Part Two - Root Canal
DanceRat
months back in which I described what a root canal description was
like (for me).
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=dancerat+root&hl=en&rnum=1&selm=35184a3f.0109211252.6a177515%40posting.google.com
After my first description and beginning root canal I went to an
endodontist for part two of my three part root canal series. This is
where the endodontist cleaned out and filed down my root canals,
sanatized them, and then filled them. The whole visit this time
lasted about two hours from the time I sat in the chair until the time
I left. I have one more visit in about six months to determine if my
tooth bone is healing and then I will get a crown or filling. I hope
it heals but the doctor did tell me that there was about a 10-15%
chance that I still might lose my tooth after all the work.
When I sat down, the doctor nitroused me up, which is GREAT. I have
to say that I am so glad that nitrous was invented. I am a big
advocate in patients rights and being 38 will definitely NOT go to a
dentist that doesn't have the availability of N02 and does not write a
presciption for pain meds. He and his assistant kept a lively banter
going and also made sure that I was kept comfortable with the nitrous.
After I got in the chair, I was given an x-ray of the tooth, nitrous
and the shots in the mouth, including one in the roof. I had little
or no anxiety because of the nitrous, but I did notice that I was
given more N02 than I had been given at the first visit with my
original dentist. In my N02 delirium, I decided that was because
endodontists have a competition going on with regular dentists about
the amount of pain patients walk out of there feeling. I also came to
the conclusion that this must be the reason so many female patients
fall in love with their dentists because if you have that much time
spent intimately with a person breathing on you, with their fingers in
your mouth and you are under the influence of such feel good drugs, it
probably does something to you emotionally, somewhat like the
Stockholm Syndrome.
Although I would like to know this; what do you dentists think about
when you are working there under the hood? I had some wacky thoughts
which I am sure were directly contributed to the effects of the
nitrous. I kept thinking that N02, creativity, and intelligence make
for an interesting combination. I even came up with the incredible
premise that all men were performers deep down inside and that this
was most probably because our genetic makeup was originally that of
our forebears from space (a la Erik Von Daniken) who happened to be a
traveling troupe of space actors. I was thinking this because I felt
that my endodontist was performing somewhat along the same lines of a
real actor.
Anyway, much N02, novocaine shots later, I had a green dam placed in
my mouth, suction here and there, and then he filed my root canals I
guess large enough so that the gutta percha would fill. He said he
didn't use a gun, because there was no way to satisfactorily sterilize
the tips except with alcohol, and he didn't feel comfortable with
that. I got a running commentary on what he was doing pretty much the
whole time. After the initial starting of the gutta percha fill, he
took another x-ray to make sure the root tips were filled and then he
continued. All in all, two hours went by. The last ten minutes were
oxygen, a final x-ray, and then a prescription for vicodin, and I went
home.
I hope this answers any questions people might have for a pretty basic
root canal. I wil write the third in my series when I finally finish,
but it will be six months from now.
All in all, it wasn't the horrible experience I had imagined it to be.
My tooth area is sore and the first part took about two weeks to
completely heal with no soreness, so I am expecting about the same.
Will definitely keep you posted, however.
Thanks everyone !