OMG Thank heavens for the root canal procedure.

Update on the bad tooth thing...

Had the root canal procedure this morning, and even without painkillers, the pain is almost entirely gone.  I felt like crying several times just from the feeling of relief.

I'm sure a lot of people have had this done and already know, but in my case it was a first, and I learned a few things:

A lot of deep root cavities will not show up on x-rays.

Extreme sensitivity to warm food or drink is almost a sure sign of a deep tooth infection.

The pain radiates all over and it is very hard to tell which tooth is the problem (luckily we got the right one on the first try)

If you ignore it, the pain can become unbelievably bad, much worse than the treatment.

I hope everyone will watch out for the signs of this and don't neglect it, ignore it or be afraid to have a root canal done.  In my case, it was a gift from heaven.  I feel so much better now. 

Oh, man, sorry to hear that. Feel better soon....

Do you have naproxen over the counter where you are? Ibuprofen helps but 400 mg of naproxen helps more, in my experience. Also ice packs (to the external jaw) help with neuropathic pain. Whatever you do, don't apply heat.

Original Post by trustwomen:

Oh, man, sorry to hear that. Feel better soon....

Do you have naproxen over the counter where you are? Ibuprofen helps but 400 mg of naproxen helps more, in my experience. Also ice packs (to the external jaw) help with neuropathic pain. Whatever you do, don't apply heat.

I kinda figured that out when a bowl of tepid soup made my face go into pain overdrive.

I don't know if they have napproxen here, but everything is closed because of the New Year holiday, it's night and I'm going in to get the treatment in the AM.

I'm going to lay off applying cold packs just because when I remove the cold it hurts that much more.  Just going to try and keep the temp at 98.6 until the morning and keep taking ibuprofen. Hopefully the treatment will work and I won't need full-on root canal surgery later.

Thanks trust.  You know what wimps we guys are for pain...

Even after the root canal you will have pain for a couple of days, but not like this. I hope you get through the night comfortably... At least it'll all be over soon.

And honestly, having had neuropathic pain myself, there is almost nothing worse. I don't think gender has anything to do with this particular case (though I admit I do agree with your general premise). ;)

i feel your pain i had all 4 wisdom teeth removed yesterday dec 31 at 10 am and i am such a piece of crap to be around. these pain killer are making me bloated and constipated and i don't know what to do.  i usually weigh around 108-110 and my scale today said 113.  what the hell is going on.

I had all my wisdom teeth out at 20, and although that was tough, believe me, count your blessings, because I would not want to wish this root canal thing on anyone.  You can't even feel which tooth it is because the unbelievable intense pain just radiates from the upper jaw area across the cheekbone and around the skull.  It is unbelievable.

I'd let them rip out all of my upper left teeth if it would get me relief at this point.

Hope you feel better soon, you'll be glad you got them out.  I hope this never happens to you - or anyone.

they can't call in a pain killer??  i know percocet needs a written copy and dpctors do not like to fax in an emergancy script but what about vicoden?

honestly if i where in all that pain i would tell the doctor and ask if he can call in something as the motrin isn't helping.

good luck to you, feel better.

Oh, good lord. I sympathise. I've had a root canal thanks to an accident in the past - I cut my gum quite badly, the cut became infected, and then infected the tooth/nerve in turn. Honestly don't wish it on anyone. D:

In terms of food, have you been able to keep anything down without it hurting you badly? I think cold foods should be managable - ice cream, chilled soup/gazpacho, greek yoghurt, hummus, mashed potatoes/root veg, fruit smoothies made with ice - unless it's violently sensitive, though I remember only warm food caused me agony.

Either way, I hope it all goes well, and keep the cool and soft foods on hand!

I just got done having dental work, Udokier.  No root canal this time, but they basically hollowed out my entire tooth, cut off half of it, then filled it with medicine and fake tooth.  Once it cured, they carved in a new tooth and voila. 

I'd had a root canal done at the same place I went to have my broken tooth repaired years ago.  It was the last time I'd ever seen a dentist for a reason.  They botched my root canal so horribly my entire tooth had to be surgically removed.

Why I went back to the same place, I have no idea.  They couldn't figure out how to numb the lower half of my mouth, so I never got the rest of my scheduled dental work done, and don't intend to go back.

So a little word of advice, if they **** up the first time, don't go back.  Ever.

Good luck!

Thanks CD, I just got back from there.  This was the root canal treatment, not the full root canal surgery, so basically,  it's what you described, removing the inside of the tooth and nerves, then fill with rubberlike material and cover.  It was painful, but I am so glad I got it done.  Nothing could be worse than last night.  Waiting to see how it feels once the novocain wears off...

When the numbness wore off on me, it actually wasn't horrible.  Having the actual root canal in it's fullness, not just hollowing out the tooth and leaving the nerves alone, was a lot more pleasant than what I had done recently.

One thing I did against my dentist's advice was slouch over the sink and spray luke warm water in my mouth constantly once the numbness wore off.  It helped.  A lot.  Actually, I preferred that to the tylenol I took throughout the whole ordeal.

You'll be fine. :D  I trust you're a trooper and when the pain really starts to suck, warm whiskey and lemon.

Update on the bad tooth thing...

Had the root canal procedure this morning, and even without painkillers, the pain is almost entirely gone.  I felt like crying several times just from the feeling of relief.

I'm sure a lot of people have had this done and already know, but in my case it was a first, and I learned a few things:

A lot of deep root cavities will not show up on x-rays.

Extreme sensitivity to warm food or drink is almost a sure sign of a deep tooth infection.

The pain radiates all over and it is very hard to tell which tooth is the problem (luckily we got the right one on the first try)

If you ignore it, the pain can become unbelievably bad, much worse than the treatment.

I hope everyone will watch out for the signs of this and don't neglect it, ignore it or be afraid to have a root canal done.  In my case, it was a gift from heaven.  I feel so much better now. 

Original Post by cellulitedelight:

When the numbness wore off on me, it actually wasn't horrible. Having the actual root canal in it's fullness, not just hollowing out the tooth and leaving the nerves alone, was a lot more pleasant than what I had done recently.

One thing I did against my dentist's advice was slouch over the sink and spray luke warm water in my mouth constantly once the numbness wore off. It helped. A lot. Actually, I preferred that to the tylenol I took throughout the whole ordeal.

You'll be fine. :D I trust you're a trooper and when the pain really starts to suck, warm whiskey and lemon.

So far, so good, CD and it's been more than 12 hours.  If there is any pain they gave me some stuff called "Voltaren".

That's awesome!  I still think warm whiskey and honey is the way to go, though. :D

o i totally understand the incredible relief a root canal can bring! I had an absess that was causing me insanely intense pain. I was a lifeguard so being in 100 degree heat with that kind of pain almost made me pass out a few times. Vicodin did nothing to help me sleep pain free at night. I could not wait to get the root canal done and I felt better immediately! I didn't even really have much post-procedure pain...at least nothing compared to what I was experiencing before.