My Experience

I went to the dentist because I had extreme sensitivity in one of my back molars. My dentist examined the tooth and exposed some of the infected nerve tissue, which made the pain even worse. I was referred to an endodontist and was able to schedule the root canal for that evening.

The endodontist gave me a Novocain shot and my jaw was held open at a wide angle. It was uncomfortable and I needed multiple shots of anesthetic throughout the procedure to keep me numb. Using a needle-like tool, the endodontist cleaned out the decayed tooth. She said she didn’t know why the tooth had died and asked me if I had any trauma to that side of my face (e.g., being punched), but I had not.

One of the most unpleasant aspects of the procedure was that my lips got very dry from having my mouth kept open for so long. The endodontist applied some Vaseline to alleviate that. I’m not sure how long the whole process took — but it was at least an hour.

I was given a prescription for Vicodin for the pain and I made an appointment to come in to be fitted for a crown.

I was in some pain for the 48 hours following the procedure. The Vicodin was too strong for my stomach and made me nauseous so I just ended up taking over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen. My jaw was also very sore. I ate mainly soft foods like yogurt and soup. I was told to be very careful when brushing my teeth, which was tricky.

The crown-fitting appointment was pretty painless, though they had to put my jaw in the same uncomfortable device to keep it open. The new tooth felt a little strange at first, especially when I would bite down on it, but now I don’t notice it at all.