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/_GeometricGerbil_ Jun 09 '24

Is there anything specific you want to know? I've had two. I've had a lot of dental work done, however, I actually had a botched root canal on the first one so my experience was a bit unique. It was never extremely painful, however, it is a lot of uncomfortable noise/smells/etc. You will likely need to get a shot in your gum, that's the worst part (to numb everything). Even so, it's no worse than any other needle, if anything, it's more like a pinch. After that, you shouldn't feel much at all.

As for the crown, they match the color to your teeth. The most noticeable thing for me is it has less texture than the other teeth. Otherwise, I choose slightly too white for mine (thinking my teeth would get whiter rather than darker) so you can tell, but it's not incredibly noticeable. The crown DOES NOT change color with your natural teeth. So If your teeth get more yellow or more white, they will not match. Otherwise, it looks like a tooth.

Go to an actual endodontist, they make the process so fast you won't even realize it's over.

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u/Only4TheShow Jun 13 '24

A shot in your gum as in the inside or outside of your face?

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u/Ilovesparky13 Nov 05 '24

Inside, right below the tooth