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27 March 2009

Fun at the dentist's Last night I had a root canal. They put me on gas and used a topical anesthetic and then gave me three needles, which “took”, so it wasn’t too horrible discomfort-wise. (With my first root canal about seven years ago it took 10 to 12 needles before I was finally frozen enough.) The worst thing was having to listen to the dentist sing along, in an off-key falsetto, to the Michael Jackson CD that was playing. [More:]The dentist also made a joke about how Michael Jackson is giving a concert in London and even David Beckham couldn’t get tickets “because he wasn’t posh enough! Har! Har! Har!” Neither the dental assistant nor I laughed at this, so he asked if we’d heard it and then repeated it. We still didn’t laugh. Then the dentist asked if we didn’t know who David Beckham’s wife was. I said I knew David Beckham was married to the former Posh Spice and suggested that the dentist might have to crank up the gas a little more if he wanted me to find that funny. Yeah, yeah, so I'm not exactly at my sweetest when I'm in the dentist's chair. But look at what was being inflicted upon me.
Ouch! I went to the dentist yesterday, too, first time in 4 years, and she told me I have a boring mouth (which is a good thing!).
posted by mrmoonpie 27 March | 09:29
It's probably better not to laugh during a root canal, anyway.

A few years ago, I was having something done to an upper rear tooth, which required the dentist to tilt me allllllllll the way back (and ever so slightly upside-down) in the chair. Dr. Redacted had both rubber-gloved hands elbow-deep in my maw when the Bee Gees' "You Should Be Dancin'" came over the office radio:

What you doin' on your back?
What you doin' on your back?
You should be daaaaancin', yeah!

I kept laughing at the thought that I should be daaaaaancin', yeah! My dentist was first a bit cross, then just puzzled, that I kept having to stifle my laughter while he hung me upside-down and poked me with tools.

(My own root canal, several years ago now, felt surprisingly okay, especially before the novocaine wore off. How are you feeling?)
posted by Elsa 27 March | 09:37
I had a cleaning yesterday and I need to get some fillings and possibly a root canal soon. A soap opera was on and I started laughing when someone called someone else the b-word. Catfight!
posted by halonine 27 March | 09:42
I am so relieved that so far these are not dentist-pain horror stories. Because I have an appointment on Monday to have a crown done. It's the first serious dental work I've ever needed, and I'm scared!
posted by Miko 27 March | 09:58
Ugh, root canal! Poor Swan. I've had one and it wasn't fun, but the worst part was honestly the rubber block-thing they stick in your mouth to prop your jaws open. I have a tiny mouth (dentists have said) and having them forced open that wide for an hour or so became really, really painful. Like whimpering painful. I hope I never need another one.

I've never had the gas... even when I had my wisdom teeth out it was with general. I would like to know if I'm missing something.
posted by loiseau 27 March | 10:01
Miko, I've had a crown done. It's not that bad. The worst thing about it was the bill. *ouch*
posted by bunnyfire 27 March | 10:10
I have a mouth the size of a ten-year-old's, and the dentist put a bite block in my mouth because my jaw was soon aching from the effort required to keep it open. He had to use the smallest bite block. But it wasn't uncomfortable and made things easier for both of us.

The gas is nice, actually. It's both a bit trippy and very relaxing, and there's no after effects. I fell asleep during the procedure and the dentist had to shake me to get me to wake up to turn my head or whatever.

I'm not feeling too bad. The dentist told me to take two painkillers (a prescription strength ibuprofen) before the freezing wore off, so I did, and I felt just a little achy for the remainder of the evening. Then in the middle of the night I woke up in pain and had to take two more. This morning my mouth is a little sensitive and sore to the touch but isn't bothering me enough to require any meds.

I do have to go back to get a crown the week after Easter. I'm very cross that I'll have to use my tax return to pay for it.
posted by Orange Swan 27 March | 10:29
I have survived this long with never having to have a root canal. Crowns. . .lots of 'em. But never a root canal. . .

I feel lucky.
posted by danf 27 March | 10:31
Miko, a crown should be pretty simple and not at all scary once it's underway --- you'll see.

I find the busy-busy confusion of dental procedures to be pretty unpleasant, so as soon as I get into the chair (after the pleasantries), I always remind my dentist, "I can do anything you need me to do, but it's easiest if I know first. I really like to know what's going on."

This means he tells me things like, "Wider, please --- this should be pretty quick," or "Now we're putting in the mold, and you'll hold it for five minutes 'til it sets." It's a big help.
posted by Elsa 27 March | 11:25
Truthfully, danf, my root canal was a relief --- so much less unpleasant than the tooth pain that it was fixing! (Plus, the drugs. Niiiiiice. When I returned home, my housemate asked how I was feeling. I smiled big, mumbled some numb-lipped thing, and did a backbend, saying "See!?! See?!?")
posted by Elsa 27 March | 11:28
I've had one root canal and it was horrid. (Sorry, Miko! The good news is that when I got a crown it was a breeze). The shots didn't take, and I literally cried until they'd shot me up some more and it finally stopped the pain. And yeah, OUCH on the price tag; I had to get it a few months before my insurance kicked in, and it was about $1000. Ugh.
posted by Stewriffic 27 March | 11:55
For years I avoided going to the dentist. Years of bad dentists and hygienists really soured me to the whole process. I still hate going but I have a really good dentist and hygienist now. My root canal and crown process on one tooth was a breeze. And he always tells me what's going on and will answer all my questions.
posted by deborah 27 March | 14:40
My crown from a root canal has fallen off for the fourth time and the tooth next to it (which was chopped into in order to make room for the crown) is hurting. The last time I saw the dentist, he told me i would need to have dental surgery for a longer crown which would stay put, but I never got the follow up message--though I've had voice mail failures in the past. Another crown has held up ok.
posted by brujita 28 March | 00:55
You Hoped Me || FTD Fun.

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