• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

Pain during final stage of root canal

AngelCatMei

AngelCatMei

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2017
Messages
114
Location
Singapore
Hi guys!

I need a root canal to my upper left first molar next week. Called up two endodontist, 1st endodontist say it will be done in two visits. 2nd endodontist say it can be done in one or two visits so it's up to me but I won't be able to chew ANYTHING on the temp filling while waiting a week for 2nd stage.

This is my concern as I have a missing molar on the other side of my mouth, so I would like to know is it true if we can't chew even like soft food even with temp filling (soft rice, steam mashed vegetables, mashed potatoes or egg)?

And, is it better to get the RCT done in one or two visits?

And, can I chew on that tooth with permanent filling but without crowning yet? As I heard it's better to wait a few weeks for the RCT tooth to settle down before going for crowning.

Please kindly advise :) thank you guys!
 
I have had both 1 and 2 visit root canal treatments, and I prefer 2 visits. It gives the tooth a chance to calm down before the final visit, and the endodontist will put medicine in the tooth to make sure that all of the infection is gone before sealing up the tooth.
No, you should not eat on that tooth at all until you get a crown.
 
I have had both 1 and 2 visit root canal treatments, and I prefer 2 visits. It gives the tooth a chance to calm down before the final visit, and the endodontist will put medicine in the tooth to make sure that all of the infection is gone before sealing up the tooth.
No, you should not eat on that tooth at all until you get a crown.

Thank you for your reply! How long should I wait before I can get a crown? Also, is one week the waiting period between first and second visit?
 
With all due respect, that's not accurate, if the temp filling can't stand up to you chewing on it then it's not been done properly. I wouldn't go opening beer bottles with the tooth, but chewing is fine.
As for 1 or 2 visits, it's a matter of how badly infected the root canal is and whether the endodontist thinks they've got the canal fully cleaned out. The time between treatments is usually at least a week.
 
With all due respect, that's not accurate, if the temp filling can't stand up to you chewing on it then it's not been done properly. I wouldn't go opening beer bottles with the tooth, but chewing is fine.
As for 1 or 2 visits, it's a matter of how badly infected the root canal is and whether the endodontist thinks they've got the canal fully cleaned out. The time between treatments is usually at least a week.

Thank you, Gordon. I was really hoping you will see this thread.

I called up the endodontist office and told the nurse I wish for the treatment to be done in two visits, she told me no problem and there's no restriction when I will come back for the final visit (not crowning). So she booked for me two days apart from the 1st visit. She wanted it to be done in a visit if I can withstand the long hours.

I was actually quite worried for this root canal. Previously, I got one done by a general dentist, it did not heal and eventually it got extracted. Now I'm missing a molar on my right side and have been chewing on left side instead. It's tough, now that my left molar need RCT, I'm just worried that it will not heal.

Have been wondering why does the previous RCT tooth throb so badly after putting in the gutta percha. The tooth felt so tight and the next day it throb non stop.

Super worried since it cost SGD1800 for RCT done by endodontist. Can't afford it to fail...

My upper left teeth having those dull ache. I can't even tell is the tooth that need RCT is hurting or the one beside is. Ugh.

Sorry for venting, I'm just super emotional now.
 
They have a very high success rate, so it will probably be okay. Please follow-up letting us know how it goes.
 
They have a very high success rate, so it will probably be okay. Please follow-up letting us know how it goes.

I just completed my last stage of root canal. I cried because this is much more painful than the first visit. Especially when he's washing the canal and soaking up the moist with a paper. Even when he's putting in the pink filling into the canal, it hurt like heck. It's like a sharp pain kinda of feeling. Even with anesthesia, it hurts. I couldn't help but worry about it. This was much more painful than my previous failed root canal.

However the endodontist told me that it's just a mild discomfort because there's always an opening in our tooth root, and outside of tooth there's tissue that might leak into the tooth. Basically he's saying that the pain is due to the nerve outside of the tooth.

Is it true? I got a post and core too. He told me not to chew on that tooth till I got a crown. Is so hard not to when the other side or my mouth I got a missing molar.

He told me people usually don't feel the pain after 2 days but unfortunately some takes times for it to stop hurting.
 
I got a post and core too. Most of my tooth structure is gone. So I need a crowning before I can chew on that side.

I can only get a crown next month due to finance issues and I wish to only get it once this tooth have settled down.

Was told to chew on the right side instead but I'm missing my first lower molar on the right side LOL! So now I can only have food that doesn't require chewing. Sigh. This is depressing.

Root canal by specialist is so expensive. I spent SGD1800 on it. And a crown cost SGD1500. I really hope that it will heal well after spending so much money on it.
 
So sorry to read how painful your experience was, @AngelCatMei and after some time here on the forum I have to say that it's really hard for me to accept the explanation of "just a mild discomfort because there's always an opening in the root". Reading you cried and it hurt like heck it doesn't sound like a mild discomfort.. Root canal treatment is not supposed to be painful - that's what local anesthetic is for. May I ask you how your endodontist managed the fact you have been in pain? Did they top-up the anesthetic? Did they give you a break? I have the image of you crying there and the endodontist just going on but hope that wasn't the case.

I would love to read what our forum dentists say..
 
The most likely explanation for the pain is that some of the flushing agent escaped from the tooth into the little space at the top of the root. It's very painful but doesn't normally cause any long term issues and the root canal will not fail because of it.
 
The most likely explanation for the pain is that some of the flushing agent escaped from the tooth into the little space at the top of the root. It's very painful but doesn't normally cause any long term issues and the root canal will not fail because of it.

That was what the endodontist told me too. I woke up feeling okay today. The only pain was when I'm brushing my teeth and pressing on it..
 
The most likely explanation for the pain is that some of the flushing agent escaped from the tooth into the little space at the top of the root. It's very painful but doesn't normally cause any long term issues and the root canal will not fail because of it.

I just made an appointment with my general dentist in two weeks time for the crowning too. Want to chew on food as soon as possible. Have been surviving on porridge since 16th Dec.
 
So sorry to read how painful your experience was, @AngelCatMei and after some time here on the forum I have to say that it's really hard for me to accept the explanation of "just a mild discomfort because there's always an opening in the root". Reading you cried and it hurt like heck it doesn't sound like a mild discomfort.. Root canal treatment is not supposed to be painful - that's what local anesthetic is for. May I ask you how your endodontist managed the fact you have been in pain? Did they top-up the anesthetic? Did they give you a break? I have the image of you crying there and the endodontist just going on but hope that wasn't the case.

I would love to read what our forum dentists say..

He did not top up any anesthetic. He say that the anesthetic should last up to 3 hours. But honestly I can feel it fading away and I mentioned it to him too. He say is impossible. And yes, he just go and and told me that everything is fine, it's gonna be over soon .
 
Next time find a different provider. A good provider will numb you a couple different ways. Maxillary (top) teeth: Buccal Infiltration, and Paletal. Sometimes periodontal ligamentsingle-tooth-anesthesia and in the tooth itself.

Mandubular (bottom) teeth: same as above only instead of a paletal an IAN block is common. Typically the infiltration is near the ,mandibular canal.

They also have better local anesthetics usable for everything but blocks, which are still generally Lidocaine. Articaine comes to mind.

For me it’s liquid gold being a ginger (red head). It turns off the pain 100% like mo other. I cannot even tell if it is a bottom or top tooth being drilled on.

*******
My guess is a different provider would try some more local with some new drugs numbing it in several places.
 
The most likely explanation for the pain is that some of the flushing agent escaped from the tooth into the little space at the top of the root. It's very painful but doesn't normally cause any long term issues and the root canal will not fail because of it.

@Gordon, I was wondering two things.
1) How frequently does this happen during rct treatment?
2) If this happens and people are in pain, is there anything a dentist can do about it?
 
1) Fortunately very infrequently. We take lots of steps to try to minimise it happening but it can still occur with a decent dollop of bad luck. Trouble is if you eliminate the compound that causes the issues, you reduce the chances of the RCT actually working... so you need to accept that there is a small risk.

2) Unfortunately not a great deal, you can try a regional block injection but it won't necessarily eliminate all the pain.
 
1) Fortunately very infrequently. We take lots of steps to try to minimise it happening but it can still occur with a decent dollop of bad luck. Trouble is if you eliminate the compound that causes the issues, you reduce the chances of the RCT actually working... so you need to accept that there is a small risk.

2) Unfortunately not a great deal, you can try a regional block injection but it won't necessarily eliminate all the pain.

I believe inserting the paper point into the canal hurts is normal too? Before the endodontist do that, he told me it's gonna hurt a bit because of the fluid moving about in the canal. Is that possible, Gordon?
 
No, it's not normal, I'd be surprised if the patient felt it at all.
 
No, it's not normal, I'd be surprised if the patient felt it at all.

I see. I guess I'm the weird one... This is not the first time I experienced this during root canal. My previous general dentist mentioned that my previous root canal failed is due to short root.

Anyway, is it possible to eat with the root canal tooth? Can't stand living off porridge till next month.
 
Yes of course you can. Treat it with a little bit of respect, so don't go attacking really hard foods with it, but most things are fine.
 
Back
Top