Root canal treatment

[vickster]

i had RC treatment a few months ago. i wenmicroscopet the fully private root (ha!) self funded. Found out later the guy is one of the top top uk specialists and all he does is Rc treatment

very high tech kit (apparently £1M plus for the roomful of stuff.) I was in the chair for 2 hours, and was so relaxed and comfortable I was asleep for at least an hour while he worked.

The long/expensive process involved microscopic level work cleaning out the root canals with ever smaller "bottle brushes"

Sounds like the same guy I saw (in Epsom). My dentist is very jealous of this chap's kit. My roots were completely calcified, should have been done years ago (probably while I was using the NHS). The most unpleasant bit was the rubber dam he used to stop saliva and his tiny instruments dropping down my throat ... made me gag

 

[stephec]

Had root canal treatment 2 weeks ago. Absolutely painless. One injection to the gum ,bit of drilling and scraping and a filling ready for a crown. Was in the chair 30 mins,its uncomfortable , but certainly not painful. Dont worry you will be fine.

This was my experience as well, just like having a normal filling done.

 

[stephec]

It's fine. It just sounds scary. Little Shop of Horrors didn't help with the whole root canal thing either!
Apart from the tiny little scratch of the injection, no pain at all. I am getting over a fear of dentists now. My dentist is lovely, very calm and patient, play's radio 2 at all his patients.
Have a conversation with your dentist and ask him to go through the procedure with you, in a non scary way. Most dentists are nice. It's not like you are going to the school dentist, is it.

My wife's dentist used to play music, he had, 'The Final Countdown,' on as she had her wisdom teeth out.

 

[Mrs M]

Don't worry.
I was terrified of the dentist after the school dentist hurt me then tried to prise my firmly closed gob open with a ruler, lovely, not!
I had a root canal a few years ago and it went fine, it took a bit of faffing and time and I honestly found it more boring than anything, no pain, etc.
Just make sure you tell them before they start how anxious you are and if it hurts, or you think it does, raise your hand for them to stop briefly and make sure all is well.
Best of luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[Trull]

I did ask for no nightmare stories, why don`t people listen FFS

Sorry Speccy - incidentally one of my workmates just had Root Canal work done (last week), he had antibiotics to clear up the infection for a week and then the dentist got to work and cleared up the issue, he's now better and said that the mild discomfort was totally worth it, his jaw is now pain free and his sleepless nights are over. You will be fine, its just like the day before a tough 200k ride, your imagination is running away with you, its not as hard as you think.

You ***will*** be fine.

 

[ColinJ]

Most dentists are nice. It's not like you are going to the school dentist, is it.

I was terrified of the dentist after the school dentist hurt me then tried to prise my firmly closed gob open with a ruler, lovely, not!

The cause of my dental phobia!

 

[chewa]

The last time I practised was in 1996 (gave up because of a neck injury) but you shouldn't be worried about RCT.

Generally you get RCT if the nerve is dead or dying. The tooth is numbed up (if the nerve is dead it is possible not to need anaesthesia) and, depending on where it is it will be by an infiltration injection near the tooth or by a block injection further away.

A wee bit of drilling to get access, some hand tools to clear out any living pulp/nerve or dead material and shape the canal, x rays to check length and position of the apex narrowing and then placing the filling. Depending on what the situation is you may have a dressing in before final filling of the root, but often enough the RCT can be done in one visit. Slightly more complicated for teeth further back (as they have multiple root canals) but the same principle.

If you get it done at the dental school, it may take a bit longer (if students are doing it) than in a commercial practice.

 

[subaqua]

The last time I practised was in 1996 (gave up because of a neck injury) but you shouldn't be worried about RCT.

Generally you get RCT if the nerve is dead or dying. The tooth is numbed up (if the nerve is dead it is possible not to need anaesthesia) and, depending on where it is it will be by an infiltration injection near the tooth or by a block injection further away.

A wee bit of drilling to get access, some hand tools to clear out any living pulp/nerve or dead material and shape the canal, x rays to check length and position of the apex narrowing and then placing the filling. Depending on what the situation is you may have a dressing in before final filling of the root, but often enough the RCT can be done in one visit. Slightly more complicated for teeth further back (as they have multiple root canals) but the same principle.

If you get it done at the dental school, it may take a bit longer (if students are doing it) than in a commercial practice.

my 1st one was done with no anaesthesia. mainly as I hate the method of application. was fine but I think the nerve was dead. 2nd time i had the dentist wipe gel over the gum then apply the proper stuff.

forgot how funny a numb jaw can be

 

[zizou]

When i had mine done it was done in 2 steps - had a temporary filling / cap put on then back a week or so later for the next step once the inflammation etc had died back and the infection was gone. Actually come to think of it might have been 3 visits over the course of a month to get everything sorted!

The toothache was much more painful than the treatment, the treatment was more unpleasant than sore. The vibrations, the smell of burning tooth as you are being drilled etc.

 

[mustang1]

Op, you will be fine. I had root canal and the most that happened is that its very uncomfortable just having your mouth open for so long. I was quite apprehensive about the treatment too but in the end I felt so much better and so will you.

 

[midlife]

I spent 13 years teaching dental students to do RCT, the one thing they have is the time to get it as good as they can

Just out of curiosity where is the Dental School?

Shaun

 

[Saluki]

The cause of my dental phobia!

My school dentist was a sadistic bully. My parents pulled me from his practice and sent me to their own practice after a huge infection, after a filling, gave them 3 sleepless nights on the bounce as I was in so much pain. Their dentist took the filling out and got everything sorted really quickly. A few months after, I had a check up with the family dentist and was told to clear off and not come back for 6 months as my teeth were fine. Back at school, that afternoon, we were filed into the med room for our school dentist check ups and I came out with a slip saying that I needed and extraction, 3 fillings and an orthodontic brace. Somehow he cut my lip during the check up. Parents saw the light and I never went back to him, not even for a check up.

Dentists now, even NHS ones, are a gazillion times better. My current dentist is an NHS dentist, he's about 30 years old, English too. The most unscary dentist in the world and I would happily recommend him to anyone who lives in our area.

 

[Mrs M]

My school dentist was a sadistic bully. My parents pulled me from his practice and sent me to their own practice after a huge infection, after a filling, gave them 3 sleepless nights on the bounce as I was in so much pain. Their dentist took the filling out and got everything sorted really quickly. A few months after, I had a check up with the family dentist and was told to clear off and not come back for 6 months as my teeth were fine. Back at school, that afternoon, we were filed into the med room for our school dentist check ups and I came out with a slip saying that I needed and extraction, 3 fillings and an orthodontic brace. Somehow he cut my lip during the check up. Parents saw the light and I never went back to him, not even for a check up.

Dentists now, even NHS ones, are a gazillion times better. My current dentist is an NHS dentist, he's about 30 years old, English too. The most unscary dentist in the world and I would happily recommend him to anyone who lives in our area.

My aforementioned bully dentist went by the name of Mr Devine, (was anything but). When I plucked up courage to go back to a dentist it was to Mr Angel.
Then when I moved away became a patient of Mr Lovie!! He was a Lovie and the person that did my root canal and helped me To control my fear of the dentist.
Maybe not appropriate names for dentists though!!

 

[lesley_x]

Have it done privately, I now avoid NHS tooth butchers like the plague

I am an NHS dentist and certainly not a tooth butcher. Although I'm not sure what is expected of NHS dentistry when I get paid about £20 after deductions for a molar root treatment, even less for other teeth in the mouth.

 

[lesley_x]

[QUOTE 3391462, member: 9609"]I have had one done too and it was relatively painless experience, it seemed to take ages and like you say quite uncomfortable having my mouth open for so long - at one point he seemed to put in a little rubber tube then burn it, horrible taste, what was all that about ?[/QUOTE]

Gutta percha, rubbery material used to fill the root canal and provide an environment that kills bugs/doesn't allow any further growth of bugs. Heating it up allows it to be cut to length and creates a kind of seal. The system we use doesn't require that method - expensive but more pleasant for the patient.