r/Explainlikeimscared • u/Pure_Method2119 • 12d ago
Root canal
I have a molar that needs a root canal. Got a second opinion months ago, the doctor cleaned it and filled it.
Had a tooth cleaning today and felt that sharp pain near that tooth. After an x ray the doctor told me I need a root canal.
I’m horribly scared of getting one. I know I get an injection before, but what if it doesn’t numb the tooth 100%? I am so scared of feeling that pain again.
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u/unlovelyladybartleby 12d ago
After they numb you, they check to see if you are numb and tell you to let them know if you feel the sensation returning so that they can give you another needle. So just be honest and let them know.
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u/amanducktan 12d ago
get the gas! I had my first root canal 2 years ago. Get the gas lol
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u/Pure_Method2119 12d ago
How does it feel?
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u/amanducktan 12d ago
the gas or the root canal? If you get the gas you dont care youre getting your teeth drilled haha. Its sublime. I get the gas first, then the numbing shot (it helps so much with the pain of the shot) then they let me chill a few mins to let the novocaine kick in while breathing in the gas. Makes you floaty and nonchalant. I could never tolerate a filling, much less a root canal without it, Im a big baby.
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u/Ok-Astronomer-9158 12d ago
Tell the endo or dental assistant that you have anxiety about the numbing not fully working and they will likely give you a sign or signal to give them if you feel any pain at all after numbing (mine told me to raise my left hand if I felt anything). They will also probably poke your gums a few times before starting to make sure you’re all numbed and they’ll ask you how you’re feeling a few times throughout.
I also had anxiety about this when I had my root canal, but just remember that they do this multiple times a day, every day! They’re experts at it.
It’s scary, but they also know that and they want you to be as comfortable as you can be. You got this 💪🏼
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u/LetsRockDude 12d ago
If you feel any pain, you will get more anaesthesia. I almost fell asleep during my root canal treatment because I literally didn't feel a thing.
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u/VampireSharkAttack 12d ago
Your fear actually happened to me, and I’m here to report that it wasn’t that bad! I had resorption in a back tooth, which is essentially treated through a complicated root canal where they stuff the hollowed-out tooth with medication. Halfway through the procedure, I felt some dull pain, and I made a startled noise. The endodontist was like “what’s wrong?” and I said (as best I could with a mouthful of dental equipment) “hurts.” He immediately gave me another injection with more local anesthetic, which stung a bit but started working very quickly. He gave the medication a few minutes to take full effect, then asked if I could feel anything, and if I was sure I didn’t still feel pain, and told me to signal if it happened again so I could get even more local anesthetic, before he got back to work. It didn’t happen again: I was super numb for the rest of the process.
A modern root canal is very much like a regular filling as far as patient experience goes. My mom (who is in her early 60s) says that they used to be a lot worse, which is where the scary reputation comes from. Dental medicine has come a long way in the past couple of decades!
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u/Pure_Method2119 12d ago
It happened to me before, too, which is why I’m so scared of experiencing it again 😣
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u/VampireSharkAttack 12d ago
I think it would be a good idea to tell your dentist that. They might take extra care to get you extra numb if they know you need it. You might also ask about nitrous oxide: it can help a lot with the anxiety and also reduces perception of pain.
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u/Occasionally_Sober1 12d ago
When I had my first root canal 30 years ago it as awful. Took forever, hurt a lot both before and after, and I ended up with a cracked tooth.
When I needed one more recently I was petrified. It was so easy — possibly because I was expecting the worst. I didn’t need pain meds other than OTCs. Dentistry has come so far in the last couple decades. Yes, the numbing med stings but it’s over fast. If you don’t feel completely numb ask for more. You’ll be fine. If you’re in the U.S., your wallet will hurt more than your mouth.
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u/Ok-Adhesiveness-1515 12d ago
Tell them you need to be super numbed and that you’re terrified of a root canal.. ^that was me.. and they numbed the shit out of me and it was surprisingly not bad
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u/mossyquartz 12d ago
I had a root canal a couple of years ago. I was so scared that I asked them to just put me under and take the tooth out lol (they said no). Similar to other dental procedures I’ve had, the administration of the first numbing shot was the most painful part. It was mostly uncomfortable because of my own anxiety. I could feel some pressure in my jaw while they worked, but it was not painful during the procedure.