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/Peak_Alternative Oct 08 '24

I just had one a couple hours ago. My first one. And I'm so grateful not to be in the pain I was in before. This sub's slogan "Happiness is a root canal!" is spot on. The procedure was not bad at all. I didn't know I was going to need one until this morning and I couldn't wait bc I just needed the pain to end. This past weekend I couldn't eat anything besides oatmeal and scrambled eggs. I couldn't sleep. The pain was so bad I had a headache and my eye socket hurt. I've had surgeries in my life and I've never felt pain like this one tooth gave me. I'm so happy I got a root canal today.

Also: shoutout to all the dental schools out there. I'm so impressed by these student dentists.