OK I will start by saying I am scared to DEATH of going to the dentist. When I pull into the parking lot I will break out in a cold sweat and start shaking and getting a stomach ache. That said let me tell you about my experience on Tuesday. I have been getting alot of work done on my teeth lately and the next thing was a root canal. I had not made my appointmant yet and knew I needed to make it but I have to get enough courage to make that. Well my tooth started hurting really bad so I called the office on Tuesday morning (I had been in severe pain the night before) told them of my pain and told them I knew it had to be infected. They where able to fit me in at 10a.m. I leave work and told them I would be back soon. I know that when there is an infection you needs anitbiotics to take that away before you can fix the tooth. Well my dentist said oh we will just do the root canal. I said ok what about infection she said I think your ready for the canal. She numbed me and came back drilled and I yelled cause it hurt. She numbed it again, drilled, yelled it hurt. Numbed it again, yelled and it hurt. I could feel it. I was in such pain after she tried to numb me 6 different times with stabbing my mouth 5-6 times each time. Finally she said maybe we will put you on antibiotic because I can't get it to numb. I was so upset by this point. I had been in the chair 3.5 hours already. Then since she drilled she had to close the tooth again. Then they get me a perscription for an antibiotic. Now it is in my chart and her assistanct also asked if I was allergic to anything and I told them Pennicillan. What do they give me Cephalexin. When if your allergic to Pennicillan you should not take unless monitored by your dr which i did not know. So I took it on Tues and Wed and I got so sick I had to call my Dr and she said to stop taking it now. She got me on a new med and I am fin now but very very angry with dentist. thought I would share my dentist horror story. Sorry it is so long.

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Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

Wow! You poor thing... and it's not over yet?

That is strange that the pain shot didn't work. Did your doctor have anything to say about that? Maybe it's time to consider getting some opinions from friends on a new dentist?! It might really be worth it.

That is hard when you already have anxiety about something and then it all goes wrong.

Best of luck to you.

I despise the dentist. I had the root canal done a few months ago. It did hurt, even though he numbed the heck out of my mouth. I was numb for hours. Then had to go back again so he could remove the temporary packing out of it. I have yet to go back to my regular dentist to get the crown.

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We're off to never never land

There are dentists that specialize in dealing with people who are scared to have their teeth worked on, they use sedation dentistry and they knock you out to work on your teeth. Maybe you could check to see if anyone in your area specializes in this? I'm sure it is much more expensive, but if you have the level of anxiety that you have it might be worth a try. I have a wonderful dentist, I barely even feel it when he is giving a shot. I have had to have a couple of root canals and never had to take antibiotics.

I say, FIND A NEW DENTIST NOW!!!! If they cannot even be trusted on to check your chart when prescribing meds, then I would not trust them PERIOD. The fact that she kept you in the chair for 3-1/2 hrs and shot you repeatedly after one or at the most two times in pain in the process, only magnifies my opinion. I will admit that I am the biggest baby and have not gone to the DDS for more years than I care to admit. It was experiences such as yours that have put me in that frame of mind.
Good luck in your search for the new DDS.

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"Well-Behaved Women SELDOM make history."Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


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I would say find a new dentist quick. I too despise going to the dentist....but I have found a dentist that is just wonderful. My children love going to him and get so excited when it is their turn for a checkup. My youngest even cries if his brother goes and he doesn't get to go. He had to fill a tooth on my 9 y/o a few months back and he was so good that my son didn't even know that he got a shot. I asked him if he got a shot and he said "no....the dentist just told me he was going to shoot some pickle juice into my mouth and after he did that my mouth went numb." I had to laugh.....never heard of a shot called "pickle juice", but it worked....my son never knew what happened. Definitely look for a new dentist....a great dentist shouldn't hurt you at all.

Wow, what a nightmare! I've been through a few dentist horror episodes but none like yours! They even shot novacaine into my tounge so I would shut up.I hope your mouth heals ok. I would not go back to that dentist.I gave up on trying to find a good dentist.I have been to enough psycho dentists that I think a lot of them choose this profession because they enjoy torturing people.

I've never had a root canal, but I have heard several times to never let your denist do it. You should go to a specialist - can't remember if it's an oral surgeon or what, but supposedly they can do it with no pain.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

Your tooth was HOT, it was infected. They can not numb a tooth in that condition unless they shoot straight into the nerve and trust me, been there, done that, you don't want it.

The dentist should have noted the infection in the tooth with a quick Xray. The next course would have been pain meds for a day or 2 and antibiotics.

Get a new dentist. This one sounds like a whack job!

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TLJ ~ Women United in Spirit

well, oddly enough I just had a partial root canal this past thurs. i had a filling come out and got an infection in that tooth. i was in terrible pain last wknd, my jaw was so swollen. anyway, went to the dentist mon, and was told I needed a root canal. Scheduled for thursday, and given a course of antibiotics and pain killers. i went in thurs and started the root canal. i received several injections for numbing all around the tooth, and also into the exposed nerve. after a couple of hrs, my dentist said that we were going to wait until this tues to finish my root canal b/c I still have sensitivity in the tooth. when he would touch certain spots, I could still feel it(not pressure, mind you, but discomfort/pain). He packed the tooth with medicine and some other stuff to keep bacteria from getting in. I'll be going back tues, and i'm really glad he didn't insist on pressing forward just to get it done. after my root canal, i will still have to go back and get a crown. Crazy, this is the only tooth i've ever had a filling in, and now all this. Good luck, and I would say definitely go to a dentist who responds to your needs, and not just trying to get done and move on to the next patient.

I just was at the dentist on Monday. Had a filling fall out and got infected. Just finished taking my pennicillin. They put on a temp filing, and pain is all gone. Starting on Thursday.... to get them cleaned and that tooth pulled. Lots of money ahead for me. Look for a new dentist! I found a great one, and I hate dentists also! This was my first time to see her.

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Freedom Stands...Because HEROS Serve

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Was this a molar? I am only asking, because I had a molar - way in the back of my mouth, and the dentist could not get my mouth numb enough to do the root canal either. He said it was due to the location of the tooth, etc. Finally, after 8 shots, and me continuesly screaming in pain, he finally gave me a special shot - that they don't use very often. Whatever it was, made me super anxious, and my heartbeat race for approx. 1 min. After that, he proceeded with the root canal, and I was fine.

The funny thing is - it's not the root canal that is so bad. It's the STINKING SHOTS! Geez, they are the part I hate the most at the Dentist! LOL!!

Nope it was not a molar. It has been 5 days since I went to the dentist and my face is still hurting. Not the tooth but my face from all the shots I got. I have had 3 other root canals in my life and non of them hurt like this. And after all this I still get to go and find someone to do this root canal.

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Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

If you have an infection,the area of the infection will not get numb

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People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life. - Faith Resnick

op i am so sorry i feel your pain, i am just flinching thinking about it. that is awful they tried to keep giving you shots for 3 and a half hours!? and they didn't catch your allergy either. ugh. i would definitely find someone new right away and never return to that 'dentist' does not sound like they know what they are doing at all.

hope you are feeling better soon -

Several years ago I had a root canal "go bad" I was on vacation and was so infected they couldn't touch it. Half my face was swollen, I was in horrific pain. I get home, go to the dentist and they inform me that it can't be numbed due to the infection...SO they kind of sat on me and opened it up to get the infection out. Words cannot express...........!!! I tell you that to say that it may have been the same with you. Due to the infection, it couldn't be numbed.

I would not reccomend this "therepy' to anyone. This was about 17 years ago at a AF base hospital....EEK!

I never knew this until I read a few of the responses above saying the same thing. Still, it seems like the dentist should know this about the infection making it so that the area will not get numb.

nope. i've got you beat. i can't believe anyone could be more terrified than me! i also won't admit how long it's been (ok, i'll say it's at least over 20 years) and i won't even take my son. my DH has to take off to take DS to the dentist. i can't sleep the night before his appointment, i worry the whole day...and he's fine! i act like it's no big deal because i don't want him to sense my fear. we just tell him mom takes him to the doctor and dad to the dentist.

i'd rather go through another c-section than go to the dentist. i have to stop writing about it because i'm getting all jittery!

ITA with everyone else....Find a new Dentist.

I have never really had to have anything done to my teeth yet, but DS1 had a tooth that needed to be pulled last year and he had an infection, got the infection cleared up and then a week later they pulled the tooth. Unfortunately, the Dentist and Nurses scewed up big time, and they somehow "forgot" to numb him......(it doesnt't help that he is austistic) I can still hear him screaming like someone is trying to kill him plain as day....I haven't been able to get him back to the dentist since. They even tried to charge me for the visit at first too! This was a specialized pediatric dentist too! Find one that is willing to work with you and understands your fear, and also your tolerance of pain....

So sorry to hear you had to go through all that......

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