how to work on my courage for a root canal next month

[nutzforcats]

I went to see a dentist who can do my root canal, as my dentist doesn't do root canals, but found out he can't do it until November 7th. I'm not in pain so it can wait and am glad it's not happening next week so I can relax but I do want to work on my courage so when it does get closer, I won't feel as anxious. Does anyone have suggestions on a type of book that may help or what I could do that has helped them? I can't take meds. so that is out and I can't find a dentist who does IV sedation near me so that is out. I did have a root canal 2 1/2 years ago and got through it but it was a bottom tooth and this is a top back tooth. I wish I could have the dentist do this one but he isn't working in my area. I was thinking writing things down and doing exercises but not sure what would help me the best. I am waiting until Jan. to get the crown and will have my dentist do a proper filling after the root canal so i'm not stuck with a temp. filling for 2 or 3 months. The only thing that is helping right now is spacing things out, thankfully no pain so I can do that.

Tammy

 

[Enarete]

Hi Tammy,

great to hear that you would like to prepare yourself to be able to cope with the root canal, thats very wise.
There are plenty of things you can do yourself if you know what it is that worries you about the procedure. The basis for it would be to make a good list of your fears regarding the root canal, maybe even their origin and see how you could desensitize yourself for every one of them. If you like to post the list here we could for sure serve you with some ideas.

All the best wishes

 

[nutzforcats]

i made a list- the length of the procedure bothers me and having to keep my mouth open and worked on, i have 3 canals and he is allowing 1 1/2 hours for everything. Worried about swallowing anything they are using and the bleach taste in my mouth. Being able to breathe is a major one as I have a congested sinus on that side and it is always worse this time of year (am going to use saline and my sprays but that doesn't always help that issue). I'm not worried about it not going well as I did have a root canal 2 1/2 years ago with no issues and being through it once, does help somewhat. I am highly sensitive to sound,smells and my emotions can make it worse so that is also something I have to deal with. He said he can cut a hole in the dental dam so I will remind him and also tell him other important info. before he starts so he knows how I am feeling, etc. I' m not worried about the needle, had enough that it's not much of an issue and can take it even if it hurts as it's a short pain. Thanks for any help to deal with my issues. Dealing with a new dentist to do the procedure is another issue but my dentist doesn't do root canals and the one that did my first one moved.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Nutzforcats

I have some some of those same fears. of swallowing things and new dentists working on me too that I don't know. I am totally fine with mine but its a challenge to get to trust someone new for a big job in a short time. a few years ago I would have just not done it. Are you going to an endodontist to do it? I know even though I really trust my own dentist I'm also trusting him to know the right thing to do for me and I guess that is send me to someone who specializes. I think we both can make it through! You are on here and talking about it and processing it and getting support ! That is great .

I know I put on music that helps me calm and just really do breathing.. though it doesn't seem like it when I"m in the chair sometimes lol..breath.. oh yeah.. breath.. I"m a journaler and that really helps .. process feelings on anything for me.. but this is a sort of journal too.. just a few more weeks.. I wish the best for you. let us know how it goes.

 

[nutzforcats]

music helps me as well, am just going to try to get it done as i really don't want to lose a molar, so really have no choice. i was able to find another dentist in the same building as mine who has alot of experience and will save me alot of money instead of going to an endo.- had my last done just by a dentist with no issues so am going to stay positive all will go well this time. $200 is better than close to $2000 and i also have to pay $1200 for the crown and i'm on disability. Just glad it's not next week and is a month away so i have time. Journaling helps me too so will do that next week. Thanks.

 

[Enarete]

Ok, so there are parts that can be solved through a good communication with your dentist.

You migh agree to give you few short breaks during the procedure so that you can relax a bit. I know that rubber dam can be taken of too if you need a break so it might be worthy to discuss this with your dentist. It is all about letting him know and about his flexibility. We had a post here on the forum few weeks ago with a user asking wether taking breaks during a root canal would be possible and the answer was yes, so you might ask your dentist and make sure you get some breather. I will see if I can find the thread.

If keeping your mouth open for a long time bothers you, you dentist might suggest using a biting block which is something you can bite on for your jaws to feel more comfortable. Again, if you let your dentist know, he might show it to you and see if you like it or offer you other ideas.

Swallowing and bleach taste should not be too much of a problem as you will have the rubber dam which isolates you from that. Again, letting your dentist know will help him to be more careful. The bleach dentists use is the same thing that gets used for swimming pools so if you are worried about the smell and open to ways to overcome it, you might consider going to a pool to get used to that smell.

Breathing is a huge one, I understand you are worried about this. This has a lot to do with self control and being confident that you can breathe. You could train this / test it out if you like - by laying down and testing around a bit - can you breathe comfortably while being lied down? Can you breathe through your nose comfortably while having your mouth opened? You could also try to cover your opened mouth with your hand and see if you can still breathe through your nose comfortably. Once you experienced this being possible, you will feel much more confident for a treatment. You cannot imagine how much time I had spent lying on the floor with my mouth opened imagining a dental treatment in order to desensitize myself. It feels a bit silly and you want to make sure nobody sees you like that but it helps

Last piece of advice is breathing. There is a trick I learned from Dr.Mike Gow who is one of the dental superstars here. You would breathe in on 4, hold your breath on 4 and breathe out veeeeeeery slowly on 8. This is my holy grail when it comes to fighting any anxiety or nervousness and I use it every time I get uncomfortable. If you like to try it out, start using in during the day any time you feel nervous so that it gets natural. There are of course a lot of other techniques out there to calm yourself down so take whatever you prefer.

These are just some suggestions, as always, everyone is different so some things might work for you and some not. Let us know how you were doing and if you find a good strategy to deal with the treatment, make sure to share

All the best wishes

 

[Enarete]

Here is the thread I was talking about, there is a gret reply from Lincoln Hirst, on of the forum dentists:

Can you take breaks during root canal treatment?

Hello everyone. I'm hoping that you can help me with a couple of questions I have. I recently had a replacement filling in a molar, it was quite a deep filling and my dentist said to monitor it. This was almost two weeks ago and everything seems fine. The problem I seem to have is that every now...

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[nutzforcats]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I had to hurry yesterday as it was Thanksgiving here and needed to help with the dinner. I will try the breathing and will make sure to tell him before he starts as i don't have another exam with him before. He has 3 canals to do plus putting a temp. filling on- will 1 1/2 hours be enough time or will that be rushing? I don't want be under pressure or stress out my dentist as I want it done right but also need to make sure I can breathe okay, i'm sure they can forget there is someone attached to these teeth and they may need to breathe at times? I just want a bathroom break - 5 mins. at some point as stress affects my bladder for some reason, I do tend to relax once dentist work is started unless I feel it's taking too long. I've had a bite block before but found them abit uncomfortable but will see if he offers one. I try to think positive things esp. if I start feeling anxious. I am trying to remember it's only a short time of an afternoon and I need it done so will find my way through it.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Nutzforcats

I've had a few root canals, the one that did most of them with, I had plenty of breaks as needed and he always checked in on my comfort level and I really do think the dentists do plan for potential breaks and know this happens, timing can really vary depending on the tooth.. Let them know you are worried about this even the same day that you may need a break and agree on a stop sign. Also tell them if you are worried about things being rushed and they will maybe pay attn to take their time. I don't like the bite block myself either..

 

[Enarete]

will 1 1/2 hours be enough time or will that be rushing?

1 1/2 hours sounds like a huge time span and a lot of time to give you time. Also remember that this won't be the pure procedure time, but also some waiting till the numbing takes effect, preparation etc. It might be a good idea to agree with your dentist at which points he can give you a break as he knows which parts of the procedure can be interrupted the most comfortably.

 

[nutzforcats]

tomorrow is the big day! Trying to remain calm and do my breathing exercises. There was abit of an issue with the time but it's 1:20pm so have time to get ready and have something to eat. I'm just trying to treat it like a normal day and hope I can get through it all like it is in my head. I have abit of a cough due to my sinuses but hope it's not too bad and I can finish it all tomorrow.

Tammy

 

[Judythecat]

Hi Tammy, I had two root canals done on upper molars earlier this year by an endodontist. He allowed 1h 45 for each appointment, and I had four appointments of that length between the two teeth. I actually did need to stop for a bathroom break in the middle of my final appointment, and it was fine - he took the rubber dam off and the nurse showed me through.

In terms of time, I was told I was paying for a complete treatment, so even if it took ten appointments to do, the cost would be the same - I'm in the UK, and I think I was £800 for one, then £1,000 for the other, then crowns on top. (One of the teeth was a re-treatment on a root canal that had been done ages ago with no problems, but the x-ray showed it was actually only half done, so I decided to get that fixed at the same time.) Don't worry about the dentist having to rush - worst case scenario, he would seal you up and get you to come back in another day.

I have mentioned this before on the forum, and I realise it makes me sound nuts, but I brought a stuffed animal (a Beanie Baby, so small) that I held in my hands during each appointment. It helps me to have something to fiddle with. I felt a bit daft on the first appointment, but I think the dentist wants you to be as comfortable as possible and really doesn't care. He also had a TV above the chair and I was able to pick what was on. (I would rather be "present" and know what's going on instead of listening to music.) I found the procedures long and boring, but there was no pain at all other than a stiff jaw later on - at one point I almost dozed off!

Good luck tomorrow!

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Tammy,

Thinking of you and hope all goes well for you and they do it in all gentleness, patience and competance with all and that it can help you feel better long term!! You got alot of support rooting for you!

 

[nutzforcats]

Thank you. I am just back from my root canal and am glad it's behind me. I made it through and was very brave but sure glad when the dental dam came off! They were abit behind but it took just over an hour to do. I went to my dentist right after to make an appt. for a regular filling, they like to wait 2-3 weeks and my dentist is only working Mondays so go Dec. 3rd. I will get a crown in Jan. or Feb., depending when I can have my dentist do it, she is retiring later next year so will have to switch dentists' again but there is another dentist taking over her practice. They told me to not chew hard stuff but said it was okay to chew on it, i'll just stick to the other side to be sure. I will also be careful with tea and hot stuff as I don't want to have to go back to have this filling redone.

 

[Enarete]

Glad to read it went well, give yourself a pat on the back Did they give you some breaks during the process? Sorry to read your dentist is retiring. Could you imagine to switch to the one who is taking over?

 

[nutzforcats]

I am proud of myself for getting it done, it wasn't easy but wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. I did have acouple of breaks so that also helped. I am getting more used to the dental dam each time as well. I will try the new dentist and see how i like her, my dentist will be there once a week so will try to get her, have her for the filling and hopefully for the crown but will see how long I will need to wait to get in with her, not going to worry if I don't as i'd like it done early in the new year.