How much does a root canal hurt - honestly?

Question

and how long will it be until I feel normal again?

Answer 1

I work for a dentist for almost 7 years now and I'll tell you the only thing that could possibly hurt will be the prick of the needle for the Lidocaine anesthesia. After that you should be numb for the whole thing and for about3-4 hours after. If for some reason you do feel something, raise your hand and tell the dentist and they should give you more Lidocaine.The procedure usually takes a 1 hour appointment sometimes 2 appoinments.  After you leave the office, before the numbness wears off, take Advil or Motrin or whatever medication they give you and you'll do fine. We have had someone fall asleep during a RCT. LOL

Answer 2

When I had my root canals done, it didn't hurt, except for the needle being injected into the gum (novacaine).  After that it was fine.  about 3-4 hours later, it was a tad sore, but not bad.

Answer 3

mine did not hurt one bit. it was a little uncomfortable while they were doing it, but no pain because they numbed it so much. Even when the numbness wore off - no pain.

Answer 4

From my past experience, it really didn't hurt that much. I say the worst part is when you feel the pinch of Novocaine to numb the bad area...and after you're done and the numbness wears off, you can slightly feel some pain. But when you are done with the root canal be sure to bite down on some gauze (the dentist will tell you to) for possibly an hour or longer, depending on how bad its bleeding. Mine was sore for about 2-3 days since I have had a couple bad teeth in the past. But, also be sure to not drink anything with a straw, since the dentist will stitch the worked on area, sucking on a straw will create a "vacuum" and can become easier to make the stitches come out of your mouth, which is VERY sore and painfull if that happens. The purpose of the stitches is to of course keep the area from bleeding and allow faster healing. I hope this helps. :)