Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
My nerves are too sensitive in my mouth I think. Even when I have cavities done and they hit a nerve in the tooth it feels like someone kicked me in the balls. I can't even imagine having the root of your tooth dug in to.
For the teeth in your jaw, does it seem like the anesthetic finally starts to work as you leave the doctor's office? If so, your nerve may be located lower in your jaw than average. Thus, taking longer for the anesthetic to be effective. This would be something to tell your doctor so they can either inject more anesthetic, inject the anesthetic lower in your jaw, or give you more time to allow the anesthetic to numb your nerve.
The nerve is located in different places in the lower jaw for different people. Additionally, the nerve may be damaged if the needle contacts the nerve, thereby causing permanent numbness. For these reasons, many dentists are cautious and place the needle higher in the jaw. Your dentist needs to know if the anesthetic is not working for you. There are adjustments they can make.
Originally posted by: joshsquall
I had one done about 2 months ago. I had a badly infected canal (the tooth was broken), so my experience wasn't typical. Even with local anesthetic, it was moderately painful having a needle pushed directly into my infected canal (for another anesthetic injection). My dentist decided to use a standard filling instead of a crown. I'm not entirely sure that was the best decision, but I don't have any pain in the tooth now. My other 12 fillings though... wow. My teeth are still ridiculously sensitive to hot and cold after a month and a half. It can take up to 6 months for very deep fillings to calm down, so I'm not that worried. Brushing with Sensodyne the past two days has seemed to help.
I hate doctors that place the injection directly into the wound because it shows they do not understand the concept of numbing the nerve rather than the wound. The standard filling is temporary. The crown comes later for additional cost. Since the root of the tooth is gone, the tooth enamel is not fed nutrients and will eventually become brittle and may someday crack. Do not bite hard on this tooth or you risk cracking it. If the tooth cracks it may not be useful later to place the crown on, thereby requiring removal and eliminating the usefulness of the root canal over the other option of just pulling the tooth and later drilling a post.
I have had one or two root canals that have not had a crown placed on them for at least 10 years now. My dentist warns me with each visit they may crack and that I should put a crown on them as soon as possible.
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
Should've flown to Russia to get it done. Flight + dentist would have been cheaper, and you can say you've been to russia.
The same is true with Poland. It is an entertaining event to have to leave the doctor's office to get x-rays taken in a separate office/building that only performs x-rays, then return to the dentist's office to have the procedure completed. This is because x-ray machines are highly regulated in Poland and are not allowed to be operated by a dentist, since they are a source of radiation.
Originally posted by: purepolly
I agree - root canals aren't too bad. But has anyone had a re-infection of the roots and had an apical procedure (basically a root canal done from the bottom of the tooth/jaw)? How painful is that?
The nerve has been removed so the tooth does not hurt. However, the cutting of the jawbone will hurt. Usually, when you get down to this level, it is easier, cheaper, and more effective to just pull the tooth and get a post drilled in. It is extremely difficult to find the cause of the infection after an initial root canal and can easily take several unsuccessful visits to several specialists in the frustrated attempt to find the source of the infection and clean it out. Additionally, the infection over this time period introduces bacteria into the bloodstream that settles on the heart valves and calcifies the heart valves. A major cause of heart problems is bacteria introduced from tooth infections.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor nor a dentist. I have merely gone through many of these situations and had lengthy discussions with the doctors on them.