Root Canal treatment... experience?

[ReeseWitherfork]

I’m going to need root canal treatment and google tells me it will take 30-90 minutes. I’m not bad in the dentist but I do find it pretty damn unpleasant and the thought of sitting there will my mouth open for the long while they vigorously root around fills me with dread. Can anyone shed any light on what it’s like? I’m wondering if they’ll let me put a podcast or some music in my ears to distract me!

It was okay. The biggest hurt was to my wallet. No seriously take some ibuprofen and take the rest you need. Good luck with your treatment.

I had a root canal in January. It was actually okay and I'm not brilliant at the dentist. I didn't feel any pain but it did go on for a while. I was a bit shaky afterwards but I think that it was more to do with nerves than anything else.

Thanks! Did yours take long? I find it hard to concentrate on anything but how deeply uncomfortable the whole thing is.

I know... what a shitty year to need to fork out a few hundred for something I don’t even want!!

Root canal - Awful

Chose to have the tooth out instead.

Obviously depends where in the mouth it is, but for me, it was at the back

Why do you say that @HotToCold? Dentist did tell me that was an option but he said he’d personally prefer giving root canal a go if it was his tooth (but he acknowledged that he’s better equipped to cope with the procedure). Yes one at the back.

I decided to have the tooth out instead as well. There was a high chance of the RC failing so I wasn't going to go through that and spend the £££££ to get it done to lose the tooth anyway.

It was £90 to get it out and I haven't regretted it for a second. Lower back molar, can't see it at all.

Had RC work last week - 90 mins. Had an infection. I did not feel a thing after the anaesthetic. I fell asleep at one point!

Falling asleep sounds like a good option! Got to grab the chance to nap.

If it's at the back you really don't miss it , I would consider having it taken out instead. Root canal doesn't always work .

Im guessing if I have it removed the NHS doesn’t cover implants though?

I’ve had two teeth root filled. Yes it’s a bit tedious, but you don’t have to keep your mouth open for 90 minutes at one go! My root fillings were done in 1976, and have been fine since then. Yes, really, 44 years ago. Both teeth are crowned, but only one has needed the crown replacing, the other one had the original crown still in place. Well worth the time, effort and money to save the teeth (2 x large lower molars).

@FadedRed that’s so helpful (and reassuring!) thank you. Good to know I don’t have to keep my mouth open for 90 minutes, this was the bit I was worried about!!

Yes, root canal Is expensive and doesn’t always work but it’s better to keep as much teeth as possible e.g. you might need this tooth to get a bridge on if something happens with others near by.
Mine was some time ago but it wasn’t 40 minutes non-stop rather 40 minutes from start to finish.

I’ve had loads, it’s absolutely fine, you’re numbed up to your eyeballs. The hardest bit is keeping your mouth open for so long and afterwards it’s usually my jaw that is more sore than the actual tooth. Take a pre-emotive ibuprofen afterwards.

What I will say is that there is a lot of ‘rummaging’ around in your mouth so while you can’t feel it, there is quite a bit of activity going on and noises. However, like @Evennow, I have managed to drift off a couple of times during it.

I’d take a root canal over extraction any day because I’m a complete scaredy-cat!

I had some work done while I was in the dentist chair, the dentist stopped and talked to me about root canal, I sat back and he did some work, at the end I asked when I would have to come back for the root canal he said 'you just had it' never felt a thing I guess

Last time I had a root canal it took 45 minutes to 1 hour, plus another appointment to do more work that took 30 minutes.

I had a good dentist who used enough anaesthetic so I didn't feel anything, but it was very boring.

If your dentist will let you listen to music/a podcast, do request it! And don't worry. It's less painful than having a cavity done (and I am terrified of dentists).

Good luck, you will be absolutely fine! ☺️

Ask your dentist to use a mouth prop - it's a bit like a plug and makes it much easier to keep your mouth open for a long time.

I've had a number of root canal fillings - probably over the past 15 years - and they've all been successful (touch wood!)

Uncomfortable but not painful. I always take a couple of paracetamol beforehand - maybe not good advice, but it helps me.

I would say use a dentist who has lots of experience with root canals if possible.

I hate going to the dentist and had a root canal last year and while it is not fun, it wasn't as bad as I imagined. They totally numb you up and put in a big rubber wedge to rest your teeth on/keep your mouth open so it isn't as achy as keeping it open during a filling. They put the radio on too during it so I can understand when some people say they dozed off.

The drills weren't too bad either, but there was a funny smell/taste.

I had a couple done in 2017 by a root canal specialist - I had damaged my teeth with clenching. Each tooth actually was two x 90 minutes, so it was long and boring. I was numbed thoroughly and felt nothing - the only painful part was the injections. And the cost.

He had a TV above the chair, and talked me though what he was doing. I had to go back to my own dentist for crowns.

I brought lavender oil with me and put it round my nose in the waiting room. I also booked the appointments so I wouldn’t have to go back to work afterwards, but if I had had to it would have been fine.

Would like to know where they cost a few hundred pounds !!! Dentists near me want 700 !! And don't include a crown if needed!! Total cost over 1500 !..very hard to get on NHS .. that's why I wait and go abroad for dentistry.

I had one some time ago - it was fine, the dentist we had then was a great talker (interesting too). But 'numbed to the eyeballs' was literally true - I didn't realise till I was driving home that I couldn't blink on that side and it started streaming like buggery.

Headphones are a great way to go. My dentist encourages me to do that because I have some pretty big dental anxiety. Just make sure it’s something lighthearted, funny is best.

It’s an NHS dentist luckily. But I did look up the cost at a reputable local private and the root canal was £450 and the crown was extortionate.

I’m not expecting to be able to feel anything, it’s definitely the sitting there for hours with my both open that bothers me. They’re not particularly gentle (I assume they can’t be) so just the jaw ache and poking and prodding alone is bad enough.

The nice polite dentist that phoned first thing yesterday morning had looked at my notes and assessed what I was saying and came to the root canal conclusion. But the grumpy mumbly dentist I ended up seeing looked confused and suggested it wasn’t necessary. So who knows! He sent me on my way with some antibiotics and an appointment next week.

The ibuprofen has stopped working quite so well

Thank you everyone for replying, if it is indeed a root canal you have reassured me greatly! Sounds like it will be long and boring but it’s not that bad.