Root Canal Question

[high_hopes]

I have just been told that I need a root canal. I understand that they take the pulp out and replace it (or something like that), but is this actual surgery? Do they have to put you under. Does it hurt a lot afterwards? They most I have ever had done is get cavities filled. Can anyone help me with this?

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[brwncaddy]

Just think of it as having A REALLY BIG cavity filled, because that is what it is.
They'll drill a large hole into your crown and and scoop out all the diseased tissue and clean out the pulp cavity then replace the pulp with a substance and probably give you a temporary filling. Having had one myself, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. As far as pain goes, my endodontist told me that a lot of the teeth she sees are so far dead by the point they come in to see her that she doesn't even use anesthetic a lot of the time.

 

[high_hopes]

Thanks for the reply. It helps.

 

[Mikado]

It doesn't hurt as such but it does feel worse that most other thing i've ever experienced. The feeling of having someone filing down deep into your jaw is kind of like that feeling you get when someone runs their fingernails down a blackboard except its actually happening right inside your very own skull. I hope this helps you.

 

[Wasabi]

Hehe, that's exactly how I felt.. The feeling was so intense that I wanted to curl up and die.