Root Canal!

Thanks for all the replies. To complicate things, I already had a crown on the tooth in question, so the endodontist drilled right through it. I don't know how much this may have complicated the procedure.When I went back a week after the procedure, he said the nerves looked like they had been deteriorating for some time, and it would take time for things to settle down. At this point, I don't know what to do. It does feel marginally better today, so maybe he's right.

The only dental insurance I have is through my Medicare Advantage plan, and the root canal procedure already put me over the yearly maximum. So any other work (or a second opinion) comes straight out of pocket. Fun, fun fun......
 
I remember the good ol' days when you'd get real pain medication afterwards, now all you get is Tylonol 3 just about? lol
 
I was using 800mg Ibuprofen tablets for about 5 days after the root canal. They definitely helped with the ache, but not with the pain from pressure on the tooth.

I've had five kidney stones, but this is my first experience with tooth pain like this. I'm not sure which is worse!
 
I've had two over the last 6 years. Same endodontist; very good-no pain-an hour. The bad part is the cost--$2300 each !!! :eek:
 
I wonder if it makes a difference where the tooth is. Mine is an upper molar, second from the rear. It had three nerve roots in it.
 
Upper molar recently, first one I've had done.
Hurt for a week after, so I had it looked at again. Turns out the tooth split, which was causing a lot of pain.
As an aside, a good friends daughter let her bad tooth go, and a month later they took a small piece of her brain out. Nothing really to mess with.
 
I've had four, pretty much painless. The worst part is just having to sit there for that long. ��
 
Had one a couple years ago. Nothing special. The guy I went to specializes in them as best I can tell. I'd heard all the horror stories but honesty it was no big deal.
 
Upper molar recently, first one I've had done.
Hurt for a week after, so I had it looked at again. Turns out the tooth split, which was causing a lot of pain.

I've been suspecting that's what's going on with mine. Did they have to extract the tooth?
 
Have had three. Painless if injected properly.
Just saw a young specialist for another tooth that will likely need a root canal, his new diagnostic equipment is cutting edge, 360 view of the tooth in 3D, including detail of every root in the tooth.
Sure beats the old school of 'we'll get in there and look around, see what we find.'
 
I've had a couple. No pain whatsoever either time. Well, except for the shots to numb things. First one took a couple of hours. I actually went to sleep during the procedure and was awakened by the laughter of the dentist and assistant. They were amused that I fell asleep during a root canal and was snoring.

Second one took about 30 minutes. I stayed awake for that one, but no pain. Mine weren't done by an endodontist, but by my regular dentist for the last 30 years or so who is very good. I asked him why the second one was so much faster. He said he had much better tools to do the job compared to the old days.
 
I was using 800mg Ibuprofen tablets for about 5 days after the root canal. They definitely helped with the ache, but not with the pain from pressure on the tooth.

I've had five kidney stones, but this is my first experience with tooth pain like this. I'm not sure which is worse!

By all means, kidney stones can be much worse.
 
I have had two on the same tooth, 1986 and then in 2008. The first time they couldn't fully deaden the tooth just turn up the nitrous and lets go. No issues with that one. In 2008 that one got infected and it took two calls before the dentist that did it would see me. He thought I exaggerated about how things went until he saw me. After a few days of penicillin it was cured. Several years ago I kept having more issues with the tooth because the root had cracked so out it came. First and so far only tooth gone from my head.
 
Hi, y'all are gonna hate me. I had a horrible tooth ache starting Friday afternoon in 1983. I got home from work and started on the hot tea with bourbon in it. It all got slightly better on Sunday and I went to the dentist on Monday or Tuesday. He didn't offer any good drugs, but by then, the tooth was fine but I had a serious hangover.

I did take antibiotics for a week and went back in for the Root canal. I'm not needle friendly, so the DA was giving me gas in preparation for the shot. The dentist comes in, looks at the DA and says, "what are you doing?" She said, "well, he hates needles." Dentist says, "Well put that away he's not getting a needle. His tooth is dead." and starts drilling. So I did Root Canal with no painkiller, and no pain.

My Dad's root canal and Wisdom tooth removals were a whole nother ball game.

Later
 
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As shown by the stories listed, they can very. It's not a one size fits all proposition. I'm in the process of having an implant on a tooth that originally had a root canal decades ago but developed other problems. The implant is the most recommended way to go but is more expensive and time consuming. They pulled the tooth and did a bone graft two weeks ago. 3 months after that was done, they will insert the foundation for the tooth. 3 months after that, the replacement tooth will go in. Fortunately, insurance is covering a large portion of the procedure. A friend who had multiple implants done took two years and cost nearly $40,000.
 

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