Readers Respond: Your Root Canal Therapy Stories - Good, Bad, or Just Plain Ugly?

Responses: 12

A survey conducted by the American Association for Endodontists revealed that root canal therapy is perhaps the most feared dental procedure. However, most people that have had a root canal therapy preformed by a specialist admit their experience was a positive one; one-third admit their fears of the dentist are based on someone else's experiences -- not a personal one.

What was your experience with root canal therapy?

A-Okay

I was petrified about the root canal but it was no more difficult than a filling. They use the high speed drill for a moment to get through then a quieter low speed drill to clean out the pulp. Listened to a CD. Didn't take long, a slight pain when they got in as one nerve was still alive but she numbed it right away. No post operative pain. Cake walk. Did go to an endodontists which I think is a good idea.

—Guest KatD

Procedure of root canal not that bad

I had a recent root canal. I was so scared I was prescribed diazepham to take 2 hours before. I did not feel any pain in fact found it quite relaxing, mind you I made him give me loads of injections so I was well numb.

—Guest pop

Root canal relieves pain

Contrary to what most people think, most root canal are often completely painless. In fact they actually relieve pain from a tooth that has a toothache.

—denisesanders134

bad practitioner

I had a root canal done and now almost a month later it is very infected and the pain is unbearable. I'm going to find a good dentist to morrow cuz this shouldn't have happened. I think the infection has leaked into the bone.

—Guest jeremy

went to class right after root canal

LOL, it was a weird and amazing experience. The anesthesia was still in effect after the root canal, I can still feel drilling in my molar when I got out of the clinic. But there was no pain, it just felt so numb and cold to the cheeks. My advice is if someone's teeth is aching right now, they should go get an appointment and get over their fear of dentists.

—Guest hi everyone!

Unforgetable experience

I went to the dentist to start a root canal and he gave me 14 shots of anesthesia and never did my gum got insensible. I went to see another dentist and with just one shot even my nose went to sleep. I had my root canal and felt ok. but I will always feel very bad about that dentist with the 14 shots I believe he did not know what he was doing. Hope other people do not have this kind of terrible experience. Each time I go by a dental office I feel all the pain again. Thank you.

—Guest 14 shots ans still pain

root canal

I had a root canal that I am still paying for... Now I have pain on my tooth again. The dentist wants to do another root canal on the same tooth, and its $875. I started to cry. I would think it was his fault that the first did not take??

—Guest guest cry baby

Uncomfortable But Not Painful

I had a root canal yesterday. I experienced no pain, and I have little pain today, although my endodontist did give me pain medication to take, and I've been taking it dutifully. The worst part, for me, was the emotions and anxiety I felt beforehand. I take very good care of my teeth and was shocked when the dentist told me I needed a root canal. He said it was a deep childhood filling that had started to crack and degenerate the nerves. It was tooth sensitivity that brought me in. After I found out I needed a root canal, I felt upset and highly annoyed, as it's expensive and time consuming and I had tried so hard to avoid that. My endodontist was empathetic to this. He explained everything as he went along, which also made it easier. The part I disliked the most was the plastic sheet they put in and around your mouth -- it felt suffocating and it was hard to swallow. The drill would sometimes shake the back of my skull, which felt like a shock, and that freaked me out.

—Guest Joy

nothing but problems

Started with just replacing old filling. Then told needed root canal. 3 weeks later still in pain and no answers from anyone!

—Guest guest judy

Root Canal Pain

I had a huge amount of pain in my root canal on my molar. The first 2 canals were fine but the third was a torture and I told my dentist, and he gave me more local anaesthetic but it did nothing at all and the rest was absolute pain. I was in tears.

—Guest mary lou

Root Canal Therapy

After suffering the pain of two abscesses and two courses of antibiotics, I was told by my doctor that I could not go on in this way, and must have two root canal treatments which I so dreaded, but had no option but to submit. To my enormous surprise, I had NO PAIN WHATSOEVER not even the anaesthetic needle! I think it is the skill of the dentist performing the procedure that governs the degree of pain suffered. I could not believe that I went for so long suffering the pain of abscesses for nothing. My advice is to find a good practitioner.

—Guest Emma

Best shot of novocaine ever!

I had a filling done a couple of summers ago, followed by unimaginable pain in my tooth. Dentist said it would probably be a root canal, so I was very upset, but after a few days of this HIDEOUS whanging in my head that came and went (but never for very long) I was anxious to have it taken care of. It was done in two visits. On the first one, the dentist gave me a shot of novocaine right in my gum (ugh) and the pain went away and never came back. Heaven! Then he did whatever he had to do ... and a week or so later I came back, got gas this time (heaven) and that was that. It was really no big deal, and it was wonderful to have an end to the pain and save my tooth. I'd rather have a root canal than other procedures! I hope people won't be so afraid of root canals. I was... and it was a lot of wasted anxiety! Good luck!

—Guest kitchenwitch