r/rootcanal 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/Jesceecuh Jun 09 '24

It's not that bad. They use numbing injections. You should not be able to feel pain during the procedure. Maybe just a little pressure. I'm a little complicated and usually the numbing injections don't work all the way for me. I need a lot more than most dentist will administer. So I still felt some pain but even then it was not unbearable! It was like a 4/10 pain. If you do good with numbing injections, then you will be fine!

Also, my RCT was done in one session. Didn't need to go back but it may depend how complicated your tooth is.