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Original poster

How painful is a root canal?

51 replies

sarahj1986 · 12/10/2020 20:34

Im due to have a root canal next week which I have been told will take 90 minutes. Is it painful after the treatment? Im worried about been in a lot of pain after.

OP posts:
orangejuicer · 12/10/2020 21:27

Not painful really, more uncomfortable but totally bearable.

Dreading2020sSeasonFinale · 12/10/2020 21:37

They remove the nerve in the tooth so not at all painful afterwards BUT my jaw ached a bit and I had a tender cheek from all the messing about for so long.

Time2change2 · 12/10/2020 21:39

Don’t really remember much pain after- the pain before I had it was unbearable so anything was better than that!
The actual thing was uncomfortable and annoying. Just loads of things being poked in and wiggled around over and over again

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Twatalert · 12/10/2020 21:40

I have had three and no pain at all. Totally relaxed in the chair.

OllyBJolly · 12/10/2020 21:45

I've had two. Both times, having to keep my mouth wide open for so long was the uncomfortable bit.

and the dentist playing Leonard Cohen

Imnotaslimjim · 12/10/2020 21:52

I had a root canal after having an infection for 3 months. After 5 lots of antibiotics that didn't make a difference, he drilled the tooth and let it drain, then did the root canal a week later. The root canal was fairly straightforward, done and dusted in 45 minutes. A bit achy for a few days afterwards but nothing a paracetamol didn't fix.

AbsentmindedWoman · 12/10/2020 21:52

I was you last year OP! I am a horrendous dental patient - just so scared of it all.

It was fine, not painful and just a bit tender after. I did take heavy duty painkillers afterwards (cocodamol) before the anaesthesia wore off.

Choose a good dentist/ root canal specialist you feel comfortable with. I'd steer clear of the majority of NHS dentists. Obviously some are excellent and can work fast, but most don't have the time they need to do brilliant work for a complicated procedure like a root canal.

salty78 · 12/10/2020 21:54

Like having a long filling appointment. My last one wasn't painful at all and it was a big tooth.

Ilovesausages · 12/10/2020 21:56

I was told about the crown beforehand it was part of the plan.

So if they haven’t mentioned that yet it’s probably just the filling.

Although the crown was no bother at all.

Justgivemewine · 12/10/2020 22:01

It was fine, could feel it but no pain. Like a Previous posters friend I nearly fell asleep cos it took a while.

MasksGlovesSoapScrubs · 12/10/2020 22:02

DN here and we tend to do root canals in 2 sittings depending on the tooth.
It's not so much pain afterwards but some experience sensitivity.
The nerve is removed on the first sitting.

We usually offer crowns with RCT's because once the nerve is taken from the tooth the tooth can be come brittle and not so sturdy as it was before. If people don't get a crown and the tooth breaks sometimes we have enough tooth to prep for a crown but if not it either gets filed down and left to keep the space in your mouth or gets extracted.

MasksGlovesSoapScrubs · 12/10/2020 22:06

I'd steer clear of the majority of NHS dentists. Obviously some are excellent and can work fast, but most don't have the time they need to do brilliant work for a complicated procedure like a root canal.

This is not true. We have a duty of care and never just rush an RCT. You can't work 'fast' on an RCT anyway.
RCT is also not complicated depending on the tooth.
It becomes complicated when there is a curved root and you need an endo specialist because of their equipment. We refer these cases to a private clinic specialising in endo for the price of NHS.

AbsentmindedWoman · 13/10/2020 02:23

This is not true. We have a duty of care and never just rush an RCT. You can't work 'fast' on an RCT anyway.

It's true in my experience. Maybe I've just been unfortunate. I went to two NHS dental practises in a short space of time who were evidently bored/ disinterested/ slapdash and insisted my nagging sporadic toothache was in my head as there was nothing wrong with it. Then after about a year of this, I suddenly was told I needed a root canal on the molar in question but they didn't know if they could save the tooth. Perhaps if they had found the problem the year before when I first went in, it might have just needed a filling.

I changed to a fantastic private dentist and he was extremely patient, kind and personable in a way that I've just never been privileged to experience with NHS dentists.

I'm sorry if it offends you but NHS dentistry is very hit and miss. It is a very basic service.

AbsentmindedWoman · 13/10/2020 02:29

RCT is also not complicated depending on the tooth.

Quite a bold statement and makes me raise an eyebrow if you dismiss a root canal as not complicated. It's a routine procedure yes, but it sure is fiddly.

Curved roots obviously make it more complex but even without those have 4 roots that need careful and diligent cleaning and filling. I'd be very cautious in choosing the right person to do it!

HoldMyLobster · 13/10/2020 03:42

I'd definitely recommend getting a crown after the root canal, when it's settled. I had a RCT and after that the tooth always felt like it was going to fall apart, then I moved abroad and the dentist immediately suggested a crown, and he was right. I've had it for 13 years now - no problems at all.

Whatelsecouldibecalled · 13/10/2020 03:50

Missing the point but how did you manage to book this in? My dentist is telling me due to covid I can’t have my root canal done. I’ve been waiting over a year!!! Needed it doing last summer but then fell pregnant with my boy. Dentist wouldn’t do root canal as it’s got mercury filling in. Was booked to have it fine two weeks after I gave birth. Covid hit two weeks before I was due. My boy is now 6 months old and I still can’t have the root canal done. I’ve had 6 temp Fillings on that have all fallen out and then caused pain!! It’s so annoying

safariboot · 13/10/2020 04:18

Done correctly a root canal is pain free. They seem to be associated with pain because they're the treatment for many cases of severe dental pain.

When I've had severe pain before, I've often still felt a lot of pain after once the anaesthetic wears off. You'd think it would go immediately but for some reason it doesn't seem to.

Done badly, the anaesthetic injection will itself be very painful. I blacked out after the injection at an awful dentist.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 13/10/2020 04:50

I had root canal treatment last year. It took a long time because one of the roots was curved/twisted. To be honest, when my dentist got to that one it was painful but not unbearable. However, I had opted for no anaesthetic so if you are happy to have the painkillers then I can't imagine your feel anything. The worst bit was having my mouth open for nearly 2 hours.

Amortentia · 13/10/2020 05:40

@Whatelsecouldibecalled

Missing the point but how did you manage to book this in? My dentist is telling me due to covid I can’t have my root canal done. I’ve been waiting over a year!!! Needed it doing last summer but then fell pregnant with my boy. Dentist wouldn’t do root canal as it’s got mercury filling in. Was booked to have it fine two weeks after I gave birth. Covid hit two weeks before I was due. My boy is now 6 months old and I still can’t have the root canal done. I’ve had 6 temp Fillings on that have all fallen out and then caused pain!! It’s so annoying
I had it done recently and had to pay for it privately, it was very expensive. They won't do it under nhs unless you have pain/infection and my dentist could only offer temporary fillings under NHS rules. I didn't want to get stuck during another lockdown, so coughed up a small fortune to get it done.
Whatelsecouldibecalled · 13/10/2020 06:43

@Amortentia how much? I also need a crown

FippertyGibbett · 13/10/2020 06:45

It was no different to a normal filling.

TheChosenTwo · 13/10/2020 07:09

@HoldMyLobster I wish my dentist had recommended a crown over the top of my root canal, my tooth has basically begun to break and I can’t get into a dentist to get it fixed Sad
It’s cosmetic (at the moment) because the tooth is dead and it’s towards the back of my mouth but I hate it and don’t smile much in case anyone can see it!!
My root canal was utterly painless - couldn’t feel a thing after the scratch of the injections and I’m a total wimp.

Amortentia · 13/10/2020 13:47

[quote Whatelsecouldibecalled]@Amortentia how much? I also need a crown[/quote]
It would have been £90 under NHS I think because I got a white filing. It cost £260.

NotExactlyHappyToHelp · 13/10/2020 14:28

Mine was no worse than having a filling. I was merrily chomping BBQ food about 3 hours after.

The one thing that really hurt was my dry lips. Absolutely slather yourself in lip balm before and after.

50shadesoflunacy · 13/10/2020 14:30

I've had 3. Zero pain after each.