mainly concerned about the length of time, until I thought about the anesthetic/non adrenaline type and started worrying about that aswell (getting numb and stating numb!). Nice to hear something positive, ty xx
 
I just went through my first RCT, and I used noise canceling ear buds and crancked my music up to drown out the "sounds" You will be fine...and you will not feel a thing.
 
It is so worth it to try to save your tooth. They don’t usually fail, or millions of people wouldn’t keep getting them and there’d be a lot more people walking around with no teeth! They can fail, and they can fail years later, but that’s not a certainty.

Anyway, I found my root canal way more comforting than my fillings. I almost fell asleep. I didn’t do this since I was afraid to ask, but could you bring headphones and listen to music or calming sounds? I liked hearing the endodontists comments on my tooth since it was a big infection. Hearing him say that it looked great etc was calming to me.

I didn’t feel a thing with mine! Not even the injection. He was incredible. If you have a good dentist, you can close your eyes and try to focus on breathing. It will be over before you know it
 
I had two root canals last spring & I was terrified (you can probably look back and find my old posts about RCT). Like many here have said, it was honestly a piece of cake. No pain, 2 successful treatments & both procedures took less than an hour start to finish (that includes X-rays, extra time for numbing, etc). The only painful thing about the entire experience was the cost (ha!) I decided that keeping my own teeth was worth the cost. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. ?
 
@Nicci I had mine started today at a specialist endodontist. It took about 1 hour 20 minutes including numbing me up, talking me through the procedure, getting the tooth prepped etc and chatting to me when she had finished top explain what she had done and what to expect pain wise etc.
It wasn't painful at all and hopefully any soreness will be alleviated with paracetamol.
I think the thought of it is worse than the reality. The bill of 1100 was more painful!
 
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