Root canal or extraction?

I have actually had a root canal earlier this year. My dentist told me never to dr google as that only gives bad stories. I did opt to NOT have the clamp and rubber sheet though, my dentist is amazing and great with mental health and everything! 

Disclaimer: not giving medical advice just sharing my experience 

My first appointment I had all the roots removed but did have an infection and pain afterwards but all I had to do was take anti biotics and alternate between ibuprofen and paracetamol every four hours. My appointment took about half an hour. 

Second appointment I managed to get two of the roots filled but had no pain afterwards. Was there for an hour. 

Third and final appointment had the final root filled and the permanent filling in. I did have to keep my mouth open for longer periods though so my jaw was quite sore but recovered in a few hours if that. Again an hour long appointment.

Do be careful when eating again as now the tooth is weaker it’s more easy to break, so the dentist will probably advise a crown. I’m trying (and failing) to convince my parents to pay for a private white crown as I haven’t got the money but tbh the tooth is at the back so the silver crown shouldn’t be that noticeable anyway and can always save up for the white one! 

My dentist was brilliant and accepted that I didn’t want the clamp, I tried that but I was chocking and worried of throwing up so he took out and I didn’t have to have that or the rubber sheet. Dentist are very skilled in this sort of thing. I was also given numbing cream for the jabs, though it helped when I had a nice nurse to hold my hand when having them. Bear in mind I am on UC so I did get this free on nhs so I don’t know what the costs will be if you go private.

Ironically to help me cope I watch the Kirby RBAY episode “a dental dilemma!” A fantastic episode in my opinion, very funny and relatable and I actually tried not to laugh when the dentist was putting the drill in my mouth as I kept thinking of Dr Yabui and his drill like floating towards the screen with the music in the background 

Hi Elfilis - this is fantastically helpful and detailed - thank you so much! I had no idea that it was such an involved process - it’s been very enlightening to read these replies. Can I ask : what is ‘the clamp and the rubber sheet’?!  I’m glad that your dentist sounds so good and is so understanding- that can make a huge difference can’t it? Also I didn’t even realise that it involved multiple visits - that’s so helpful to know. Or that the tooth is weaker afterwards. My dentist did say I’d need a crown fitted about 8 months later - and as I can’t find an nhs dentist I’m sure that all in all it will cost a fortune. I’ve never heard of ‘Kirby RBAY’ - I might search that out! Anything that can make you feel like laughing when you’re in the dentists chair must be pretty amazing! When I go to the dentist I always try to think of something else - some nice or calming - but I can’t never manage it - all I can think about is what they’re doing and how much I want it to stop. I think the length of the treatment time is really putting me off the root canal. Every minute feels like 20 minutes (or more) to me when I’m having dental work done. Thank you so much for sharing your experience on here - I massively appreciate it. People on here are so incredibly helpful and it helps so much to come on here and get such friendly and helpful replies - it’s really comforting to feel such support from people who really understand what it’s like to go to the dentist (and do other challenging things) as an autistic person. Thanks so much :) 

Aww I’m glad to have been of help to you. I actually didn’t really mind the root canal treatment if I’m perfectly honest, but it this way I’m much worse with other things! Like on Tuesday lol! 

Kirby RBYA is the anime show Kirby:Right back at ya. There is the original Japanese version with English subtitles or there is the American version which I really enjoy! I mean King Dedede accent is so amazing! The episode I mentioned is called “A dental dilemma” and I personally find it funny and relatable! I also love how Dr Yabui won’t give out anaesthetic because he is actually afraid of needles (like me!) I tend to watch on Dailymotion. 

The rubber sheet is something the dentist tends to use to isolate the tooth being treated and the clamp is there to hold the sheet in place but it was quite a big clamp so I couldn’t close my mouth. The clamp was removed very quickly though so thankfully I didn’t choke ha! I think the thing with that was I kept needing to swallow and I couldn’t and then I was panicking and so the clamp was removed. I think it is a legal requirement but I was very lucky to have a dentist who understood autism and everything so you could just ask to not have the clamp and rubber sheet if you don’t want to. 

Awww well at least he is getting over his phobia. Say I guess I’m not as bad with jabs in the mouth now. I would actually cry on the way to the dentist but when I got in the room I was chatty more than anything. It just felt more like I was poking my gum with my finger nail more than anything. Arms or that however is a completely different story! Especially blood tests! I don’t know how people have the eye jabs though! Guess I don’t want to find out haha 

That’s true! I don’t want a dentist that is (literally!) ‘out of her depth’! 

Thanks Elfilis :) For years my eldest son had a terrible needle phobia but in recent years he’s had to have a lot of injections (he’s not a drug addict they were medically necessary I will just add!) - and gradually his fear has just been eroded by so much exposure to them. So that’s been an unexpected silver lining for him anyway. 

You’re very welcome! Yeah the fewer trips the better lol! Thing that actually scares me the most in the dentist is the jab! But I normally have the numbing gel to help with that anyway haha! Hope your trip and procedure goes well either way! 

Kate Kestrel said:

she even said she’d have to refer me to another dentist with more expertise in root canals as she felt it was a little beyond her competency. Bit odd!

Some teeth have curved roots and these are really tricky to clean all the nerve tissue out of. It is a really fiddly process (I've had quite a lot done with curved roots) as the tiny files they use can get jammed in there and need an experienced touch to be able to wiggle free without breaking the file off.

It is common for dentists to refer root canals to specialists partly for this reason and partly because it is quite a complicated process that they may lack practice with.

It is good she knows her limits though - better this than a gung-ho practicioner who will try their luck...

Kate Kestrel said:

she even said she’d have to refer me to another dentist with more expertise in root canals as she felt it was a little beyond her competency. Bit odd!

Some teeth have curved roots and these are really tricky to clean all the nerve tissue out of. It is a really fiddly process (I've had quite a lot done with curved roots) as the tiny files they use can get jammed in there and need an experienced touch to be able to wiggle free without breaking the file off.

It is common for dentists to refer root canals to specialists partly for this reason and partly because it is quite a complicated process that they may lack practice with.

It is good she knows her limits though - better this than a gung-ho practicioner who will try their luck...

That’s true! I don’t want a dentist that is (literally!) ‘out of her depth’!