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Original poster

Having root canal, feeling sick

14 replies

inkpad · 08/01/2017 21:14

Hi all,

I'm booked in to have root canal on Tuesday morning, and feeling really sick with nerves. I'm not the best at the dentist (hate it) and this is the second appointment I've had for it (canceled the first one).

It's no so much the actual work, it's the pain afterwards (as the tooth doesn't hurt at all now), the smell you only really get in the dentists), the noise, the injection.

Has anyone got any tips? My dentist knows I'm nervous (it's on my notes). Thanks in advance

OP posts:

LBOCS2 · 08/01/2017 21:17

In my experience, there isn't any pain afterwards - not if they've done it properly.

My best tip for at the dentist is that if you're feeling overwhelmed or a bit sick from having your mouth open, try and lift your feet up off the chair by an inch. It's actually pretty hard work and concentrates your mind on that rather than what the dentist is doing.

RozzlePops · 08/01/2017 21:20

I hate the dentist too and actually found the root canal better than most other fillings. I think he gave me extra pain relief which just meant I didn't feel a thing.

It didn't hurt at all afterwards.

Maybe have something to think about, a work project, a planned holiday even a shopping list.

WellyMummy · 08/01/2017 21:23

My DD had one 2 weeks ago, aged 10 and terrified. She coped well, especially afterwards. I always suffer with the anaesthetic and it wearing off, my best tip would be to have an appointment as late in the day as possible - so there's less time to cope til bedtime.
Good luck.

NannyR · 08/01/2017 21:29

I've had several over the years and I've never really had any pain afterwards. I had quite a complicated one done a few months ago, which involved two, hour long appts and apart from anaesthetic injection (which is unpleasant but only lasts seconds) there wasn't any pain during it either. It's just boring staring at the ceiling, maybe take some music or an audio book and earphones. My dentist says to take ibuprofen afterwards, but I've never found it necessary.

Maverick66 · 08/01/2017 21:39

Hi OP
Both DD's had root canals in December.
One DD is extremely nervous even down to the laytex gloves the dentist
wears!
They both say it is nowhere near as bad as people make out.
Yes there is a bit of discomfort after it whilst new filling "beds" in but no worse than after a normal filling.
DD's are in their 20's.
Whilst tooth has no pain now trust me the pain will come and it is horrendous so it is better you get it done sooner rather than later.

wfrances · 09/01/2017 21:36

i didnt even need an injection , only felt uncomfortable when cleaning deep down in the canals , i had to put my hand up and she stopped.
i have a problem jaw joint so my mouth being open for so long was the worst bit

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 09/01/2017 21:39

I always find the jaw cramp worse than the root canal. I've had 5- no pain at all during the whole thing.

I found it did hurt a bit after, but only until it settled down, and it was never ever anywhere near uncomfortable. Just a settling in thing.

Original poster

inkpad · 09/01/2017 21:56

Thanks all, helped to reassure me.... whether I still feel like this in the morning will be interesting

OP posts:

MollyHuaCha · 10/01/2017 07:37

Good luck! I like the lifting feet off chair idea. Let us know how you get on

DoItTooJulia · 10/01/2017 07:42

The dentist might have numbing gel for the injection site-that way even the needle won't hurt.

dotnet · 10/01/2017 07:50

If by any chance part of your nerves are caused by a feeling that maybe your current dentist isn't great, after today I'd advise you to go to the NHS Choices website. There, you will see all your local NHS dentists listed - and people will have reviewed them.
I went to a succession of diabolical dentists - and had some real damage done to my teeth - until I found the NHS Choices website and moved to a dentist where the only negative review was about being kept hanging around in the waiting room.
The dentist was just great, and rescued (by crowning) two teeth butchered by a previous dentist- they'd seriously looked like being totally lost.
A good dentist is the key to being able to cope with dental work, I think!

Jules8432 · 10/01/2017 07:54

Ask for numbing gel before injection
Take headphones and play some relaxing music during app so you don't have to hear drills etc
For extremely nervous patients some take a low dose of tamazepam (but you'd need a chaperone after)

Good luck, you'll be absolutely fine x

Cherylene · 10/01/2017 10:02

I had a really awful experience with root canal and have felt the pain!!!!, but I do not think it is the norm at all. It was a Friday afternoon job, so by the time the anaesthetic had worn off, the surgery was closed, and the Emergency out of hours dentist (this was 20 years ago - not sure they exist now!) was absolutely no help. I went to the local chemist for help and he gave me some Nurophen Plus which eventually did the job, and the tooth was tender for some time after, although fine by the time I saw the dentist again. It was the emergency dentist who said it was probably a root filling - I hadn't a clue as the dentist did not tell me and I did not have any particular aftercare instructions other than to take paracetamol (ha ha ) if it hurt.

FF 20 years and I was still stuck with this dentist (he was one of the last in the area to go private so I had nowhere to go other than to pay his Denplan) and the tooth broke. So I had to go back and he redid the root filling and I had a post and crown. This took 3 long visits. There was absolutely no pain problem at all! But it was very, very boring indeed. There was some muttering about teeth having unpredictable roots .

My husband has to have one. (He is with a different NHS practice - never sees the same dentist twice.) I have bought in the Nurophen Plus but it has not been needed - he is being sent to a specialist with a masters in endodontics (or a more expensive one with a PhD) because the dentist did the emergency work, assessed him said he has narrow roots and he has a 50:50 chance of getting it right, so gave him a range of options. The openness is refreshing.

I would second reading the reviews, but the dentist should also be up front about their qualifications and what is being done.

(I now have a new private dentist - pay up as I go, and they tell me what is happening and show me the x-rays - and cost less than the Denplan )

Original poster

inkpad · 10/01/2017 16:31

Hi all, just sending an update.

Had x ray and dentist thought that root canal would be OK, though a neighbouring tooth had a huge access which I wasn't feeling. Had a numbing gel then the injection which is often the worst big for me. All fine. Ten minutes late root canal started and half way through it he had to stop as one of the roots had calcified midway. In the end, I had the tooth removed, along with the one hand noticed. The first tooth came away fine, but the second tooth wasn't so easy and came out in three bits.
In some pain now, but only needing inbupofen so manageable.

Thanks for all the info, really appreciated it and felt much calmer about the process.

OP posts:

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