i went to my dentist yesterday and told them my tooth realy hurt.they took at look at it and told me it needs a root canal.I never had a root canal before and i hear it hurts alot even my dentist told me it will hurt.she told me i will need 2 visits to complete the root canal.can anyone tell me how bad this really hurts?..my problem is i gag alot and i cant seem to keep my mouth open for more then a few min then i gag.and my dentist wont knock me out i guess they dont do that at this place they dont even have nitrous oxide all they can do is numb it but my dentist told me ill still feel pain ugh.Im a big baby at the dentist im upset i need this done and my tooth is really killing me and i dont wanna have it pulled i would like to save it.so how bad is it and how longs it take?any info will help thanks!

I had one on one of my front teeth, it did not hurt at all, I think that a filling hurts more than a root canal. I gag too, so I don't let them put that gauze in my mouth, at the first touch of it, I start gaging. Honestly, I have heard horror stories about root canals, and I was scared to death to have one, so honestly it did not hurt, other than the normal hurt from the shot to numb it. Good luck, go for it, maybe you can take some kind of relaxer....

If your dentist numbs you up good, it shouldn't hurt. But if you already have an abscess, then sometimes the novacaine doesn't work as well.

Make sure you take some antibiotics before you have it done because that will eliminate the infection and make the pain less. I would also ask to be referred to an endodontist or someone else who does a lot of root canals. Your pain will probably be less since they do them all the time. I don't think if they numb you well it should hurt though. Even the shot to numb shouldn't hurt because most if not all dentists use the gel stuff to numb the gum before doing the shot. Some dentists also will provide you with oral sedation. You would take it before going in and it relaxes you to the point that you don't care what they are doing.

Nancy

Make sure you take some antibiotics before you have it done because that will eliminate the infection and make the pain less. I would also ask to be referred to an endodontist or someone else who does a lot of root canals. Your pain will probably be less since they do them all the time. I don't think if they numb you well it should hurt though. Even the shot to numb shouldn't hurt because most if not all dentists use the gel stuff to numb the gum before doing the shot. Some dentists also will provide you with oral sedation. You would take it before going in and it relaxes you to the point that you don't care what they are doing.

Nancy
Good advice! I would try to find a dentist that uses nitrous oxide to relax you, that helps a lot. And I would recommend going to an endodontist, also, even if you pay more, it's worth it to go to the best, as the consequence to a bad root canal could be extraction or an apicoectomy... good luck!

hey thanks i didnt know they have an oral sedation pill do you know what its called? or are you talking about nitrous oxide?i will check out an endodontist also.if that pill makes it so i dont care then that would be good for me.thanks again.

the pill they use for conscious sedation is called Halcion, you take it in the morning and then the dentist will give you more as needed in the dental office.

I've had two root canals over the years - one by my regular dentist and one by an Endodonist and neither one hurt. You are numbed up so you don't feel anything more than if you were having a filling. It does take two visits. I went out to dinner the same night I had my first one done. So don't worry.
I was happy to have it as I was in so much pain before I couldn't wait for the novacaine to do its thing.

Halcion was also what I was given before I had some gum surgery a year ago. The best thing about it (besides the fact that you do not care what is going on) is that it wears off after about eight hours and you wake up feeling totally refreshed with no hangover!

Nancy

what does the nitrous oxide do?how do you feel when you take that stuff i called a dentist and he says he uses it. can i eat before it if i use it or no?in not i will ask for that pill.thanks......ps i also have a bad gag problem i can keep my mouth open to long or i gag will the pill and nitrous help with that to?