My Root Canal

Have you ever had the gracious experience of having a root canal treatment done on your teeth? Firstly, a root canal in short, is a dental procedure which the dentist or endodontist (a root canal specialist) takes the nerve (pulp) of the tooth out and seals it after. This is an alternative way to preserve the tooth instead of pulling it out permanently.

Going back to the question, if you had the experience before, please post your comments and share your experiences. But for those who have not had the experience of having one done, you can be in for a treat...a different kind of treat.

The root canal treatment is actually a form of surgical procedure, only it's done on the tooth. And just like any surgical intervention, you'll never know what might just happen, or how it may happen. One thing's for sure, if you go through the first time (and thereafter), make sure it's a really good and reliable dentist or endodontist who'll do the procedure. But just like any other types of surgery for that matter.

Like first time for anything, nerves are either your friend or enemy. What do I mean by this? It's practically our nerves that get us all excited, anxious, nervous, and even scared to think of whatever it is that we have to go through the first time. As humans, we have the gift of emotions. This can tell whether a person is scared or relaxed, and crying can be an end product of the scared part.

I will start with my most recent root canal experience. This was done twice (on separate times)and was also a re-root canal (root canal re-done on the same tooth).

It has been at least 25 years since the last root canal procedure was done and finally, one has to be done...again. Needless to say, I have totally forgotten what have happened from the previous one (first time) and I was much younger then, not caring much about it anyway. Also, times have changed much of technology, even the local anesthesia is flavored now a days.

So, after regular dental appointments, I finally subjected myself to a root canal treatment on the upper last tooth on the left side. If you have to picture how I was positioned for this, my head needed to be in a hyperextended position with mouth wide opened (jaws stretched).

Like I said, it's been a long time since the first time and I was thinking that this one is probably just like any other dental procedures that I've had like cleaning, cavity filling, etc.
But it wasn't.

After the local anesthesia was given (I chose the tropical flavor), with my head and jaws on the right position, all I can see (I'll start with the eyes) are just the light on my eyes and face. They give you a pair of shades (sunglasses) to wear to protect from the constant glare. All there was to see were the dentist's eyes and his assistant's eyes (nose and mouth covered). Next will be the different dental tools that are slowly being placed in my mouth and into my tooth.

Now for the ears (all I can hear), besides the soft country music in the dental clinic, were the same dental equipments that I saw. This time with the matching sound that goes with the weird looking tools. High pitched drills, grinders, files, and more country music. The dentist mumbling words from inside his surgical mask, and the assistant actually understands this. How do they do that? Finally, I can also hear myself moan or groan from time to time when the dentist was feeling his oats.

Then, for the nose section, the smell of first, the remainder tropical scent from the flavored local anesthesia. And then comes the different smell of medicine being placed in my tooth and other stuff that I didn't bother to ask about. Then, while the dentist assistant was spraying air and suctioning the water in my mouth at the same time, there are some fumes from the medicine that escaped through and lands in my left nostril. Now, this is no joke. This really smelled like strong meds and felt like inhaling or snorting a very strong solvent. It was so strong that it caused a nosebleed only from my left nostril after about 5 or 6 hours from the treatment. Strong enough to clear my sinus (I had years of sinus problems), that I thought it had completely solved my sinus condition. This clear sinus lasted only for the night, because the next morning, my sinus felt the same as it was before. The nose bleeding was also temporary.

I will not go into taste, because there was nothing to say about that। But now, the best part, is what I felt. I will go through this by parts. Pre-op, meaning before the surgery; during the surgery; then post-op, meaning after the surgery.

Pre-op I was feeling fine, not even a bit nervous or anxious. No headache nor neck stiffness or jaw stiffness or problems. So, before the root canal, I was fine. My nerves was my friend at this point.

During the procedure in connection to what was discussed above with the sight, hear, and smell, I felt the different dental tools applied pressure on my tooth, with sometimes some mild pricking on the gums. But really it was the continuous prolonged opened mouth that felt like I was going to die. Not to mention that my head was on a hyperextended position with very little to no movements possible.

While the mouth is opened, there was a device placed inside the mouth before the start of the procedure. This device is like a tent to cover the rest of the opened mouth and isolate just the tooth that has to be worked on. It is attached to the tooth and anchored. So, it is a protective device for surgery (similar to a drape) that served as a hood. This can hurt a little when being placed, and once on, it was irritating. I really hoped that I knew about this site Root Canal Exercises before I had the procedure done.

As the procedure went on, I was just getting to the boredom stage and my jaws and neck are starting to have a contest which one is going to get stiff first. The jaws, mostly the left one (where I have the tooth worked on), was really hurting. It was past the stage of soreness and irritation. The right side had a little break due to the bite block and was relieved a little. My neck was also giving up and I was tempted to strighten my head and look forward. I had just that opportunity when the endodontist had to get up and get some stuff. But for the jaws, no break or relief even if I wanted to.

Without realizing that an hour have past, I was absolutely restless and very uncomfortble at this point. The sound of the endodontist's voice faintly saying, "It'll be just a few more minutes" was even golden to my ears, which by now are tired of hearing the same dental tools, drill, suction device, and yes, country music. My nerves are not too friendly anymore.

That few more minutes lasted another half hour which I kind of anticipated. Then came the smell of the temporary filling, which I knew it was time to patch my tooth up. This lasted just less than a minute, off went the mouth hood and I was instructed to bite slowly to see if the filling was even and if I had a smooth bite. Oh yes, before this, I was able to straighten my head and was slowly raised back up to upright sitting position. Now easier said than done. When all this was going on and the endodontist was waiting for me to bite down and tell him how it felt like, blood was slowly flowing to my brain and trying to get focused, I was just starting to get my neck relaxed and jaws slowly back to its relaxed position (closing my mouth). And he kept asking me to bite down, open mouth, bite down, to find out if the filling was well aligned. I can't even feel the rest of my jaws at this point.

At post-op, it was right there and then when I felt vulnerable and knowing that even if I had no previous neck or jaw problems, I was still prone to hurting these parts just from a procedure like a root canal treatment. At the same time thinking, what about people who do have previous history or problems on the neck (cervical) spine and/or jaws (TMJ)? And with a procedure lasting that long, it would be more than just a challenge.

So, with the help of some exercise regime or some sort of physical conditioning for the head and jaws, a dental patient can get prepared for these challenges. I left the dental clinic with all the necessary instructions and yet I had the feeling of still lacking something. I felt that I took care of the dental aspect of the treatment, and that I couldn't take care of the other after effects of the procedure. I tried not to open my mouth for a while and speak only if necessary. For the gum or tobacco chewers, I recommend that you refrain from chewing for a while after a procedure like this. People with neck (cervical) spine problems, I recommend that someone else do the driving for you after the treatment.

I hope you won't have to go through some form of root canal blues of your own, and make your nerves your friend throughout the procedure.