Root canal - can I ask my GP to prescribe something to keep me calm?

[JacobJacobson]

Feckin' sweet tooth, all my own fault I'm afraid but I need a root canal next week (that or the tooth comes out which isn't a possibility).

Like lots of people I am very frightened about having dental work, but as this is at least 45 mins in the chair rather than the usual 10 mins and is going to be painful, can I ask my GP to prescribe something to calm me down? Even the thought of it is leaving me on the verge of tears

If you can't get any sort of medication, I've always found practising some of those antenatal breathing techniques they teach you that most of us never use actually work quite well for calming me. Just concentrating on my breathing really seems to help. And I don't mean with the pain - it helps with the anxiety.

Is the tooth 'dead'? Because I've had a root canal done on one of my front teeth without anaesthetic because the nerve was dead. And I've had it re-done. Neither time was painful in the slightest. Just uncomfortable holding my mouth open. The sensations are weird but it wasn't painful. Perhaps it would be the same for you?