I had one root canal and I was soooooo glad to have it done! The tooth was very painful beforehand. I had to go on penicillin for a week or two and then went to the endodontist who was very careful to make sure I felt no pain. She kept asking if I could feel anything. Her whole practice was about making sure that people were pain-free. And it totally was. I agree that it was easier than a crown. Mine went through an existing crown, too. This was 15 years ago and I have never had any problems since with the crown or the tooth.
I guess I couldâve gone to work afterwards, but itâs nice to take the day off if you can. You can compare it to having a crown done. Would you go to work after that?
In dental school, we learn the very basic techniques of anesthesia injections. Then we practice an upper and lower on a classmate. And thatâs it.
Iâm very good with injections. I use an excellent topical anesthetic on every patient so they donât feel that first poke. I inject slowly while wiggling their cheek to distract their attention and I talk them through it.
If the patient isnât numb enough, I give them more. Your teeth may have longer than average roots, your nerves may be in a slightly different position, you may have accessory nerves. I donât want someone to jump or jerk away during an injection (I tell patients raise your left hand if you arenât numb enough).
I have an incredible endodontist. He is brilliant, skilled and personable. Unfortunately, he is older than I, and I worry that he wonât be practicing anymore if I need him in the future. Good dental professionals are worth their weight in gold (I also adore my longtime dentist and hygienist).
Hello- endodontist (root canal specialist) here. Just wanted to chime in. Most patients are fine to go back to work the same day. There are some exceptions- but those are mostly when the tooth has âblown upâ already and you are significantly swollen prior to treatment. Feel free to DM me if you have additional questions!
It really depends upon your job, whether you go back the same day. They always send me home with OxyContin or something like that. I usually donât take it, but once I was standing in the grocery line and a wave of pain hit me, couldnât take it quick enough. Can you do your job if youâre on those sort of pain medications? I was a pilot, of course I couldnât. Honestly, I donât know why anyone would actually want to go back to work after a root canal. You could be feeling pretty good, but you might want to take meds and lie on the couch. Itâs hard to predict, so unless youâre working from home with no way to get yourself into trouble, take the day off.