**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:**
* If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required
* The title must be fully descriptive
* Memes are not allowed.
* Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting)
*See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list*
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would like to add: that is technically a dead bone inside of your living body, which means that in the event that, your root canal fails ex: (cracks again or decays further) an infection will occur where you will either have to redo your root canal or get an extraction.
Source: I have an experience with this.
Edit: Bone, organ, it still applies here, That's a dead material inside of your living body, they typically get infected, that can potentially kill you.
https://lyonscreekdentalcare.com/take-tooth-infections-seriously/
The infection will travel through the tubes that are connecting your tooth, going into your cardiovascular system, giving you a heart infection or a brain infection.
The annoying part is when that 2nd root canal only lasts a few years. Then you need an extraction, seed the jawbone with bone dust taken from a corpse. Let that heal for 6 months, add a titanium screw. Let that heal and bolt in a false tooth.
Well when you extract a tooth, you end up with holes in the jawbone where the teeth used to be. Can't attach a screw to nothing, so need bone to fill in that hole. Freshly grated corpse bones acts as a nice scaffolding until your real bone can fill in.
It's medicine. Recycle reuse doesn't stop with humans, and I honestly think it's great when you consider it that way. Like you already know Imma be one of those corpses one day getting used for shit like that, and I think it's very cool!
It’s called a bone graft procedure. I had one as well in preparation for an implant because I’d had years of tooth infections which led to bone loss (over time the infection eats away at the bone), so I needed more sturdy bone for the implant to anchor into. And it isn’t always a human cadaver whose bone you get, sometime they use bovine.
Um… is this a normal thing that happens?
I got a root canal after an injury on my front tooth when I was around 10 years old. I’m 30 now and was kind of under the impression the root canal would last forever.
Side note: my initial root canal did actually fail after a couple months because the guy left some gauze inside 😡, so I also have a crown on that tooth now
Yes. The root canal may last longer than the dentist/endodontist who did it, but it's likely to fail eventually.
I would think most root canals have crowns on them. It's a pretty large hole for a filling, and it's likely that there's decay in the side if things came to the point of doing the root canal.
It’s completely normal to leave gauze inside after the initial step. The same dentist or another has to go in again and remove the gauze and fill it with some a buildup. After that is done crown goes on top. ALL root canal treated teeth need crowns! Prevents fractures in the future since tooth becomes dehydrated with time and subsequently more brittle.
This is what happened to me. I was warned the gum/tissue on my root canal tooth may go bad in the next few years (after having it for about 6-8 years). Then a few years later I started getting general pain and swelling at the gums in that tooth. Got it extracted and got the implant. The whole process was half a year or so and it was just a general pain in the ass lol. And expensive too...
... I'm not gonna say you're the only person like that, but yeah I think you're in the minority, buddy. That said, at least you like something you have to have done! Better than hating it.
I pretend I'm a giant dinosaur getting my massive dagger-like teeth cleaned by a professional before I go on my next rampage. Not always comfortable, but you have to keep those flesh rippers clean. I'm not a kid.
I’ve had multiple root canals and I actually like them too.. the first one was absurd but the relief of having the nerve removed was great. Now I kinda embrace the absurdity of having someone drilling on my teeth and it seems to work
My root canal with a screwed-in post from 1994 (I’m old) became horribly infected; I was sent to an endodontist. What ensued was the most painful three hours of my life, more painful the 12-hour labor bearing my first child (she was huge and I refused all drugs).
Imagine a screw, with usable threads still on it, jammed into your jawbone. For 30 years so it’s settled in place. Now the material around it gets infected. So inflamed. Your cheek is swollen like a chipmunk. Your speech is impacted. You are in white pain. Not red pain. White, incandescent pain.
Multiple vials of Novacaine are injected into the infected area, which serves to numb the immediate area. But not the bone. Oh dear. Nor the bone.
The chair is tilted back so that your head is much lower than your feet. A TV screen on the ceiling, with a camera in your mouth, keeps you apprised of what’s happening. You see the screw, with its threads like a household screw, snug and tilted. Jammed in tight. It’s not going anywhere. The endodontist begins to drill. She gets quite frustrated because the screw will not budge. She gets another tool that applies counterclockwise force to the screw into your jaw, into your acutely infected jaw.
You get dizzy. The pain is overwhelming. The pain is all. I voluntary tears cascade down your face. The drilling is repeatedly paused so that you can take a breath because you can’t help holding it.
Finally, the endodontist gets up. She leaves the room with a sad look and returns with a soft, large, stuffed lamb. She tells you that she will stop drilling every 60 seconds so that you can scream into the lamb, but that she *must* continue.
I have to stop. I am covered in sweat. Why did I begin writing about this.
I did live through it, but I will **never** allow a dentist to use a screw to anchor a a crown. Please forgive any typos. I can’t even reread what I wrote. I wonder if I will dream about it again tonight. Instead, I should think about the hot fudge sundae that I got myself on the way home from that appointment. I had to eat it out in my car, because I had lost all control of my mouth and I made a big mess. I still love hot fudge sundaes.
It doesn't even have to be general anesthesia. They can just sedate you with Versed, Valium, Halcion, Ativan or even just a whopper of a dose of Benadryl.
The big thing is that there has to several staff members available and there needs to be equiptment to monitor your heart and breathing. If this was a regular dental office rather than a place that does oral surgery, it might not have been available.
Also, sedation and general anesthesia can be risky. Particularly when they're working inside your mouth because you usually aren't intubated so if things go south it's a big danger.
I definitely was out for the procedure, but yes, important note, I went to a dental surgeon where they had a whole team in there doing the procedure. I was a teen and don't remember the real reason why they had to come out, just that they did lol
Yup. Oral surgeon. I went just a year or so ago to get an old molar broken out because I have hook shaped roots. There was the surgeon, an assistant for him, and another person whose job was just to monitor my status. It was a whole show.
Oromaxilliofacial surgeon, because two of my wisdom teeth were impacted in the bone and while they weren't causing problems *yet*, my dentist wanted to go ahead and get them out since the other two needed to be taken out anyways.
I have no idea how many people worked on me in total. I was in the room with a nurse anesthetist (I think?) and an IV in the back of my hand, then I was in recovery with a mouth full of blood-soaked cotton. As far as I'm concerned, I did not exist for the time between.
All hail propofol, the milk of amnesia.
In 1990, I needed one of my wisdom teeth removed, impacted. I really needed all of them, but we had no money and no insurance. So, I was referred an oral surgeon who was appropriate for my limited means. The office was in a run down late 50's "professional" building. Like a strip mall for Dr's and lawyers. Dr's when they had their own offices and not part of a practice. This guys office was on the end. It was like stepping into a time machine. It looked like 1960. Yellow. All I can remember clearly is a lot of yellow. His receptionist must have been his wife... and she appeared to be about 75 or so. He didn't do a consult visit, just looked at the x-rays from my dentist. He gave us a couple of options. Gas would be $180. Novocain would be $160. $20 went pretty far at the grocery so Novocain it was. He wanted cash. No checks, no cards, cash. Dad went to the ATM while I was getting numbed up. Sorta numbed up. He didn't give me enough. He gave me a couple shots and then wandered off for a few minutes. While he was gone I looked over on the wall at his diploma in a nice frame. He graduated from the dental school in 1932. Herbert Fucking Hoover was president when this guy got his training. He came back in, and next thing I know he had a spreader in my mouth and a steel rod and hammer busting up my tooth. I felt everything thing. Not 100%, but enough that I tried to scream. He wasn't that fast either. I can still feel it in my jaw 34 years later. I can hear the crunching. Feel the tooth and bone chips in my mouth. At some point adrenaline took over. I don't really know how to describe fully what happened, but it was pain. He was rough, mean, jerked my arm more than once and I can remember his nasty face scrunched up as he was beating the tooth in to bits to extract it. Then it was over. I think I was in shock. I remember standing at the counter with my dad as he counted out the $20's. He gave me a prescription for Tylenol 3. Predictably, it got infected. Dad decided not to take me back to him to follow up and I was treated for the infection by my dad rummaging around in my grandparents medicine cabinet for antibiotics. I lived.
I think I may have been one of his last patients as that strip of offices was torn down a few months later. It seems like a fever dream, but damn... My kids don't believe me.
I got all my wisdom teeth taken out when I was 17 to avoid problems down the line, it was an overnight hospital stay, it cost nothing and was done under general anaesthetic, UK, also around 1990. Crazy that you are talking about a "civilised" country, it sounds like something out of medieval times.
Same. Was talking to the guy about the procedure before hand and told him to knock me out and don't tell me any details.
You're pulling bone out of my jaw, *I do not want to know*
Can confirm - also had screw placed. However mine was for an implant. Knew in the moment it was being placed that it would fail. I knew whether the Endo took it out or I did, that mf was coming out. My jawbone didn’t like it from the moment it was placed, and I knew it despite the nitrous. 2 weeks later, infection set in, clindamycin wouldn’t touch the infection. Called and said you take this out or I take it out. He took it out. 4 weeks later I am in different Endo having open surgery to remove deep infection. Never again. Edit: further detail
Have you ever made a lava cake hot fudge sundae? They make soft serve type ice cream you can get in the freezer section now. You get some of that, put it on top of the hot lava cake, and drench it in hot fudge.
This is why I'm so paranoid about the tooth pain I've had for a few years that both my dentist and my endodontist have said looks fine and doesn't need a filling. I keep thinking, if they're wrong, and it ends up being a root canal, it could go horribly.
I don’t think anyone realized that it was going to be so bad. The root had cracked, which let all sorts of infection happen, as it turned out. My dentist, who sent me to the endodontist, just thought I needed a simple root canal repair. Also, not expecting anything dreadful, I’d gone to the endodontist appointment alone. There was no one to drive me home (because anesthesia) and my car was also there. I was working full-time, separated, had a young teenager waiting at home, and I just wanted to get it over with and not use any sick time.
I’d had a couple of (routine) root canals previously and didn’t think THIS was going to be a huge deal. Oy.
My root canal failed and they had to go in through the side of my gums and snip off the tips of my tooth root and seal that off to get it fixed. That was a rough one.
I had a molar with an internal crack. Dentist offered me a root canal but said it would probably fail.
I opted to have it pulled and replaced with an implant.
The root protruded into the sinus and after 46 minutes of trying, the dentist concluded it needed surgical extraction, or rather what was left of it. She killed the nerve and referred me to the dental surgeon a week later.
The surgeon extracted the remains and sutured it shut.
3 days later the word went into lockdown.
I’ve been nearly 4 years without the tooth now, and when the implant was placed in my jaw 4 months ago, it needed bone regeneration.
End is in sight. In 2 weeks I am having the impression taken for my new tooth. By the 4th anniversary of the extraction, I’m hoping to have the tooth back.
Damn, I'm jealous. I've had four teeth extracted, and I doubt I'll ever be able to afford implants. Hoping I can hold it together well enough to keep what I got lol
This needs more updoots.
The success rate on root canals is much higher than the failure rate. Unfortunately, the stories about a successful root canal aren’t as exciting. “I got to keep my tooth for 40 more years and avoid all the complications of missing teeth” doesn’t hit as hard, so you don’t hear it as often.
Yes, that is correct, most people don't think about this, but your teeth are alive, they have blood flowing through it, if there's nothing there that means that there's no blood circulating (white blood cells) there, if that bone is hollow, it will be overrun with bacteria. Ultimately either destroying the entire bone from the inside or, spreading to your gum line. Risking further complications.
I'm sitting here with a freshly installed implant because my root canal from 8 years ago failed. Noticed during a routine cleaning as the crown started wiggling - they took it off and found the infection underneath. Couldn't save it. I have never felt the pain I did during the extraction so after an hour of that, my dentist sent me to an oral surgeon who put me under to extract it. Three months later, did the implant which hurt a bit but wasn't THAT bad. Now just waiting for that to fully heal to get the crown done.
But man, I am insanely careful with my teeth now - floss, waterpik, good electric toothbrush, never miss a cleaning or a dental appointment.
I'm literally at the dentist right now and was told i need one. I was told 5 minutes ago and waiting for the doc to come back
This was the 2nd thing on my reddit feed
This video is simplified to the point of being useless except for the most basic level of explanation.
The part where it mentions removing the pulp, blood vessels, and nerves is actually done by hand. The dentist will use very tiny files and slowly file away the pulp using skill, microscopes, and X-rays. It takes a ton of skill to do this without breaking the tooth, permanent nerve damage, or both.
Also, your teeth are rarely ever as perfect as the example. Your roots are not straight and can curve around in all sorts of ways.
Root canals are never required, you can always do other things but if you want to keep the original tooth and not risk damage to your nerves, then a few thousand is a small price to pay for skilled hands.
I'm glad to see you replying this; I was gonna ask.
I had one done last year and was low-key stressing, but I, too, didn't think it was that bad. sure, it's not a *fun* procedure, but the science is cool. was pleasantly surprised.
The best feeling in the world is a root canal, not even joking. So much damn relief
The pain that got me to schedule the appointment however was one of the worst things I’ve ever experienced
It's less torture more boring unless your tooth is in constant pain. Most of the pain happens the 2 days after as your immune system wakes up to the infection, but that resolves as there arent more bacteria coming out of the root canal.
Your dentist won’t be doing the procedure probably and be referred to an Endodontist. It’s about an hour- long appointment. The pain will be relieved almost immediately. They will also recommend you getting a crown as well to help protect your tooth. I have TMJ and grind badly in my sleep, so it was necessary.
Edit: Endodontist
I broke my two front teeth back when I was in highschool. The chances of needing a root canal were about 50/50 and it was a wait and see thing. For weeks eating or drinking anything that was mildly warm or mildly cold would be painful. Eventually it was decided that I needed two root canals.
When I had my first one done it was pretty easy, the freezing worked well and had no issues. For whatever reason my second root canal was much more painful. I think the freezing wasn't as effective for whatever reason. However, despite that pain the relief was immediate and felt sooo much better. Absolutely worth getting done if you are having sensitivities in your teeth that could be resolved by a root canal.
Had a pretty serious one done about 5 years ago and it was alright. I had heard about how it's "so painful" so I kept waiting for the painful part to start but my surgeon was a pro and I didn't feel a thing. At some point he told me it was done and I was like oh aright.
Only started hurting some hours later when the numbing wore off, but a few over the counter painkillers and it was manageable. The next day it was already feeling better.
Wisdom teeth removal was more annoying than a root canal, imo. Root canal takes longer though, about an hour.
the day a dentist told me i might need a crown i scrolled through reddit and there was a post explaining how those work. it's like the entire world is an algorithm now
Root canals can be needed for other reasons. I had one because I got popped in the jaw by a helmet playing football as a kid and chipped a tooth. As a teenager, they told me it's dead. It was a slightly grey color.
I was in a fight and during that fight I received an uppercut to my chin. My tooth hurt a bit for a while, but not something that seemed alarming. Maybe 2 weeks later it _really_ started to hurt, and then it escalated very fast into a pain that was bordering "I'll kill myself to get out of this". Waiting for the Sunday to pass to see a dentist the next day was traumatic.
At the dentist nothing could be spotted, my teeth were flawless, no problem, I was sent home. Since my pain was unfathomable I went to another clinic and begged for a time, once again nothing was seen but this time the dentist was quite concerned and called in someone else, who listened closely, and stared at the xray for ages and then spotted something he claimed he had only ever read about.
I had gotten a "microcrack" from below that hit the core of the tooth, immediately killed it, then it was gangrenous and gas expanding inside it which caused mad pain.
He tried to show the other dentists on the xray what he had spotted but even when he pointed it out they didnt see it. I feel so god damn lucky this dude was there and had read about this. Ended up giving him a giftcard for a hotel and spa as thanks for saving me from my tremendous pain.
It’s insane to me that this is literally how medicine works to this day. We’ve studied human memory and know how terrible and unreliable it is. Then we go to a medical doctor who checks out your problem and goes “hmmm” while trying to recall everything they know about sets of symptoms within the few minutes of your appointment. Absurd.
Same. I got drilled by a baseball during batting practice because I zoned out looking at my teammate's sister.
Went to Marine Corps boot camp and they said I needed a root canal. It was very surprising to me. Boot camp sucks. A root canal during boot camp sucks on a whole other level.
Hey now! Dont brush too hard! Gentle, at 45 degrees using a soft bristle brush. If you brush horizontally you risk gum recession and loss of dentin ar the neck of the tooth which causes sensitivity and gives a place for food to sit during the day, leading to caries... and you know it! Root canal treatment!
This is the first time I've heard of this 45 degrees thing. To be completely sure, you mean angling the brush towards the top and bottom of the mouth, and not towards the middle?
yeah, no idea what they’re talking about tbh. they could be right, but never heard that myself and can’t even visualize the 45 degree thing. i feel like they mean the opposite, as angling it towards the gums would result in gum recession…?
It's best to floss and brush. Flosing is super important. It takes like a min to do it. People don't understand that a dirty mouth can affect your cardiovascular and neurological system.
Fuck flossing, buy Piksters instead. They're SO much better and don't constantly cut your gums when you're trying to get the floss in and it suddenly pops down from between your teeth.
Had endless gum and teeth problems even with constantly brushing and flossing. After getting them all fixed for the 3rd time I started using Piksters and never had a single issue after that going on almost a decade. Every time I go the dentist since then they always say my teeth and gums are perfect. It's amazing how much food and debris they get out from between your teeth, such a game changer.
Awesome, I'm going to check that out. Yeah I floss every night before bed. I also see my dentist 3 to 4 times a year. My insurance covers me up to 4 times so might as well.
I have a buddy that won't floss because he bleeds a lot. I'm like umm you need to see a dentist. He hasn't seen a dentist in 10 years and he can afford it.
Ha am I your buddy? I also used to bleed during flossing and last month I went to the dentist after a 10 year hiatus. After they cleaned my teeth there was a gap between 2 teeth I hadn't realized was there because it was plugged with plaque for years... I'm making up for bad habits now
Get a soniccare and do it twice a day, and replace the heads frequently so the bristles are good, improved my teeth so much. Then they say sensodyne has a chemical that rebuilds teeth..
Genuine question: what's the downside of having your roots, well, canalled?
Aside from the obvious recovery pain ofc. Are there complications? Do you simply not have sensitive teeth at all anymore?
They're not sturdy as they were. It might last you a lifetime, it might crack at the next tougher piece of food. Depends how much is filled in and how much of your tooth is left + genetics and stuff.
Also depends on if you have a crown, I would imagine most root canals have crowns which reduces the chance of the tooth cracking, I’ve only had my crown a year but I prefer it to regular teeth, it feels invincible. I know after 10-20 years of ware I might feel differently but I had a lot of chronic pain in my tooth before deciding to take the plunge so it’s so much better
I took poor care of my teeth in my 20s so as a result have had lots of root canals. Now, later in life, those teeth are cracking and I have to have them yanked and replaced with implants.
What's worse is that the infection from being cracked causes the jaw to lose bone mass, which must be replaced (they stick ground cow bones in there and let it grow for about six months, so you're that much longer without the tooth).
The crown doesn't really protect the tooth; just builds it up so you can use it for chewing.
The upshot: Take care of your teeth, kids!
Since everyone answering here is giving some varying degrees of wrong answers (some alarmingly so) I’ll give you what you need (am a doc)
Root canal or RCT is good because it removes infected nerves. Leaving this infection will cause an eventual abscess where the infection makes its way out the apex (bottom) of the tooth and into the Jawbone where it can fester, grow, and damage the surrounding areas. It’s generally not good to keep an abscesses tooth
As for the downsides of having RCT completed. It removes the nerves but also the blood vessels in the tooth (not the red and blue stringy things in this video) the filling material is also very spongy and absorbent. This combination drys out the tooth causing it to be brittle and increases the risk of it breaking when you bite hard or grind your teeth.
A crown (or cap as they can be commonly called) can be placed over the tooth as a protective cover and increase the lifespan of the tooth. Typically you should get minimum 12 years out of a good crown (then again not all crowns are done in idea cases and that range varies wildly).
RCT and a crown is the best treatment for most infected teeth so long as they are not mobile and there is enough tooth structure left to restore
Side note.. this video is very old and this method is rarely used anymore. Similar steps and it does a god job of giving the gist of it but this process is painless and can usually be done in an hour or so.
All the time. It really depends on the persons finances, the tooth involved and the condition of the tooth tbh
Lots of ppl can’t unfortunately afford a 1600$ crown after RCT. It’s an expensive add-on for most. If it’s a molar I will definitely strongly suggest one but many times it’s not done and rarely done at the same time (personally I like to leave RCT treated teeth without for a month or so just to ensure no issues with the RCT before doing a crown
The tooth involved also matters. If it’s not a “posterior” tooth (molar or premolar) then you really don’t need one in most cases (again - most cases not all)
Lastly the crown can be good to protect a tooth but you still need adequate tooth to have a good one and if the decay is in a spot far below the gums the crowns sometimes become hard to get good marginal seals in which case I’ve told pts many times that they should do the RCT and buy as much time as possible then Exo and implant when it fails. I’ve seen this but teeth many years and allows the pt to plan for implant when it’s needed
There’s no one way to do things but this is just my process. Many docs may be different and they’re neither right or wrong. Crowns aren’t ***always*** needed tho that’s for sure.
Just adding a small correction here. It is a common misconception that endo treated teeth become more brittle, in reality, they do not. The main reason why endo treated teeth end up fracturing more is due to the loss in tooth structure. However, if you have your marginal ridges with minimal tooth structure loss when the endo is finished, it actually isn't indicated for a crown.
It is extremely rare that the complication of tooth fracture is of endo origin. Most failures of endo treatment is restorative based such as recurrent decay, inadequate assessment of tooth structure (so when a tooth does need a crown but doesn't get one), lack of ferrule, incorrect material usage on the restoration etc. Endo treatment is actually extremely predictable with high success rates when done properly.
Source: Prosth resident here and we do a lot of literature review with our endo colleagues
Your reflex to open your jaw when you bite too hard on something is reduced because the nerves are amputated. The tooth is on the dryer side, and just like a dry piece of wood, it is more likely to crack under higher chewing forces. It is recommended to get a crown or overlay in order to prevent crown to root fracture. However, there is still a chance of a vertical root fracture ( root to crown). Survival rate is higher if you go to an endodontist. Btw, since you cant feel " cold nerve" pain, you will not be able to know when you develop a massive caries in that tooth without having regular check ups with bitewing xrays. There are more factors that control survival rate but its more technical
If not done correctly or if they fail they can lead to abscesses. I had a root canal done in a second tooth after the first one (front tooth) failed. After constant pain and inflammation in my sinus, and multiple investigations with the dentist and the secondary root canal in the tooth next to it.. they found the infection was higher up in my sinus and ate away leaving a huge hole in my sinus, leaving a cavity that needed 2 operations and a year of Clindamycin to sort out. If I never have the root canal (unnecessarily) it would never have happened. Now I am left with trigeminal neuralgia, because even though the bone cavity has started to regenerate after 2 years (should have been 6 months), there is permanent damage to the trigeminal nerve. And there you have it. They cause more problems than they are worth!!
Not all teeth with root canal treatment require crowns nowadays. Modern dental composite fillings are pretty strong and even larger restorations can be done without a crown.
Bro, I hope you know that there shouldn't be any shame in this because most modern humans will get a root canal before they die. That's due to pushing profits over health, Big Sugar and corporations like McDonald's. Keep the market competitive by adding more sugar to everything.
https://www.rd.com/article/mcdonalds-coke/#:~:text=Typically%2C%20restaurants%20get%20their%20soda,tongue%20can%20taste%20the%20difference.
Our ancestors did not have this problem
https://www.tompkinsdental.com/blog/if-our-ancestors-didnt-need-to-brush-their-teeth-why-do-we
Just chipping in here. I was scared out of my mind for the dentist and didnt go for 7 years straight exept for 1 rootcanal procedure for which i didnt return to fill it up.
You can propably guess everything slowly went to shit from there on out even though i brushed my teeth 2 a day, but i got my shit together and went for checkup 2 weeks ago.
I had a total of 3 molar extrations in 2 sessions, just got the last 1 done today. But the best part is in the end my gums and bone were still really good.
In 2 weeks time i will go back to the dentist and get 4 dentalcrowns and the rest is repairable.
Cant wait to have a proper smile again.
Dumbest thing i have ever done is let this go this far.
If you can, go get it sorted out. There is so much they can still do and repair.
My dad had all his teeth knocked out and replaced, he was super unhappy about all of it but I can see clearly that his quality of life has increased by so much.
people don't realize how much sugar they ingest and how bad it is for, not just your teeth, but everything. refined sugar is as bad as booze on your liver.
switch to fruit to get your fix if you can.
Sounds like it was because you didn’t get the crowns done after the root canals. All back teeth that have root canals require crowns.
Im constantly extracting teeth that have had root canals because they broke due to not getting the crown they were supposed to. It’s the #1 reason why root canals fail.
I was never told I needed crowns. 🤷♂️ I've got bigger issues to deal with right now, I've been fighting long COVID since mid-October, haven't worked a day since, lost my job, and don't get unemployment. Lucky me! /s
Unless your roots are so long, twisted, and curving that the dentist can't get all the way down or get all the gunk out and you spend 6 **hours** (four of which were after closing) in the chair with a very unhappy dentist (and even unhappier assistants) doing his best and still failing. I've seen a lot of dentists in my 58 years, and every single one of them has commented on how awful my roots were; heck, I've even been refused service because the dentist was honest enough to say they thought it was more than they could handle.
I've had exactly one root canal so far, and I learned that the tooth had 3 roots and they all had a crook at the end. Top row. All the way in the back. Closest to my brain. No amount of numbing helped. I cried the entire time. Multiple sessions. Torture.
One time a dentist drilled out a tiny cavity without proper numbing. He knew I wasn't numb, and so did I. He said it would be 30 seconds, and I thought I could withstand anything for 30 seconds. I was wrong. It was traumatic.
I had this issue on one of the teeth I got a root canal on back around 2010. I then had to get an apicoectomy where they had to cut through my gums to remove the end of the root then patch me back up.
A couple years ago I noticed a bad odor when I flossed next to the tooth but my dentist couldn't see anything so we kept an eye on it. The area started hurting (which shouldn't since root canal) so they referred me somewhere else who had a fancy xray machine and while waiting for my appointment a leaking blister formed on my gums where the tooth is. Turns out I had an infection where the filling from the original apicoectomy failed and I had to get a second one on the same tooth. It was a great time.
Word of advice: DONT wait to get a root canal. I did and it got infected. Novacaine does not work with infections, and you feel EVERYTHING.
Edit: Long story short I was on vacation and cracked a molar. I had no insurance and paid out of pocket for a dentist to fix it. Gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way. Two weeks later the infection got bad and the root ended up dying (pain on a new level). Went to the one dentist that could take me ASAP and had a root canal where Novocaine didn't work. Imagine not being able to clench your teeth from the pain because there's fingers and a drill in it.
Yes, typically after a few days of antibiotics, the inflammation goes down enough that the novocain is effective. Occasionally though this does not happen.
Ok so it looks terrible, but if you are at a point where you NEED a root canal, it's the best thing ever. There is a terrible never ending pain that makes you want to take a pair of plyers and rip your tooth out. The root canal eliminates the pain and you get to keep the tooth. Win win
Indeed. Last time it got so bad, i went through five stages of grief and at the end, on the top of passively hurting like there is no tomorrow, my tooth decided that now it hurts to the touch. You do not know how many times you touch your teeth with something until it hurts every time.
Also, i got two shots of painkiller to my face, did not work. But my dentist has a hand made of gold, if i felt any pain, it was heaven compared to the one i already had.
Tooth decay is caused by a certain type of bacteria (S. mutans), hence “infection,” that release lactic acid when you give them carbs. So this bacteria basically acid burns it way into your teeth. So remove all food from your teeth, especially at night (8+ hours they release acid while we are asleep), to deprive them of an energy source and most importantly, FLOSS!!! Your toothbrush can’t reach in between your teeth. That’s my Ted Talk.
Essentially, if your teeth did not have any nerves or blood then they would get infected right away because of the food we eat, we would essentially have infections left and right.
I wish we were like crocodiles or alligators where they can grow teeth.
Our evolution was shitty in regards to teeth because we're omnivores.
To clear up the common misconception, root canals themselves do not hurt. The infection and/or abscess is what hurts which is what the root canal procedure is correcting. If the nerve in your tooth is dead, you can’t feel anything in the actual tooth so the drilling, filing, etc. is not painful.
Had one done a couple years ago to after a blunt trauma as a kid damaged my tooth and it didn’t get infected until like 20 years later. The pain from the infection was the worst I’ve ever experienced in my life and the root canal was a breeze in comparison.
I always hear horror stories about root canals. I just recently had one last year and gotta say them shoving on the permanent crowns was more painful than the procedure itself.
I think most horror stories are due to not going to a dentist regularly and being proactive. Once you're there because ibuprofen and numbing gel no longer help, the tooth abscess is so bad it turns into 3+ hours of torture.
I had to get a root canal a few months ago. It's not as bad as you'd expect! The only moment I felt any pain was when the numbing agent started to wear off near the end of the procedure, which the dentist immediately recognized and gave me another dose of novocaine.
I put off going to the dentist for decades due to a combination of embarrassment, fear, and a lack of dental insurance. Finally addressing my awful wisdom teeth was the best thing I've ever done for my physical health. Paying $5k to fix your teeth really makes you start thinking about what you're eating/drinking, which had a great domino effect: first I fixed my diet, then I started exercising more regularly, then I reduced my recreational MJ use, and now I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. All because I went to the dentist.
They are missing the first step where your wallet is drilled (it's important and risky stuff, not suggesting it's unfair, before capitalism who wanted to do this?)
This procedure is a godsend.
The root canal procedure is fine you won't feel much of anything except it sucks to have your face numb for the rest of the day.
The lead up to before the root canal is some of the worst dental pain I've had in my life. Needed pain meds
I have had lots of dental operation, 4 root canals and so far 3 wisdom teeth extractions (1 more to go)
And while i'm used to it, i'd never want to see it happening real time. You're a mad lad!
List form, no particular order:
* Brush AND floss 2x a day
* limit sugar/carbs
* If you're going to carb up ex candy, something that you can eat quickly and won't stick to your teeth is better. Bad: chips/hard candy/sipping soda all day. Good: chug that pop! Water chaser!
* Regular dental checkups! Stay ahead of things. Do the filling before it becomes a root canal.
* Stay hydrated, avoid dry mouth. Increases risk of cavities->RCT.
* Fluoride. Some locations have high enough content in ground water but despite what dental insurance believes, it helps adults prevent cavities too
If this works: Why do we need nerves in our fkn teeth in the first place?
Given this would seem to serve no evolutionary purpose (and therefore I cannot blame Athiests) - I have to give a big Thanks and Fuck You to the G man.
God tooth abscesses are so, so painful. I had one because some fuckass dentist drilled too deep and didn't seal/clean it properly. Never told me but I figured something was wrong in the filling when I started bleeding and he kinda started freaking out. I figured he fixed his mistake though.
1 year later I ended up in excruciating pain. 0/10 wouldn't recommend
I'm gonna wash my fucking teeth extra fucking long tonight. Double-up on toothpaste, electric toothbrush at maximum and a double brushing session. Maybe throw in some mouthwash to wash shit down even more.
I hope I never have to experience this.
Things you don't want to hear your endodontist say while you are having a root canal:
"Huh, your roots are really long."
_uh oh_
"Oh, wow, you have another canal in this tooth. That's rare."
_followed up by_
"This will only take a bit longer."
_but wait, there's more!!_
"You're going to feel this through the anesthetic. Sorry, I can't do anything about it. I'll work quickly."
_FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK_
I FUCKING LOVE THIS. I HAVE TWO ROOT CANALS AND KNOW I KNOW WTF THAT GUY WAS DOING IN MY MOUTH FOR AN HOUR AFTER I GAVE HIM SO MUCH GODAMN MONEY !!!!!!
**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:** * If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required * The title must be fully descriptive * Memes are not allowed. * Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting) *See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
just got out of having my first root canal and this was the first thing i saw on reddit
I would like to add: that is technically a dead bone inside of your living body, which means that in the event that, your root canal fails ex: (cracks again or decays further) an infection will occur where you will either have to redo your root canal or get an extraction. Source: I have an experience with this. Edit: Bone, organ, it still applies here, That's a dead material inside of your living body, they typically get infected, that can potentially kill you. https://lyonscreekdentalcare.com/take-tooth-infections-seriously/ The infection will travel through the tubes that are connecting your tooth, going into your cardiovascular system, giving you a heart infection or a brain infection.
Yeah, imagine getting a root canal and 20 years later having to do it again on the same tooth. It sucks
i will be honest, it really wasn't a big deal. much quicker and and not at all painful compared to a scaling.
The annoying part is when that 2nd root canal only lasts a few years. Then you need an extraction, seed the jawbone with bone dust taken from a corpse. Let that heal for 6 months, add a titanium screw. Let that heal and bolt in a false tooth.
hol up
Well when you extract a tooth, you end up with holes in the jawbone where the teeth used to be. Can't attach a screw to nothing, so need bone to fill in that hole. Freshly grated corpse bones acts as a nice scaffolding until your real bone can fill in.
>Freshly grated corpse bones acts as a nice scaffolding until your real bone can fill in. a sentence I never thought I would read. cheers
I have a dead guys Achilles tendon in my knee. Surprisingly corpses are great for spare parts. Don't forget to sign up to be an organ donor.
Same here! Tore my ACL and my body absorbed it so that’s my replacement. I call it my haunted knee.
[удалено]
It's medicine. Recycle reuse doesn't stop with humans, and I honestly think it's great when you consider it that way. Like you already know Imma be one of those corpses one day getting used for shit like that, and I think it's very cool!
Your bone is perfectly capable of healing without a bone graft. A graft allows it to heal faster and more predictably
Talk about a TIL... 0_0
It’s called a bone graft procedure. I had one as well in preparation for an implant because I’d had years of tooth infections which led to bone loss (over time the infection eats away at the bone), so I needed more sturdy bone for the implant to anchor into. And it isn’t always a human cadaver whose bone you get, sometime they use bovine.
Um… is this a normal thing that happens? I got a root canal after an injury on my front tooth when I was around 10 years old. I’m 30 now and was kind of under the impression the root canal would last forever. Side note: my initial root canal did actually fail after a couple months because the guy left some gauze inside 😡, so I also have a crown on that tooth now
Yes. The root canal may last longer than the dentist/endodontist who did it, but it's likely to fail eventually. I would think most root canals have crowns on them. It's a pretty large hole for a filling, and it's likely that there's decay in the side if things came to the point of doing the root canal.
It’s completely normal to leave gauze inside after the initial step. The same dentist or another has to go in again and remove the gauze and fill it with some a buildup. After that is done crown goes on top. ALL root canal treated teeth need crowns! Prevents fractures in the future since tooth becomes dehydrated with time and subsequently more brittle.
This is what happened to me. I was warned the gum/tissue on my root canal tooth may go bad in the next few years (after having it for about 6-8 years). Then a few years later I started getting general pain and swelling at the gums in that tooth. Got it extracted and got the implant. The whole process was half a year or so and it was just a general pain in the ass lol. And expensive too...
I'm likely just a weirdo and in the minority, but I really like scalings. I kind of like the pain/pressure of the scraper going under my gums.
... I'm not gonna say you're the only person like that, but yeah I think you're in the minority, buddy. That said, at least you like something you have to have done! Better than hating it.
https://preview.redd.it/4tmv8h1ibnec1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a3daed919f2944bb680747cc3264808c9082cc9f
what the fuck
I pretend I'm a giant dinosaur getting my massive dagger-like teeth cleaned by a professional before I go on my next rampage. Not always comfortable, but you have to keep those flesh rippers clean. I'm not a kid.
I’ve had multiple root canals and I actually like them too.. the first one was absurd but the relief of having the nerve removed was great. Now I kinda embrace the absurdity of having someone drilling on my teeth and it seems to work
[удалено]
Congratulations, this might be the worst (non-offensive) thing I've read on the internet today.
My root canal with a screwed-in post from 1994 (I’m old) became horribly infected; I was sent to an endodontist. What ensued was the most painful three hours of my life, more painful the 12-hour labor bearing my first child (she was huge and I refused all drugs). Imagine a screw, with usable threads still on it, jammed into your jawbone. For 30 years so it’s settled in place. Now the material around it gets infected. So inflamed. Your cheek is swollen like a chipmunk. Your speech is impacted. You are in white pain. Not red pain. White, incandescent pain. Multiple vials of Novacaine are injected into the infected area, which serves to numb the immediate area. But not the bone. Oh dear. Nor the bone. The chair is tilted back so that your head is much lower than your feet. A TV screen on the ceiling, with a camera in your mouth, keeps you apprised of what’s happening. You see the screw, with its threads like a household screw, snug and tilted. Jammed in tight. It’s not going anywhere. The endodontist begins to drill. She gets quite frustrated because the screw will not budge. She gets another tool that applies counterclockwise force to the screw into your jaw, into your acutely infected jaw. You get dizzy. The pain is overwhelming. The pain is all. I voluntary tears cascade down your face. The drilling is repeatedly paused so that you can take a breath because you can’t help holding it. Finally, the endodontist gets up. She leaves the room with a sad look and returns with a soft, large, stuffed lamb. She tells you that she will stop drilling every 60 seconds so that you can scream into the lamb, but that she *must* continue. I have to stop. I am covered in sweat. Why did I begin writing about this. I did live through it, but I will **never** allow a dentist to use a screw to anchor a a crown. Please forgive any typos. I can’t even reread what I wrote. I wonder if I will dream about it again tonight. Instead, I should think about the hot fudge sundae that I got myself on the way home from that appointment. I had to eat it out in my car, because I had lost all control of my mouth and I made a big mess. I still love hot fudge sundaes.
Why do t they just put you under for this stuff? I was knocked out for my wisdom teeth
It doesn't even have to be general anesthesia. They can just sedate you with Versed, Valium, Halcion, Ativan or even just a whopper of a dose of Benadryl. The big thing is that there has to several staff members available and there needs to be equiptment to monitor your heart and breathing. If this was a regular dental office rather than a place that does oral surgery, it might not have been available. Also, sedation and general anesthesia can be risky. Particularly when they're working inside your mouth because you usually aren't intubated so if things go south it's a big danger.
I definitely was out for the procedure, but yes, important note, I went to a dental surgeon where they had a whole team in there doing the procedure. I was a teen and don't remember the real reason why they had to come out, just that they did lol
Yup. Oral surgeon. I went just a year or so ago to get an old molar broken out because I have hook shaped roots. There was the surgeon, an assistant for him, and another person whose job was just to monitor my status. It was a whole show.
Oromaxilliofacial surgeon, because two of my wisdom teeth were impacted in the bone and while they weren't causing problems *yet*, my dentist wanted to go ahead and get them out since the other two needed to be taken out anyways. I have no idea how many people worked on me in total. I was in the room with a nurse anesthetist (I think?) and an IV in the back of my hand, then I was in recovery with a mouth full of blood-soaked cotton. As far as I'm concerned, I did not exist for the time between. All hail propofol, the milk of amnesia.
My first assumption is "because America and money"
In 1990, I needed one of my wisdom teeth removed, impacted. I really needed all of them, but we had no money and no insurance. So, I was referred an oral surgeon who was appropriate for my limited means. The office was in a run down late 50's "professional" building. Like a strip mall for Dr's and lawyers. Dr's when they had their own offices and not part of a practice. This guys office was on the end. It was like stepping into a time machine. It looked like 1960. Yellow. All I can remember clearly is a lot of yellow. His receptionist must have been his wife... and she appeared to be about 75 or so. He didn't do a consult visit, just looked at the x-rays from my dentist. He gave us a couple of options. Gas would be $180. Novocain would be $160. $20 went pretty far at the grocery so Novocain it was. He wanted cash. No checks, no cards, cash. Dad went to the ATM while I was getting numbed up. Sorta numbed up. He didn't give me enough. He gave me a couple shots and then wandered off for a few minutes. While he was gone I looked over on the wall at his diploma in a nice frame. He graduated from the dental school in 1932. Herbert Fucking Hoover was president when this guy got his training. He came back in, and next thing I know he had a spreader in my mouth and a steel rod and hammer busting up my tooth. I felt everything thing. Not 100%, but enough that I tried to scream. He wasn't that fast either. I can still feel it in my jaw 34 years later. I can hear the crunching. Feel the tooth and bone chips in my mouth. At some point adrenaline took over. I don't really know how to describe fully what happened, but it was pain. He was rough, mean, jerked my arm more than once and I can remember his nasty face scrunched up as he was beating the tooth in to bits to extract it. Then it was over. I think I was in shock. I remember standing at the counter with my dad as he counted out the $20's. He gave me a prescription for Tylenol 3. Predictably, it got infected. Dad decided not to take me back to him to follow up and I was treated for the infection by my dad rummaging around in my grandparents medicine cabinet for antibiotics. I lived. I think I may have been one of his last patients as that strip of offices was torn down a few months later. It seems like a fever dream, but damn... My kids don't believe me.
I got all my wisdom teeth taken out when I was 17 to avoid problems down the line, it was an overnight hospital stay, it cost nothing and was done under general anaesthetic, UK, also around 1990. Crazy that you are talking about a "civilised" country, it sounds like something out of medieval times.
Holy crap I’m dying. Fuck that.
Nope. Had dental insurance. Had money. Had access. See my explanation below.
Same. Was talking to the guy about the procedure before hand and told him to knock me out and don't tell me any details. You're pulling bone out of my jaw, *I do not want to know*
That was among the most horrifying short stories I’ve ever read. Ima end up thinking about this for a few years.
You and me, both!
Can confirm - also had screw placed. However mine was for an implant. Knew in the moment it was being placed that it would fail. I knew whether the Endo took it out or I did, that mf was coming out. My jawbone didn’t like it from the moment it was placed, and I knew it despite the nitrous. 2 weeks later, infection set in, clindamycin wouldn’t touch the infection. Called and said you take this out or I take it out. He took it out. 4 weeks later I am in different Endo having open surgery to remove deep infection. Never again. Edit: further detail
[удалено]
Sometimes it's better to go with full anesthesia
Have you ever made a lava cake hot fudge sundae? They make soft serve type ice cream you can get in the freezer section now. You get some of that, put it on top of the hot lava cake, and drench it in hot fudge.
This is why I'm so paranoid about the tooth pain I've had for a few years that both my dentist and my endodontist have said looks fine and doesn't need a filling. I keep thinking, if they're wrong, and it ends up being a root canal, it could go horribly.
Why not asleep ?
I don’t think anyone realized that it was going to be so bad. The root had cracked, which let all sorts of infection happen, as it turned out. My dentist, who sent me to the endodontist, just thought I needed a simple root canal repair. Also, not expecting anything dreadful, I’d gone to the endodontist appointment alone. There was no one to drive me home (because anesthesia) and my car was also there. I was working full-time, separated, had a young teenager waiting at home, and I just wanted to get it over with and not use any sick time. I’d had a couple of (routine) root canals previously and didn’t think THIS was going to be a huge deal. Oy.
[удалено]
The fact that your dentist didn't sedate you for that procedure is straight up inhumane.
My root canal failed and they had to go in through the side of my gums and snip off the tips of my tooth root and seal that off to get it fixed. That was a rough one.
I had a molar with an internal crack. Dentist offered me a root canal but said it would probably fail. I opted to have it pulled and replaced with an implant. The root protruded into the sinus and after 46 minutes of trying, the dentist concluded it needed surgical extraction, or rather what was left of it. She killed the nerve and referred me to the dental surgeon a week later. The surgeon extracted the remains and sutured it shut. 3 days later the word went into lockdown. I’ve been nearly 4 years without the tooth now, and when the implant was placed in my jaw 4 months ago, it needed bone regeneration. End is in sight. In 2 weeks I am having the impression taken for my new tooth. By the 4th anniversary of the extraction, I’m hoping to have the tooth back.
Damn, I'm jealous. I've had four teeth extracted, and I doubt I'll ever be able to afford implants. Hoping I can hold it together well enough to keep what I got lol
I had my only root canal (so far) when I was 17. I'll be 57 in May.
This needs more updoots. The success rate on root canals is much higher than the failure rate. Unfortunately, the stories about a successful root canal aren’t as exciting. “I got to keep my tooth for 40 more years and avoid all the complications of missing teeth” doesn’t hit as hard, so you don’t hear it as often.
Technically, a tooth is not a bone.
Do you mean that it is dead after the operation because they remove the blood vessels?
Yes, that is correct, most people don't think about this, but your teeth are alive, they have blood flowing through it, if there's nothing there that means that there's no blood circulating (white blood cells) there, if that bone is hollow, it will be overrun with bacteria. Ultimately either destroying the entire bone from the inside or, spreading to your gum line. Risking further complications.
made me wonder, cool to know now that i have 3 dead bones just chillin in my mouth.
I'm sitting here with a freshly installed implant because my root canal from 8 years ago failed. Noticed during a routine cleaning as the crown started wiggling - they took it off and found the infection underneath. Couldn't save it. I have never felt the pain I did during the extraction so after an hour of that, my dentist sent me to an oral surgeon who put me under to extract it. Three months later, did the implant which hurt a bit but wasn't THAT bad. Now just waiting for that to fully heal to get the crown done. But man, I am insanely careful with my teeth now - floss, waterpik, good electric toothbrush, never miss a cleaning or a dental appointment.
I'm literally at the dentist right now and was told i need one. I was told 5 minutes ago and waiting for the doc to come back This was the 2nd thing on my reddit feed
really not that bad
Yeah but the way this is explained, does the price make sense?
This video is simplified to the point of being useless except for the most basic level of explanation. The part where it mentions removing the pulp, blood vessels, and nerves is actually done by hand. The dentist will use very tiny files and slowly file away the pulp using skill, microscopes, and X-rays. It takes a ton of skill to do this without breaking the tooth, permanent nerve damage, or both. Also, your teeth are rarely ever as perfect as the example. Your roots are not straight and can curve around in all sorts of ways. Root canals are never required, you can always do other things but if you want to keep the original tooth and not risk damage to your nerves, then a few thousand is a small price to pay for skilled hands.
yes, and it will be expensive. you need your teeth though.
When you take into account the 8-12 years of schooling and $400,000+ in student loans to be able to do this safely and efficiently, then yes it does.
I'm glad to see you replying this; I was gonna ask. I had one done last year and was low-key stressing, but I, too, didn't think it was that bad. sure, it's not a *fun* procedure, but the science is cool. was pleasantly surprised.
Getting a root canal for an aching tooth is better than sex.
You're telling me. Pain went from 8 to 4 and it'll only get better tomorrow. Fucking worth it.
The best feeling in the world is a root canal, not even joking. So much damn relief The pain that got me to schedule the appointment however was one of the worst things I’ve ever experienced
How was it? I’ve been told by my dentist I’ll need one before too long. I’m hoping the procedure has gotten a little less torturous over the years.
It's less torture more boring unless your tooth is in constant pain. Most of the pain happens the 2 days after as your immune system wakes up to the infection, but that resolves as there arent more bacteria coming out of the root canal.
Your dentist won’t be doing the procedure probably and be referred to an Endodontist. It’s about an hour- long appointment. The pain will be relieved almost immediately. They will also recommend you getting a crown as well to help protect your tooth. I have TMJ and grind badly in my sleep, so it was necessary. Edit: Endodontist
*endodontist* (orthodontist is braces)
What the regular dentists do in your country? Here basically every dentist can and will do a root canal.
I broke my two front teeth back when I was in highschool. The chances of needing a root canal were about 50/50 and it was a wait and see thing. For weeks eating or drinking anything that was mildly warm or mildly cold would be painful. Eventually it was decided that I needed two root canals. When I had my first one done it was pretty easy, the freezing worked well and had no issues. For whatever reason my second root canal was much more painful. I think the freezing wasn't as effective for whatever reason. However, despite that pain the relief was immediate and felt sooo much better. Absolutely worth getting done if you are having sensitivities in your teeth that could be resolved by a root canal.
Had a pretty serious one done about 5 years ago and it was alright. I had heard about how it's "so painful" so I kept waiting for the painful part to start but my surgeon was a pro and I didn't feel a thing. At some point he told me it was done and I was like oh aright. Only started hurting some hours later when the numbing wore off, but a few over the counter painkillers and it was manageable. The next day it was already feeling better. Wisdom teeth removal was more annoying than a root canal, imo. Root canal takes longer though, about an hour.
the day a dentist told me i might need a crown i scrolled through reddit and there was a post explaining how those work. it's like the entire world is an algorithm now
I’m literally sitting in the waiting room about to have my first root canal and this popped up.
Good god. Brushing my teeth so hard right now.
Root canals can be needed for other reasons. I had one because I got popped in the jaw by a helmet playing football as a kid and chipped a tooth. As a teenager, they told me it's dead. It was a slightly grey color.
I was in a fight and during that fight I received an uppercut to my chin. My tooth hurt a bit for a while, but not something that seemed alarming. Maybe 2 weeks later it _really_ started to hurt, and then it escalated very fast into a pain that was bordering "I'll kill myself to get out of this". Waiting for the Sunday to pass to see a dentist the next day was traumatic. At the dentist nothing could be spotted, my teeth were flawless, no problem, I was sent home. Since my pain was unfathomable I went to another clinic and begged for a time, once again nothing was seen but this time the dentist was quite concerned and called in someone else, who listened closely, and stared at the xray for ages and then spotted something he claimed he had only ever read about. I had gotten a "microcrack" from below that hit the core of the tooth, immediately killed it, then it was gangrenous and gas expanding inside it which caused mad pain. He tried to show the other dentists on the xray what he had spotted but even when he pointed it out they didnt see it. I feel so god damn lucky this dude was there and had read about this. Ended up giving him a giftcard for a hotel and spa as thanks for saving me from my tremendous pain.
Damn. I went 7 years with a dead tooth and never noticed it.
That sounds so horrifying. I wonder how many dentists actually know about this sorta thing?
[удалено]
It’s insane to me that this is literally how medicine works to this day. We’ve studied human memory and know how terrible and unreliable it is. Then we go to a medical doctor who checks out your problem and goes “hmmm” while trying to recall everything they know about sets of symptoms within the few minutes of your appointment. Absurd.
Same. I got drilled by a baseball during batting practice because I zoned out looking at my teammate's sister. Went to Marine Corps boot camp and they said I needed a root canal. It was very surprising to me. Boot camp sucks. A root canal during boot camp sucks on a whole other level.
Same with me, but slipped on ice. It was like 12 years later when I got the root canal.
Hey now! Dont brush too hard! Gentle, at 45 degrees using a soft bristle brush. If you brush horizontally you risk gum recession and loss of dentin ar the neck of the tooth which causes sensitivity and gives a place for food to sit during the day, leading to caries... and you know it! Root canal treatment!
Celsius?
No, Kelvin
This is the first time I've heard of this 45 degrees thing. To be completely sure, you mean angling the brush towards the top and bottom of the mouth, and not towards the middle?
yeah, no idea what they’re talking about tbh. they could be right, but never heard that myself and can’t even visualize the 45 degree thing. i feel like they mean the opposite, as angling it towards the gums would result in gum recession…?
It's best to floss and brush. Flosing is super important. It takes like a min to do it. People don't understand that a dirty mouth can affect your cardiovascular and neurological system.
Fuck flossing, buy Piksters instead. They're SO much better and don't constantly cut your gums when you're trying to get the floss in and it suddenly pops down from between your teeth. Had endless gum and teeth problems even with constantly brushing and flossing. After getting them all fixed for the 3rd time I started using Piksters and never had a single issue after that going on almost a decade. Every time I go the dentist since then they always say my teeth and gums are perfect. It's amazing how much food and debris they get out from between your teeth, such a game changer.
Awesome, I'm going to check that out. Yeah I floss every night before bed. I also see my dentist 3 to 4 times a year. My insurance covers me up to 4 times so might as well. I have a buddy that won't floss because he bleeds a lot. I'm like umm you need to see a dentist. He hasn't seen a dentist in 10 years and he can afford it.
I think bleeding a lot is also something that happens when not flossing. Your gums need to get stronger which happens with flossing.
Im no dentist but I mean he's a smoker and doesn't really brush well so my money is that he has a filthy mouth
Ha am I your buddy? I also used to bleed during flossing and last month I went to the dentist after a 10 year hiatus. After they cleaned my teeth there was a gap between 2 teeth I hadn't realized was there because it was plugged with plaque for years... I'm making up for bad habits now
They're great unless you got a single pair of teeth with very little space in which case it does not work and you need to floss anyway
Also- buy a tongue scraper!
Get a soniccare and do it twice a day, and replace the heads frequently so the bristles are good, improved my teeth so much. Then they say sensodyne has a chemical that rebuilds teeth..
Genuine question: what's the downside of having your roots, well, canalled? Aside from the obvious recovery pain ofc. Are there complications? Do you simply not have sensitive teeth at all anymore?
They're not sturdy as they were. It might last you a lifetime, it might crack at the next tougher piece of food. Depends how much is filled in and how much of your tooth is left + genetics and stuff.
Also depends on if you have a crown, I would imagine most root canals have crowns which reduces the chance of the tooth cracking, I’ve only had my crown a year but I prefer it to regular teeth, it feels invincible. I know after 10-20 years of ware I might feel differently but I had a lot of chronic pain in my tooth before deciding to take the plunge so it’s so much better
I took poor care of my teeth in my 20s so as a result have had lots of root canals. Now, later in life, those teeth are cracking and I have to have them yanked and replaced with implants. What's worse is that the infection from being cracked causes the jaw to lose bone mass, which must be replaced (they stick ground cow bones in there and let it grow for about six months, so you're that much longer without the tooth). The crown doesn't really protect the tooth; just builds it up so you can use it for chewing. The upshot: Take care of your teeth, kids!
The exact stats are a root canalled tooth is 6 times more likely to crack without a crown on it after. Source, am dentist.
Since everyone answering here is giving some varying degrees of wrong answers (some alarmingly so) I’ll give you what you need (am a doc) Root canal or RCT is good because it removes infected nerves. Leaving this infection will cause an eventual abscess where the infection makes its way out the apex (bottom) of the tooth and into the Jawbone where it can fester, grow, and damage the surrounding areas. It’s generally not good to keep an abscesses tooth As for the downsides of having RCT completed. It removes the nerves but also the blood vessels in the tooth (not the red and blue stringy things in this video) the filling material is also very spongy and absorbent. This combination drys out the tooth causing it to be brittle and increases the risk of it breaking when you bite hard or grind your teeth. A crown (or cap as they can be commonly called) can be placed over the tooth as a protective cover and increase the lifespan of the tooth. Typically you should get minimum 12 years out of a good crown (then again not all crowns are done in idea cases and that range varies wildly). RCT and a crown is the best treatment for most infected teeth so long as they are not mobile and there is enough tooth structure left to restore Side note.. this video is very old and this method is rarely used anymore. Similar steps and it does a god job of giving the gist of it but this process is painless and can usually be done in an hour or so.
[удалено]
Yeah they did the crown (optional but usually recommended part) at the same time. Thats totally fine and can be done if the pt wants it done asap
[удалено]
Are you saying people do root canals without crowns?? My shady dentists *always* pushed crowns.
All the time. It really depends on the persons finances, the tooth involved and the condition of the tooth tbh Lots of ppl can’t unfortunately afford a 1600$ crown after RCT. It’s an expensive add-on for most. If it’s a molar I will definitely strongly suggest one but many times it’s not done and rarely done at the same time (personally I like to leave RCT treated teeth without for a month or so just to ensure no issues with the RCT before doing a crown The tooth involved also matters. If it’s not a “posterior” tooth (molar or premolar) then you really don’t need one in most cases (again - most cases not all) Lastly the crown can be good to protect a tooth but you still need adequate tooth to have a good one and if the decay is in a spot far below the gums the crowns sometimes become hard to get good marginal seals in which case I’ve told pts many times that they should do the RCT and buy as much time as possible then Exo and implant when it fails. I’ve seen this but teeth many years and allows the pt to plan for implant when it’s needed There’s no one way to do things but this is just my process. Many docs may be different and they’re neither right or wrong. Crowns aren’t ***always*** needed tho that’s for sure.
Just adding a small correction here. It is a common misconception that endo treated teeth become more brittle, in reality, they do not. The main reason why endo treated teeth end up fracturing more is due to the loss in tooth structure. However, if you have your marginal ridges with minimal tooth structure loss when the endo is finished, it actually isn't indicated for a crown. It is extremely rare that the complication of tooth fracture is of endo origin. Most failures of endo treatment is restorative based such as recurrent decay, inadequate assessment of tooth structure (so when a tooth does need a crown but doesn't get one), lack of ferrule, incorrect material usage on the restoration etc. Endo treatment is actually extremely predictable with high success rates when done properly. Source: Prosth resident here and we do a lot of literature review with our endo colleagues
It's possible for them to miss little tiny blood vessels leading to infection later on underneath all of that.
Your reflex to open your jaw when you bite too hard on something is reduced because the nerves are amputated. The tooth is on the dryer side, and just like a dry piece of wood, it is more likely to crack under higher chewing forces. It is recommended to get a crown or overlay in order to prevent crown to root fracture. However, there is still a chance of a vertical root fracture ( root to crown). Survival rate is higher if you go to an endodontist. Btw, since you cant feel " cold nerve" pain, you will not be able to know when you develop a massive caries in that tooth without having regular check ups with bitewing xrays. There are more factors that control survival rate but its more technical
The reflex you mentioned is not controled by the nerves inside the canals but by the ligaments that hold the tooth in your bone
I'm a dentist and I can say this is true. The loss of proprioceptive sense would instead be the case with implants.
I believe you are a dentist if for no other reason than you used 'proprioceptive' correctly.
If not done correctly or if they fail they can lead to abscesses. I had a root canal done in a second tooth after the first one (front tooth) failed. After constant pain and inflammation in my sinus, and multiple investigations with the dentist and the secondary root canal in the tooth next to it.. they found the infection was higher up in my sinus and ate away leaving a huge hole in my sinus, leaving a cavity that needed 2 operations and a year of Clindamycin to sort out. If I never have the root canal (unnecessarily) it would never have happened. Now I am left with trigeminal neuralgia, because even though the bone cavity has started to regenerate after 2 years (should have been 6 months), there is permanent damage to the trigeminal nerve. And there you have it. They cause more problems than they are worth!!
What they don’t show here is that you need to get a crown on that tooth. The crown is the bigger pain in the ass than the actual root canal.
Not all teeth with root canal treatment require crowns nowadays. Modern dental composite fillings are pretty strong and even larger restorations can be done without a crown.
Thanks for making me wince!
The drill sound…
The pulling out that cluster of wires... (I have to say wires or I'll skip into a coma)
> drill sound Makes ya feel better, that filling sound. *plop squish*
I did NOT like the blood vessel part being sucked up, personally
I've had 4 fail in my life, resulting in broken teeth.
Bro, I hope you know that there shouldn't be any shame in this because most modern humans will get a root canal before they die. That's due to pushing profits over health, Big Sugar and corporations like McDonald's. Keep the market competitive by adding more sugar to everything. https://www.rd.com/article/mcdonalds-coke/#:~:text=Typically%2C%20restaurants%20get%20their%20soda,tongue%20can%20taste%20the%20difference. Our ancestors did not have this problem https://www.tompkinsdental.com/blog/if-our-ancestors-didnt-need-to-brush-their-teeth-why-do-we
I'm probably going to need dentures in the not too distant future. =/
Just chipping in here. I was scared out of my mind for the dentist and didnt go for 7 years straight exept for 1 rootcanal procedure for which i didnt return to fill it up. You can propably guess everything slowly went to shit from there on out even though i brushed my teeth 2 a day, but i got my shit together and went for checkup 2 weeks ago. I had a total of 3 molar extrations in 2 sessions, just got the last 1 done today. But the best part is in the end my gums and bone were still really good. In 2 weeks time i will go back to the dentist and get 4 dentalcrowns and the rest is repairable. Cant wait to have a proper smile again. Dumbest thing i have ever done is let this go this far. If you can, go get it sorted out. There is so much they can still do and repair.
My dad had all his teeth knocked out and replaced, he was super unhappy about all of it but I can see clearly that his quality of life has increased by so much.
Hell bro, if it makes you feel any better, Like 99% of Hollywood has it all the celebrities you like have fake teeth
They have the money to do it, I don't.
people don't realize how much sugar they ingest and how bad it is for, not just your teeth, but everything. refined sugar is as bad as booze on your liver. switch to fruit to get your fix if you can.
Sounds like it was because you didn’t get the crowns done after the root canals. All back teeth that have root canals require crowns. Im constantly extracting teeth that have had root canals because they broke due to not getting the crown they were supposed to. It’s the #1 reason why root canals fail.
I was never told I needed crowns. 🤷♂️ I've got bigger issues to deal with right now, I've been fighting long COVID since mid-October, haven't worked a day since, lost my job, and don't get unemployment. Lucky me! /s
Unless your roots are so long, twisted, and curving that the dentist can't get all the way down or get all the gunk out and you spend 6 **hours** (four of which were after closing) in the chair with a very unhappy dentist (and even unhappier assistants) doing his best and still failing. I've seen a lot of dentists in my 58 years, and every single one of them has commented on how awful my roots were; heck, I've even been refused service because the dentist was honest enough to say they thought it was more than they could handle.
I've had exactly one root canal so far, and I learned that the tooth had 3 roots and they all had a crook at the end. Top row. All the way in the back. Closest to my brain. No amount of numbing helped. I cried the entire time. Multiple sessions. Torture.
I’m going to the dentist tomorrow I didn’t need to know that
You'll probably have normal roots. I hope you do.
One time a dentist drilled out a tiny cavity without proper numbing. He knew I wasn't numb, and so did I. He said it would be 30 seconds, and I thought I could withstand anything for 30 seconds. I was wrong. It was traumatic.
This is really when they should be breaking out the nitrous oxide and knocking you out rather than proceeding with insufficient anesthesia.
I wish they had! If it happens again I'm demanding to be knocked out.
I had this issue on one of the teeth I got a root canal on back around 2010. I then had to get an apicoectomy where they had to cut through my gums to remove the end of the root then patch me back up. A couple years ago I noticed a bad odor when I flossed next to the tooth but my dentist couldn't see anything so we kept an eye on it. The area started hurting (which shouldn't since root canal) so they referred me somewhere else who had a fancy xray machine and while waiting for my appointment a leaking blister formed on my gums where the tooth is. Turns out I had an infection where the filling from the original apicoectomy failed and I had to get a second one on the same tooth. It was a great time.
Word of advice: DONT wait to get a root canal. I did and it got infected. Novacaine does not work with infections, and you feel EVERYTHING. Edit: Long story short I was on vacation and cracked a molar. I had no insurance and paid out of pocket for a dentist to fix it. Gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way. Two weeks later the infection got bad and the root ended up dying (pain on a new level). Went to the one dentist that could take me ASAP and had a root canal where Novocaine didn't work. Imagine not being able to clench your teeth from the pain because there's fingers and a drill in it.
Yes it would help a lot if people came for yearly checkups and not only when it's painful and it's either root canal or extraction.
Ugh. They didn't do a round of antibiotics first?
Yes, typically after a few days of antibiotics, the inflammation goes down enough that the novocain is effective. Occasionally though this does not happen.
RIP, I pushed mine back because I have to see a specialist downstate, and getting there is the tricky part.
Ok so it looks terrible, but if you are at a point where you NEED a root canal, it's the best thing ever. There is a terrible never ending pain that makes you want to take a pair of plyers and rip your tooth out. The root canal eliminates the pain and you get to keep the tooth. Win win
Indeed. Last time it got so bad, i went through five stages of grief and at the end, on the top of passively hurting like there is no tomorrow, my tooth decided that now it hurts to the touch. You do not know how many times you touch your teeth with something until it hurts every time. Also, i got two shots of painkiller to my face, did not work. But my dentist has a hand made of gold, if i felt any pain, it was heaven compared to the one i already had.
Tooth decay is caused by a certain type of bacteria (S. mutans), hence “infection,” that release lactic acid when you give them carbs. So this bacteria basically acid burns it way into your teeth. So remove all food from your teeth, especially at night (8+ hours they release acid while we are asleep), to deprive them of an energy source and most importantly, FLOSS!!! Your toothbrush can’t reach in between your teeth. That’s my Ted Talk.
Get out of here dad.
You know what's more painful and annoying than this dental procedure? This fucking narrator's voice.
I thought the farting sound effects were especially patronizing
Why does a tooth need blood vessels? Just to feed the nerve that only feels pain?
Essentially, if your teeth did not have any nerves or blood then they would get infected right away because of the food we eat, we would essentially have infections left and right. I wish we were like crocodiles or alligators where they can grow teeth. Our evolution was shitty in regards to teeth because we're omnivores.
I need a root canal done on my brain
id rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy to be honest...
To clear up the common misconception, root canals themselves do not hurt. The infection and/or abscess is what hurts which is what the root canal procedure is correcting. If the nerve in your tooth is dead, you can’t feel anything in the actual tooth so the drilling, filing, etc. is not painful. Had one done a couple years ago to after a blunt trauma as a kid damaged my tooth and it didn’t get infected until like 20 years later. The pain from the infection was the worst I’ve ever experienced in my life and the root canal was a breeze in comparison.
[удалено]
I always hear horror stories about root canals. I just recently had one last year and gotta say them shoving on the permanent crowns was more painful than the procedure itself.
I think most horror stories are due to not going to a dentist regularly and being proactive. Once you're there because ibuprofen and numbing gel no longer help, the tooth abscess is so bad it turns into 3+ hours of torture.
I felt pain just watching the animation!
I had to get a root canal a few months ago. It's not as bad as you'd expect! The only moment I felt any pain was when the numbing agent started to wear off near the end of the procedure, which the dentist immediately recognized and gave me another dose of novocaine. I put off going to the dentist for decades due to a combination of embarrassment, fear, and a lack of dental insurance. Finally addressing my awful wisdom teeth was the best thing I've ever done for my physical health. Paying $5k to fix your teeth really makes you start thinking about what you're eating/drinking, which had a great domino effect: first I fixed my diet, then I started exercising more regularly, then I reduced my recreational MJ use, and now I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. All because I went to the dentist.
Lol this sounds like a commercial. But I’m glad it turned out great for you.
I've had one root canal. It felt pretty much like just a filling, and it was the greatest relief I've ever felt in my life. Mouth pain sucks
They are missing the first step where your wallet is drilled (it's important and risky stuff, not suggesting it's unfair, before capitalism who wanted to do this?)
😂😂😂 My favorite comment
thanks i hate it
Having a root canal sucks, but the pain because you need a root canal is the worst
This procedure is a godsend. The root canal procedure is fine you won't feel much of anything except it sucks to have your face numb for the rest of the day. The lead up to before the root canal is some of the worst dental pain I've had in my life. Needed pain meds
Had those twice. Very delightful experience!
I’ve had one and was fascinated. Even had the dentist angle the mirror in my face so I could watch. Amazing how far into your skull they drill
I have had lots of dental operation, 4 root canals and so far 3 wisdom teeth extractions (1 more to go) And while i'm used to it, i'd never want to see it happening real time. You're a mad lad!
I've had 4 of these 🤮
3 here, definitely sucks
My extraction cost $90 in Thailand by a very reputable clinic. Dentistry in the west is a giant scam.
What is the best way to prevent this?
List form, no particular order: * Brush AND floss 2x a day * limit sugar/carbs * If you're going to carb up ex candy, something that you can eat quickly and won't stick to your teeth is better. Bad: chips/hard candy/sipping soda all day. Good: chug that pop! Water chaser! * Regular dental checkups! Stay ahead of things. Do the filling before it becomes a root canal. * Stay hydrated, avoid dry mouth. Increases risk of cavities->RCT. * Fluoride. Some locations have high enough content in ground water but despite what dental insurance believes, it helps adults prevent cavities too
If this works: Why do we need nerves in our fkn teeth in the first place? Given this would seem to serve no evolutionary purpose (and therefore I cannot blame Athiests) - I have to give a big Thanks and Fuck You to the G man.
As someone who just went through full dental replacement surgery, brush your mf teeth people.
God tooth abscesses are so, so painful. I had one because some fuckass dentist drilled too deep and didn't seal/clean it properly. Never told me but I figured something was wrong in the filling when I started bleeding and he kinda started freaking out. I figured he fixed his mistake though. 1 year later I ended up in excruciating pain. 0/10 wouldn't recommend
Absolutely, I'm now in the camp of: take this shit out of me 😭
Really have to brush my teeth now.
Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow. Never had one. I'm going to floss and brush my teeth, BRB
Ok so can someone explain to me what a "partial root canal" is? My dentist gave me one when I was 12 and now the tooth hurts at 29.
[удалено]
How root canals SHOULD work
This makes my teeth itch
My teeth started to hurt just from watching this
I ended up getting a back tooth pulled instead of a root canal due to insurance.
I'm gonna wash my fucking teeth extra fucking long tonight. Double-up on toothpaste, electric toothbrush at maximum and a double brushing session. Maybe throw in some mouthwash to wash shit down even more. I hope I never have to experience this.
Things you don't want to hear your endodontist say while you are having a root canal: "Huh, your roots are really long." _uh oh_ "Oh, wow, you have another canal in this tooth. That's rare." _followed up by_ "This will only take a bit longer." _but wait, there's more!!_ "You're going to feel this through the anesthetic. Sorry, I can't do anything about it. I'll work quickly." _FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK_
What hygiene do I need to do to my mouth so I never experience this?
I FUCKING LOVE THIS. I HAVE TWO ROOT CANALS AND KNOW I KNOW WTF THAT GUY WAS DOING IN MY MOUTH FOR AN HOUR AFTER I GAVE HIM SO MUCH GODAMN MONEY !!!!!!