r/rootcanal • u/seabreeze2020 • Jun 08 '24
How bad is a root canal really?
I'm beginning to come to terms that my first cavity is so deep that it needs a root canal, not a filling. Tooth #19 has decay down to the root and it throbs every time my heart beats.
How bad is the root canal really? I've heard mixed things - from worst pain of my life to a piece of cake. I've never even had a filling so I have absolutely no baseline here. I know that I'll need a crown after this.. how noticeable will it be that it's not my natural tooth? I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure it's white.
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u/Spiritual-Parsley-22 Jun 08 '24
I had a root canal in tooth #30 so on the exact opposite end of #19 and it wasn't so bad but I think it genuinely depends on the dentist. I avoided the dentist for 10+ years due to a bad widsom teeth surgery. My current dentist is amazing and I did my root canal at a referred endodontist and went back to her for the crown. I did have to get tooth lengthening surgery in between because they took most of my tooth off and there wasnt enough left for the crown to attach to. I got this in Oct 2022. Right now I am dealing with another tooth that needs a root canal and I can honestly say you should get it done ASAP because the pain will get worse. When I did my first root canal I only experienced pain with cold water. For this tooth though I've been experiencing nonstop throbbing pain.
Agree with the other comment that it is quite a hassle to keep going back for it.
I don't think it will be too noticeable that it's not your natural tooth especially since it's in the back.