Root canal coming up, and frightened

[JasmineTilde]

For my birthday, I got a dentist's visit, and for Valentine's Day, I'm getting another one.

The dentist told me my tooth #2 needs root canal therapy, and the gum around it is inflamed. It hasn't hurt me before, and I hasn't noticed a cavity prior.

The hypochondriac part of me is terrified the infection has spread to the brain (mainly because I have a bit of a headache accompanying my throbbing tooth this morning) or something already. I'm beside myself with worry, counting each day until I get the treatment.

I'm also terrified of having a root canal, I never have before.

 

[FearfulInMA]

Many people have infections for years and are fine. I know that you're worried about all of the things that could be, but a headache is much more likely from the stress you're having than from anything else.


In terms of the root canal, can you say what you're most anxious about? I've had 4 (5 of you count the one I had retreated). I'm happy to tell you as much as you'd like to know about them and/or to answer any questions. What I will say is that they were all painless and that it is a very calm, quiet procedure. There's very little drilling which makes it quieter than most fillings and you can close your eyes and just zone out if that works for you.

If you can tell me what you're most worried about, I will try to help the best I can.

 

[JasmineTilde]

Many people have infections for years and are fine. I know that you're worried about all of the things that could be, but a headache is much more likely from the stress you're having than from anything else.


In terms of the root canal, can you say what you're most anxious about? I've had 4 (5 of you count the one I had retreated). I'm happy to tell you as much as you'd like to know about them and/or to answer any questions. What I will say is that they were all painless and that it is a very calm, quiet procedure. There's very little drilling which makes it quieter than most fillings and you can close your eyes and just zone out if that works for you.

If you can tell me what you're most worried about, I will try to help the best I can.

It had been seven years since my last visit, I'm not sure how long that tooth had been a problem. I'm nineteen, just now taking care of all my dental issues after finding out my insurance DOES cover it.

Thank you so much for this, I'm a little ashamed of how frightened I am and how ignorant I am of the subject. I'd let myself go for too long.

I'm mostly worried about the pain, I think. I'm terrified of needles, and of having this infection, but I'm anxious to get it over with.

 

[FearfulInMA]

You should not feel ANY pain. I'm terrified of needles, but over the last 9 years or so I've had so much dental work, that I'm actually way less fearful of dental injections than any others at this point. Most dental injections can be done with little or no discomfort. And, once they give the injection, you start to get numb quickly... so you really won't feel anything.

 

[explosionsinthesky]

It had been seven years since my last visit, I'm not sure how long that tooth had been a problem. I'm nineteen, just now taking care of all my dental issues after finding out my insurance DOES cover it.

Thank you so much for this, I'm a little ashamed of how frightened I am and how ignorant I am of the subject. I'd let myself go for too long.

I'm mostly worried about the pain, I think. I'm terrified of needles, and of having this infection, but I'm anxious to get it over with.

i had rct last week for a tooth with a long standing infection (some 9 months, might be longer but since it was painless so I might've not noticed it), and I am happy to report that RCT was completely painless, and recovery afterwards was fine really. I was sore for a number of days (still am a bit) but no pain to speak off. don't worry, it will be fine

 

[sharon]

I've had more root canals than I care to admit to. They are truly nowhere near as bad as people like to make them sound. In a way they are almost relaxing (sort of, lol). There is very little drilling and most of what happens is cleaning out the root over and over and over. I did have one that he had some trouble getting fully numb but with the others there was no pain at all. Many years ago I worked in an endodontist office and we would get the worst of the worst cases; very rarely were there any problems and people left feeling good. We had to call the patients the day after their treatment to ask how they felt and most of them had no problems at all, just a little soreness which is to be expected after all the prodding the root gets. Aspirin usually takes care of that.

 

[JasmineTilde]

I'm glad the general consensus is that root canals aren't so bad. Now I just have this infection to worry about, and whether it could spread to my brain or jaw, of if I could become septic.

However unlikely it is, that's eating at me. I won't see my dentist for over a week, and that feels far away at this point.

 

[pau1200]

Hi,

I am really bad when it comes to the dentist, and I mean proper scared. As a child I had filling done without any numbing stuff and thats where my fear started.
I hadn't been the dentist for years and then came down with the worst tooth pain ever, I was dragged to the dentist by my wife and other members of the family. I needed a root canal, dentist was great and understood how fearful i was, the root canal was painless and his technique with the needle was brilliant, I honestly didnt feel the needle, he explained every stage of it and there was nothing to it, honestly, a little bit of drilling, some exray to check the roots are drilled enough, then they fill it with some fluid, and finish with a temporary crown whilst the full crown is made.
Dont get me wrong i'm still really scared and anxious about the dentist, need to have a tooth pulled on thursday, something Ive never had, but i spent 10 mins trying to convince the dentist to give me a root canal but no such luck.

The other i did was to take my ipod and i listened to an audio book (not music) whilst he did his work, I found concentrating on the audio book kept me calm and allowed him to work. We agreed that if i wanted him to stop i was to raise my hand, and obviously when he spoke to me I paused and listened. You do get a bit of jaw ache because you mouth is open for a long time, if you need a rest lest them know and they will accommodate you.