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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask you to talk me out of cancelling root canal at the dentist tomorrow

68 replies

stressedmind · 28/02/2016 22:23

I am dental phobic, having root canal treatment tomorrow. Already cancelled once because I wimped out. Have to go tomorrow or may lose dentist.

To make matters worse I am at a show tomorrow for dds birthday. I'm going to be in agony aren't I? dentist said because it was so infected I would like have problems afterwards.

Please help :(

OP posts:

grannytomine · 28/02/2016 22:48

Have you had antibiotics? I had a root canal a few months back but I had a course of anti biotics first and the root canal filling wasn't painful, I suppose it was a bit achey for a day or two but nothing to worry about.

Cel982 · 28/02/2016 22:48

I've had two, I didn't have any pain afterwards - didn't have to take so much as a paracetamol. Go for it, OP, you'll be so glad you did.

bertiebow · 28/02/2016 22:49

Oh wait, I see it is infected. No fear - just talk to your dentist. They will make sure the anesthetic has taken effect (they may need to use a little more) and then you'll be good to go.

Waypasttethersend · 28/02/2016 22:50

Root canal = instant relief in my experience!

Whereas missing a root canal = infected tooth and extraction which was horrendous.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 28/02/2016 22:50

You will be fine. Ibuprofen should be enough. It's not like the pain after a difficult extraction or even like toothache.

Original poster

stressedmind · 28/02/2016 22:54

The dentist is giving antibiotics in-between tomorrow and when I need to go back for the crown. It has abscessed twice but not at the moment so hopefully will numb.

OP posts:

soapybox · 28/02/2016 22:55

The thing about a root canal is that they take the nerve of the tooth out, so it is just not at all painful afterwards as the tooth no longer has a nerve.

The reason that it gets a bad press as a procedure is that the most effective pain relief is if the anaesthetic is injected straight into the nerve and there is a mille second of a sharp pain when they do this. It is somewhere between the scratch of a normal injection (Vax) and having a central line put in for general anaesthetic (to give you some idea of the pain level). If you have had a normal vaccination in your arm and coped with that, then you will have no problem with the procedure.

Once the anaesthetic is in then you feel nothing at all.

Good luck!

Knackered69 · 28/02/2016 22:55

Yeah - you will be very numb - it will be fine x

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 28/02/2016 22:56

The nerve nay well be already dead too.

glueandstick · 28/02/2016 23:03

The only pain I had from it was from my mouth being open for so long. That quickly went with gentle exercise :) you'll be fine. Buy yourself something lovely on the way home as a treat.

Moomintroll85 · 28/02/2016 23:08

Don't cancel. You'll be setting yourself up for far more pain and discomfort in the long term. I've had one. They're really not that bad, just can take a while. Once it was done the relief was amazing, I was kicking myself for not getting it done sooner as like you I had been putting it off a bit.

Original poster

stressedmind · 28/02/2016 23:09

I have had nine central lines put in for operations . I'd rather go for an operation tomorrow which i know is ridiculous but at least I would be asleep then!

OP posts:

TowerRavenSeven · 29/02/2016 00:14

I had one last year and it was fine. Worst thing was the claustrophobic feeling as they have to get so close to you. I kept thinking of a worse experience and just kept repeating in my head, 'this is much easier than ' Then I'd say to myself 'Is this worse than ?' ' No' and eventually you are done and free! I'm a wimp with pain and I didn't take nearly as many of the pain meds they gave me. Regular ibuprofen worked great. You will be fine that night too.

TowerRavenSeven · 29/02/2016 00:15

Sorry for the underlining, not sure how that happened.

Andrewofgg · 29/02/2016 00:17

The pain is only in the wallet. Promise. Please do it.

Hygge · 29/02/2016 00:29

I had one a couple of years ago and it was fine.

I hate the dentist, and I was scared for weeks before the appointment came.

I didn't feel anything, it only took a few minutes to do, it's been fine ever since.

They made a big thing of it before hand, and that scared me more than anything else. It really wasn't that bad when it was happening, and I wasn't in any pain afterwards.

You can do it. The waiting and worrying in the days before the appointment is much worse than the procedure itself, so once you're there the worst is over.

Hope you are okay

steff13 · 29/02/2016 00:32

I'm terrified of the dentist. TERRIFIED. I hate having my teeth cleaned. Because of that, and genetically bad teeth, I have had to have 6 root canals. A root canal is so much easier to deal with than a filling or even a cleaning, IMO. I don't know if my dentist is just really good or what, but they were easy peasy.

The longer you wait, the worst it will get.

wtfisgoingonhere · 29/02/2016 00:39

I can only repeat what others have said. I have always had a fear of dentists (bad experience as a child) but finally found one who understands, explains everything and now whilst it's not my fav thing to do can manage

Take ibuprofen before you go in
Tell the dentist your fears
Try to relax. I know it's easier said than done but I also do what a previous posted said and narrate in my head "ooh that's a bit sore, hmm actually I only just felt it for a second, hmm the numbness is kicking in, I really can't feel this, what was that on the radio- ah bad traffic glad I'm not driving, oh yeah what's for dinner tonight, maybe soup just in case, oh are we done?" You get the idea!
DON'T CANCEL

I can assure you...
Worse things than root canal. . .

Paying for it (ouch!)
An infection from avoiding root canal
An infection after having the tooth out (after avoiding root canal)

Yes I've had both and I can honestly say I have never felt worse. I also had instant relief after root canal, even when I didn't think I was in pain and must have got used to the constant aching.

A bit of an achy jaw and numbness taking a bit to wear off is all you need to worry about

You will feel so much better once it's done

zipzap · 29/02/2016 01:04

I had two root canals done yesterday - I took a couple of neurofen mid evening yesterday and a couple more this evening as it was a bit achey but it's a bit like a bruise - doesn't hurt until you prod it just to make sure that it still hurts (or is that just me?)

They hurt less than having fillings done - and I always ask for lots of painkiller to be put in and the dentist never seems to mind.

I've also had a root canal done after having an abscess and I'm pretty sure that they did it in two stages - first time they cleaned it out and put in a temporary filling into the canals that was antibiotic and anaesthetic -so that combined with all the washing out meant that when I went back a couple of weeks later to have it permanently sealed, the infection and pain had all gone.

The dental dam thing they use too makes it easier than having a filling done.

As others say - worst pain is for your wallet... Make sure you have a decent sized packet of neurofen and of paracetamol, know how you can juggle them to safely get maximum pain relief without overdosing at all and take them before the pain starts to hurt for the first day (especially if you have a party to get through!) so that it won't hurt. If you wait until it hurts until you take something then it's going to get worse for at least half an hour before you notice it begin to get better again - those speedy action tablets never seem to be very speedy for me - so planning it out for the first day or two, even if it seems like you don't need it, will give you some control over the situation.

Good luck!

Original poster

stressedmind · 29/02/2016 09:34

Sst in the waiting room now. I might cry.

OP posts:

Original poster

stressedmind · 29/02/2016 09:34

*sat

OP posts:

AugustRose · 29/02/2016 09:53

Good luck, I recently had crown fitted but needed to work done on the tooth before hand so was in for an hour. It was a bit sore for about a day afterwards but nothing like toothache.

You'll feel so much better about it after it's done, I don't really like the dentist but the thought of toothache is greater than my fear these days.

GuyMartinsSideburns · 29/02/2016 09:59

The relief afterwards will be amazing and you'll be so glad you went through with it. I'm scared of the dentist too but find the waiting, worrying, cancelling appointments and then worrying about them, and toothache all far far worse than any procedure I've had. I've had the same tooth root canalled twice, I was a bit achey afterwards but so glad it was done.

Hoping you're in the chair now anyway, and before you know it you'll be on your way home again. Be kind to yourself for the rest of the day and remind yourself how brave you've been

GuyMartinsSideburns · 29/02/2016 10:01

Just remembered theres a website I use for support when I've had treatment coming up, I think it's called dental fear central. Lots of supportive people on there including dentists that can offer advice and some virtual hand holding if you need it.

acasualobserver · 29/02/2016 10:05

in the waiting room now

You did it. Well done.

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