It's a sign of how anxious and upset I am, not to mention how much pain I am in, that I am even mentioning this to you at all.
I had some dental work done in November, and ever since then my face has been hurting.
Yes, for six months.
Displaced pain that covered all bases from my front tooth to my back, and from my eyelid to my ear, made me suspect that my nerve, never pleased with dental work, had finally frapped out. I delusionally hoped it would get better...for SIX MONTHS.
Went to the dentist last week and was told I had an abscess forming for the last SIX MONTHS, and that I must be awfully strong to have fought it off.
I AM strong, so I thought, "Good! that's what it is."
Ten days on antiobiotics prior to a root canal, and there is no change in the pain.
Root canal is in one hour.
What if it only makes things worse?
What if the poking and prodding around with the needle ONLY MAKES IT WORSE?
And I can't NOT pursue a solution, because the pain happens mostly when inhaling cold air (so, six months of the year) or when talking while smiling.
TALKING WHILE SMILING, people.
If you know me, you know that non-treatment is not an option.
BECAUSE I TALK WHILE SMILING. Like, constantly. I am friendly and happy.
Imagine me without smiley-talking. Unthinkable, right?
I'm worried.
Please do not tell me "Oh Shannon DON'T get the root canal! My BF did that and she has been in pain ever since!" or whatever horror stories you have. Because it will be TOO LATE because I am leaving for the dentist in THIRTY-EIGHT MINUTES and in the intervening time I would like to lie in bed sobbing with the duvet up over my head.
7 comments:
I am just now home ... and don't have any horror stories to have shared with you previously.
Bromelain, a nifty enzyme in pineapple (juice, tidbits, etc) is dandy on helping to reduce swelling.
Hope all went well! We're off to surgery on Monday.
I hope you're feeling better by now . . . I've heard that root canals really aren't that big a deal. (This from a friend has had something like four or five.)
Hopefully the localized pain from the RC will be better than the abscess pain. Ouch . . . drink lots of Red Raspberry Leaf tea (with alfalfa and mint in it) . . .
Annalea, I'm just now back from the dentist and so no I am NOT feeling better yet! Still frozen and bruised.
This is my sixth root canal and I am sorry to tell you that your friend is only half right...the back ones aren't that big a deal but the front ones are a very...very...very big deal.
It all depends what causes the root canal - i.e., why you need it.
Anyway it's not the RC that had me worried - it's the possibility that he would inadvertently be exacerbating nerve damage he did before!
I won't know for a week or so, once all the soreness from the work wears off.
Shan, I'm so sorry to hear that. Dental pain is the worst.
Get the root canal. It will make everything right. It won't be fun, but it will be a lot quicker than the huge protracted non-fun you've been having (oh my poor baby!).
xoxo
Oh poor you! I know that pain as I've had several root canal treatments now after abscesses have formed. You can't hug a tooth better can you and it's one of those pains that gnaws away at your soul. I hope the treatment has done the trick. xxx
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