Update: Root Canal- Eek!

I've never had one done but I was a dental asst for several years and assisted on doing them. They have a bad rap and most people think they're really awful, but honestly they aren't. The very worst part is having to keep you mouth open for a long time but you shouldn't feel any discomfort/pain. If you do, let the Dr. know and he'll give you more anesthesia. On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it about a 4 or 5 and again, that's because of the length of time it takes, so try not to worry about it.

I had 2 done this year actually. One your scale...I would put it at probably a 2 or maybe a 3. IMO the RC is not nearly as bad as the tooth shaving they do for the crown...I HATED that. The actal digging around in your tooth? big whoop...you're numb lol. But oftentimes when they get to the END where they are shaving the tooth down to accept the crown? Your getting some feeling back and then they bring that tool up to your gumline and it's...just wrong. Say something...raise your hand and let them know you can feel them grinding away living tissue and you should do better. I gritted it out because I did not want to wait til the next dose of novocaine settled in...we were nearly done. Only had this on the last one...not the first....the last one took a LOOONG time because the office was busy and he kept running out and then back.

Afterwards I really didn't have much pain at all...was eating later than day.

Called my DH who has one done..according to him is hurts less than natural childbirth LOL.

Seriously though, he rated it as a 4 on a 1-10 pain scale and that was only because he has CMT and novacain works weird with his system. 

I had two done, same tooth. I didn't find it worse than a filling. Of course my dentist made sure I was plenty numb but it was not a big deal. Don't worry about it. I think the horror stories are from dental days gone by and don't really exist any more. 

Never had an RC, but I've had a molar drilled and shaved to fit a crown and had both my wisdom teeth pulled while I was conscious.  In both cases, the pain only came the next day or two, and was more of an ache, nothing acute.

This thread reminded me to call my dentist and pay off my balance!
 

cakana nailed it -- the biggest problem is your mouth is open SO long your jaw can actually be sore afterward.

IF Novicane (which is really licocaine nowdays) WORKS on you, it's no big deal.  The *sounds* are bad (drilling and scraping and filing, etc.) but if the tooth is properly sedated that's no big deal.

BUT that means you'll have to take shots of novocaine/lidocaine in your mouth which is tough for some people.

I have had MANY root canals.  I have really sucky teeth, to be honest, and I've had probably 6-7 root canals. 

My problem is that lidocaine just plain doesn't work on me.  I've had dentists give me, quite literally, 10 -15 shots of novocaine/lidocaine for ONE procedure.  It doesn't make me numb.  My cheek and lip will 'go to sleep' but the tooth doesn't ever GET numb. 

MY alternative is gas.  I'm weird with lots of medications and I can't take the normal pill sedatives that they give to do dental work (it gets ugly for me -- I don't go to sleep ... I hallucinate bad bad things ... NOT Pretty) so I don't even bother with them.  Instead I get gas -- which is a whole different thing.

 With gas you kinda slide into this little timeless blob state -- you know it kinda hurts and is uncomfortable, but you really just plain don't care!  It's lovely.  *for me* time passes in a flash -- I feel like I've just settled in and WHOOSH they're done! 

How do they do gas when your mouth is open?  It's a little mask that fits over your nose and you breathe thru that. Not hard at all.

for most people I'm going to guess that it's more that initial shot of stuff to numb you or the sound of the drilling, scraping, etc. that really bothers most folks.

 I've never had one.  Last year I was told I needed one and since it was the very back tooth and the cost of an extraction was a fraction of the root canal, I had it pulled.  I also can't have the back portions of my mouth numbed, I have a weird gag reflex and I start vomiting and can't stop.  The dentists love that part!    I do have a crown further forward in my mouth and that wasn't a problem at all, I was good and numb and the dentist was great.  No problemo.  Good luck!

Imo crowns are worse as far as pain....I'd rate a root canal a 2 or 3 on a 1-10 scale, mostly discomfort from the length of time it takes...that said, my tooth that I had a root canal on, one of my front ones, turned greyish and brittle afterward and ended up chipping slightly. Since it's in the front, I don't like the look of it and I'm saving up to get a dental implant. I wish I'd never had it done and just put the $700 it cost me toward the cost of the implant.

Once they numbed me up I didn't feel a thing. However the nerve in my mouth is in a really weird spot adn teh missed it the first time. If your cheek and lip on that side of your mouth is not TOTALLY numb then yes it will still hurt! BUT, ask for more and tell them its not numb. I ended up getting like 4 shots before they found my nerve. But my mouth is super weird, so I wouldn't worry too much.

2shelties

my tooth that I had a root canal on, one of my front ones, turned greyish and brittle afterward and ended up chipping slightly.

That's usually what happens and why they almost always put a crown on it afterwards. I'm with you though on going for the dental implant but it is expensive and generally a dentist will go to extremes to save your real tooth, if possible. If you have a tooth extracted vs. a root canal, you will usually need to have bridge or dental implant to keep the other teeth from shifting. Anyway you look at it, dental work is expensive. For the cost, I rate the pain level a 10!

I had a very bad experience with an RC because of an infection in the roof of my mouth that went with it - and I would still rate it as a 4 out of 10.

For me it was a blessing to have it done because once the nerve is gone it simply can't hurt anymore.  It was a huge sigh of relief to have it, but I'm like Callie and have a really bad mouth.

Good luck and relax - it really does make it easier on the endodontist if you relax your face and neck muscles.

I've had two - no problems at all.  At the time I had mine you didn't have to go to a "root canal specialist" so my regular dentist did them. The man has a magic touch.  He's totally wasted on dentistry - he should have been an OB/Gyn. I didn't even bother to fill the prescription for the pain meds because I knew if he did the procedure, my mouth wouldn't be sore afterwards.

Joyce

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!
I really, really appreciate all the comments. I'm still nervous, but not scared. Novacaine works on me (after 3-5 shots) so that's good! And I had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled while I was semi-awake without a problem, so hopefully this won't be a big deal. The tooth is in the way back.

I had one done a few years ago and it was not a big deal.  I was scared like you and I am not brave at the Dentist at all.  I wish they would call that procedure something else, somehow the name just sounds painful!