From the Doctor's Perspective

Recently, I had my first experience of being on the receiving end of root canal

therapy. Please note that it was not negligence on my part, but rather an unfortunate set of circumstances that necessitated the treatment. Prior to the root canal treatment, I experienced an increasing amount of sensitivity to hot and cold over several weeks. I decided to wait it out; to see what my patients feel when they wait for the pain to go away. It was tolerable for a while but it steadily got worse, rather then better. It started to throb at night. Initially, an over-the-counter analgesic such as ibuprofen was sufficient to take care of the pain. After waiting a few more days, the discomfort continued to progress in intensity.  That is when I decided to schedule an appointment for the root canal therapy.  I’ve had enough “waiting to see if it would go away.” I couldn’t wait for the root canal.  After the doctor anesthetized me, I felt no discomfort. Only once, did I need a  little additional anesthesia directly into the tooth. The rest of the procedure was painless!  The anesthetic wore off in about  three hours. I expected residual discomfort not only from the inflammation in the tooth but the procedure itself. I felt great after the procedure! I felt no pain. I didn’t even need an ibuprofen! I couldn’t believe how immediate the relief was. I learned that waiting things out is not in one’s best interest when it comes to dentistry.  I was grateful for the experience it is an eye-opening experience to know what the patient feels when they have root canal treatment. Now, I fully appreciate the suffering and the urgency of the situation when a tooth “really” hurts.

My advice… do not wait!