I had a root canal started today and even though the dentist numbed me with 3 or 4 different shots, I still felt HORRIBLE pain during the drilling! It literally felt like an electrical wire in my teeth! He had just begun the process, he was using some vibrating tool to open up the tooth. For the first few minutes the vibration didn't bother me. But he must have hit the nerve and I SCREAMED! I was numbed pretty well so I don't understand why I still felt pain! Any thoughts as to why this happened? Why did I still feel pain?

Any answers would be appreciated!

Which tooth was he drilling ? A back molar which has four nerves? It sounds like the nerves in your tooth weren't dead yet, but then different people have reactions to pain, some low some high but just the same, the freezing should have been enough, maybe not enough. Kind of hard to answer your question not being able to see the X rays of tooth he was working on to determine just what was going on.

Was he able to finish the root canal to prepare for a crown? Or what ? Was the pain too much for him to finish his work ?

You couldn't have been numbed all that well.

tick

Hey, it was tooth number 12... so not in the back but not exact in the front, either. It has two canals and yes, the tooth is still alive.

No he did not finish. I was screaming and moving too much. He had to stop.

What were you experiencing with the tooth prior to the root canal diagnosis because root canals aren't normally done if the tooth is healthy. Were you having trouble with pain in the tooth, abscessing, gum disease?

I am sorry for all of the questions, I don't understand why they had to do a root canal ?

Tick

It was very painful... it reacted to hot, cold and sweet food! The tooth next to it was extracted, and therefor the tooth had a little chip or opening if that's what you'd call it.

Feel free to ask as many questions as you need... Any help I can get would be great.

First question... why are you having a root canal done on a LIVE tooth??

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Originally Posted by flossie

First question...why are you having a root canal done on a LIVE tooth????

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It was very painful... it reacted to hot, cold and sweet food! The tooth next to it was extracted, and therefor the tooth had a little chip or opening if that's what you'd call it.

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Originally Posted by flossie

First question...why are you having a root canal done on a LIVE tooth????

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Isn't that what is done? -- a living tooth is causing trouble, so the nerves are removed during a root canal, and the canals are filled with gutta percha? One the nerves are gone, the tooth should not experience any pain or other sensation.

Had your bite been checked? It's possible with a tooth missing that this tooth has shifted and your bite (occlusion) could have been off. This causes you to irritate the tooth, ligaments and nerve by biting or grinding on it.

Clenching and grinding can also cause hot and cold sensitivity. Clenching and grinding is often done while we sleep, again irritating the tooth so that it becomes sensitive through the day.

Sweet sensitivity could be a cavity or root exposure (which can also cause sensitivity to temperature).

Erosion of the teeth can also cause these symptoms.

Was everything ruled out prior to the root canal being started?

I'm guessing (like tickle) that your mouth had not been numbed properly or with enough anesthesia or the dentist hadn't waited long enough for the numbing agent to take effect. Some of my teeth have required four shots before the dentist could work on them.

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Originally Posted by flossie

Had your bite been checked?? It's possible with a tooth missing that this tooth has shifted and your bite (occlusion) could have been off. This causes you to irritate the tooth, ligaments and nerve by biting or grinding on it.

Clenching and grinding can also cause hot and cold sensitivity. Clenching and grinding is often done while we sleep, again irritating the tooth so that it becomes sensitive through the day.

Sweet sensitivity could be a cavity or root exposure (which can also cause sensitivity to temperature).

Erosion of the teeth can also cause these symptoms.

Was everything ruled out prior to the root canal being started?

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I am not sure if they did those things. But, I will say that approximately 5 different dentist' saw the tooth and said I needed a root canal.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

I'm guessing (like tickle) that your mouth had not been numbed properly or with enough anesthesia or the dentist hadn't waited long enough for the numbing agent to take effect. Some of my teeth have required four shots before the dentist could work on them.

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He did 3 regular shots then shot me with a different type of anesthesia, can't pronounce the name of it, though.

Did he "shoot" you on both sides of the tooth?

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Did he "shoot" you on both sides of the tooth?

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Yep. My mouth actually was rather numb. I just don't see what the problem was.

I read somewhere online that I might have an infection and would need to be on anti-biotics for 2 weeks before having the root canal. Could that be true?

Anyone know how I can kill the nerve in the tooth? I read that because the nerve is still living that might be the reason it's so painful. How can I kill the nerve?

If the tooth has a large infection (seen by a large area of darkness around the root) it can be difficult to get a good freezing. I have known dentists to drip the anaesthetic solution right in to the canal where the live nerve is to try to freeze it that way.

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Originally Posted by flossie

If the tooth has a large infection (seen by a large area of darkness around the root) it can be difficult to get a good freezing. I have known dentists to drip the anaesthetic solution right in to the canal where the live nerve is to try to freeze it that way.

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I think that's he did. But, do you think two weeks of anti-biotics (Ibuprofen and Amoxicillian) would help ease the pain/infection?

It certainly should! It won't kill the nerve though.

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Originally Posted by flossie

It certainly should! It won't kill the nerve though.

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Do you know how I can kill the nerve?