Does anyone know why i felt the full blown pain of my root canal when the dentist numbed me with 4 shots?

Question

and has anyone else has felt the horrific pain of a root canal?

Answer 1

You may have had an abscessed tooth. Because of the excess fluid in the area, the local anesthetic that was used may have had a hard time getting to the nerve to numb the pain for you.  

Answer 2

Infection can act against the anaesthetic (there is a chemical reason to do with pH I think), and also, some people have unusual nerve set-ups in their mouths and the nerves don't run where they are supposed to and this can affect the effectiveness of the numbing needles.  Has not happened to me luckily, hope you feel better and trips to the dentist are never that bad again.  Did your dentist have an explanation for you?  I would work it if you are likely to be afraid after this - maybe it was just one of those times when pain was unavoidable, but maybe there are other reasons and/or things you can do to avoid this happening again.   Good luck.

Answer 3

Because your roots can be deeper than where the Novocaine can numb.