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Still worried about teeth and the next RCT appt!

rocklover

rocklover

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2010
Messages
89
Location
Devon, UK
I have my next appt on the 7th of June and although I am not panicking....yet, I am already worried about what will happen on this visit as I have no idea.

Also the last time I went the dentist gave me an x-ray on my right side (at last) and said there were no problems, although she didn't physically check the teeth like they usually do at a check-up. Even though she has said the only things I need done are the RCT and filling in my upper left wisdom tooth I still can't stop worrying that I have other things wrong that she hasn't noticed.

I am also worried that there has been no date given as to when my wisdom tooth cavity will be filled and I have visions of it getting really bad and turning into another RC jobbie. My dentist told me to eat normally on my left side (where the RCT is as well, currently filled with a temporary filling), but I am still scared to eat on it. I am chewing with my left side, but it makes me very nervous.

I have also been getting niggly little pains in various teeth in my mouth even though I know there are no other major problems. I think it is anxiety, but again, I am just worrying constantly.

Please can someone give me a little kick and tell me to stop being so silly as I know I am, I'm feeling distincly wobbly about my dental health at the moment and it's really not helping my underlying anxiety problem. I have put off starting my anti-depressant meds because I know they increase anxiety at the start and I cannot cope with dental appts with ramped up anxiety, so I am not in a good place right now!

Many thanks.
 
Hey Rocklover
Feeling fear before a dental appointment is common, normal and I dare to say even healthy:). The fear helps you take care of your health and well-being. This fear becomes a problem when it is to much, when you suffer from it and distressed.
Regarding your questions:
1) IYou are right to wonder why the dentist did not look on your teeth directly. I think the best thing is to ask your dentist for a final check-up once thetreatment plan is done, just to be sure that you are carious free. ;D
2) cavities develop very slowly. waiting couple of weeks should not make difference.
3) Sensetivities on our teeth can come and go without having any cavity. In any case, the dentist can help youalso with these sensitivities (even with just a bit of psychologic support:))
 
As Dr Daniel said, you could ask your dentist for a check-up after the root canal is done. It won't take her long just to have a quick look and set your mind at rest. If you think she's missed something, just let her know and then she can have a look at it.

You should be fine to eat on the temporary filling - just be sensible about it. Don't go eating toffees or anything like that which has been known to pull fillings out. Make sure you keep your teeth clean, use your common sense and you'll be fine.

I have my next appt on the 7th of June and although I am not panicking....yet, I am already worried about what will happen on this visit as I have no idea.

Before I had my first root canal a few months ago, I was absolutely panicking and dreading it - particularly because of all the horror stories that people seem to spread about them. A root canal is the ultimate dreaded dental procedure (according to the horror stories). Add to that the fact that the dentist who 'dressed' the tooth (like yours is now) had left and so the root canal would be done by someone new, who I'd not met before and who, as far as I was concerned, was probably really awful and was going to cause me a lot of pain and panic.

When I had the tooth dressed, the dentist told me what a root canal involved and said that it was similar to a filling, the only difference was that they go a bit deeper, clean out the canals, make sure they're sterile and then fill them up again. That was all there was to it - simple. But I wasn't convinced.

The day of the appointment came and I was absolutely at my wits end over it. Convinced that I was in for an hour of hell with a dentist that I didn't know, I reluctantly went into the room, preparing myself to do a runner at any moment if the new dentist was awful.

Well he wasn't. He was totally calm, very nice, very patient and very gentle. I think he maybe knew from my notes that I was terrified. Anyway, what I'd been told about root canals by the previous dentist, was true. It is just a deep filling. The only differences between what you had on the tooth at the previous appointment and a root canal are:


  1. It takes longer (I think it depends on the tooth, but mine was a molar and took about an hour).
  2. After they've drilled down into where the pulp/nerve is, they then use small file thingys to clean out the root canals (this sounds a bit weird as they're doing it, but you won't feel it).
  3. After the root canals have been cleaned out, they're cleaned/disinfected with some sort of bleach.
  4. Following the cleaning, the roots are then filled up and a normal filling is then put in your tooth on top of that
I've had a root canal done twice and I usually have problems with my lower teeth getting numb for fillings etc. When I had the root canals done, it was the same and I began to feel it when they'd reached the nerve. My dentist somehow numbed the tooth from inside and it went completely numb - in fact, having a root canal is about the only time when I've not felt any pain at all during the procedure.

Do you know what the best bit is though? After about a week or so of it being a bit sensitive following the root canal, the pain goes completely ;D.

You'll be fine.
 
I don't think I have an hour appt, only half an hour, the surgery don't seem to do any longer than that. She has not explained about what the treatment will entail, or how many appts I will need to complete the procedure.

If I ask her to look at my teeth on the right side after she has already done an x-ray, won't she think I'm being a pain to keep going on about things? I am abit worried she has missed something, but then that's me being an anxious person.
 
If I ask her to look at my teeth on the right side after she has already done an x-ray, won't she think I'm being a pain to keep going on about things? I am abit worried she has missed something, but then that's me being an anxious person.

She shouldn't think you're a pain at all. It may be that she did see the thing that you're worried about, but has decided to keep an eye on it and see how it develops. If this is the case, all she needs to do is provide reassurance that everything is OK.

Or it could be that maybe she has missed it, in which case, you're right to ask about it. Either way, she shouldn't get annoyed with you - she's supposed to listen to your concerns/questions and respond accordingly. It is a two-way relationship :).
 
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