Root canal or a simple biting pain?

[Kjane]

So I have recently been to the dentist cause I had a cavity that hurt really bad. It woke me up a few nights before, and the pain was intense. I got a filling and I was felling better, but the dentist said if the pain persists, I might have to get a root canal. I had no idea what that was until my mom told me, and I started dramatically crying. I didn't want to get a root canal!! It was feeling better I started to get my hopes up, when I ate a prime rib. I chomped on my back molar which had the filling in it, and it hurts really bad. I came home crying. My dad said at first I was gonna get a root canal until I told him what it felt like. It was a different pain than having a cavity infect your tooth, he said that the filling is losse or the nerve is mad at me. It feels like the tooth itself is cracked, but everything looks normal when I look at it. I can still feel the filling so I didn't break it off, and the pain hurts really bad. Like I said the pain is different so I don't think it's the cavity. What is it? Even if it I do need a root canal, I am terrified of them. Does getting a root canal hurt? It's only been 2 days since I got the filling so I'm pretty sure that its not the cavity that hurts. How do I get over the fear if root canals? Please help! I would appreciate it!!!!!

 

[carole]

Hi WELCOME to the forum

Sometimes when we have a filling it can take a while for it to settle. It might be that if you watch what you eat on that side of your mouth it may settle. It is still early days to tell if it needs further work or not.

I would give it a bit longer if I were you.

A rct (root canal treatment) does not hurt. I don't know what your mum described to you but I have had a couple of rct's recently and this is what actually happens. Mine was on a couple of back teeth that had three roots and one of the teeth had bent roots.

I was numbed by the dentist, when I felt numb he tested the area to make sure that it was. He put a clamp like thing on my tooth, which feels a bit like the thing they put over your tooth when doing a filling. He put on a dental dam which is a rubber small sheet that fits over the tooth to isolate it and keep it clean and dry. This does go over your mouth but you can still breath and swallow as usual, I don't mind these as any little bits don't go onto your tongue or in your mouth.
There is very little drilling, and I mean very little. They then clean the roots of the tooth with hand files, they use a cleaning fluid, they take an x ray to make sure that the root is clean and that they have reached the tip of the root. If they are happy with this they will fill the root and either put a temp filling in or a permanent one. Some dentists do a rct in two visits, some in one. I have had both and it doesn't make any difference to us. If they are done in two visits the second visit is similar to the first they would fill the tooth with a permanent filling at the second visit.

The procedure is usually 45 mins long but goes much quicker than you think it will, it is a boring procedure and very quiet for us. You do get time to rest your jaw, the dental dam can be removed in a second if needed. I arranged a stop signal with my dentist before we started which is always good to do. I had no pain at all and felt nothing. I would rather have a rct than a filling because it is a much gentler feeling treatment than a filling.

Before I had mine I was terrified because of what I had heard but my fear was unfounded.

What are you afraid of about a rct?

You may not need one, give the tooth a bit longer to settle sometimes it can take a few days sometimes a few weeks. Take some pain meds if it gets too bad to keep the pain at bay don't let it build up. If you are worried then do contact your dentist and let them advise you. Sometimes after fillings our teeth fight back as they nerve can be a bit angry with the tooth being disturbed. This often does settle.

Try not to panic and get yourself worked up too much see how it goes for now

 

[Will273]

Nice to hear that Carole...it's what I might be looking at tomorrow.

Will