Root canal surgery????

[ilovemarkb]

My 9 year old has fallen and cracked his 2 front teeth. He has to have the nerve removed from his 2 broken teeth then have them capped (WHILST AWAKE) does anybody know if this will be painful, should he be knocked out for it? thanks

[daffy654]

Dentists in this country are not allowed to anaesthetise patients any longer after the death of a young girl a few years ago. He would more than likely have to go to hospital if you insist on a general anaesthetic. The injections to numb his mouth are very painful for front teeth but the root canal itself doesn't hurt. He will probably wear temporary crowns for a week or two and then have the permanent ones fitted. I did the exact same thing at age 8 whilst playing British Bulldog, I am now 39 and have had them removed and re-crowned about 5 times since then.

[daffy654]

Just remembered,one way to make the injections hurt less is to ask the dentist to warm the local anaesthetic solution to body temperature before injecting it,usually they take it straight from the fridge and it hurts more when injected cold.Good luck to your son.x

[firegirl]

Although you cannot have general anaesthetic, you CAN be sedated for treatment - I have it. In my opinion, there is no noticeable difference - you do not remember or feel a thing. I have dental sedation for all treatment but I do have to go out of town for this. You will have to ask your dentist to refer youto the nearest. I pay about an extra �50 for sedation but it is well worth it. When dentists stopped doing a GA they told me I would still be awake during sedation but to be honest I cannot tell the difference apart from that the recovery time is quicker.

[bensmum]

Dentists nowadays generally put something on the gum to numb it before they anaesthetise the area so your son shouldn't feel it at all. I have had some extensive dental work done lately and can honestly say that I haven't felt anything.
However as your son is so young a dentist may feel that he needs sedation and can refer him to a clinic where this can be done.
Hope he gets on okay

[MrXLA]

There is ALWAYS a small risk (and it is relatively small) of dying as a result of undergoing general anaesthesia.
So whilst dental treatment can be unpleasant you have to ask is it worth risking death when there are safer alternatives.
One being sedation as mentioned.

[MrXLA]

LA hurts more when injected fast and tissues are not taut, these are greater factors than the temperature of the LA, most are stored at room temperature in anyc case and topical gel can be used to ease discomfort

[Hu Flung Dun]

I am 32 and still ask for the numbing gel. It tastes like bubblegum and does work. You still get the feeling that someone is working in your mouth but no pain.

[daffy654]

I think I may have to have a word with my dentist because I have never been offered the numbing gel,I didn't even know it existed until reading the answers on this thread. Maybe my dentist just likes to see me squirm in pain.lol.

[ilovemarkb]

thanks to all of you for your time and trouble to reply. I did mean sedation rather than been knocked out. I have to take him back next thursday when all the swelling has gone from his fat lip. I.ll ring on monday to ask about the numbing gel. He.s in the wars at the minute, his hand was swollen yesterday morning , to cut a long storey short as well as smashing his 2 front teeth he.s fractured his hand too, he has to get a pot on , on monday!!! kids eh!!

[sleepyj]

my son was about 13 when he banged his front teeth and killed the root he had a root canal ..he said it never hurt ..good luck for your son

[jno]

not everyone does sedation, so you could ring ahead and ask if he/she does

[VillageVicar]

Indeed, sadly, it�s a painful process for those teeth. The dentist will have to inject Lidnocaine above the gum and presumably into the roof of the mouth. However, daffy is correct about warming the fluid prior to injection. If the dentist is one of our famously elusive NHS dentists, they may not have a great deal of time to do all those little niceties. If it�s someone like Lund Osler, not only will they warm the lidnocaine, they will use what they call �magic cream� which is noting more than a topical lidocaine on the gum and roof of the mouth before they do any injections. This will dramatically minimise the discomfort.

As a small child I had my two front teeth knocked back into my mouth. For months I wore a reparative contraption that thankfully saved them. But to this day I remember the experience with the dentist.

Today, I�m not much better. Typically they put Vaseline on the lighting fixtures so the moment I hit the ceiling I tend not to stay up there very long.

Regardless, I still go through the entire Death scene from Camille every time I have to go see him.

I would never recommend having your child anesthetised, however. Regardless of how often it�s done, it has inherent risks and are such that I would never use that as an elective for my own children.

I wish you well

Fr Bill

[bigmamma1]

Awww , bless him , poor little lad ! He really has been in the wars . I hope you manage to find a dental practice who will treat your child with the proper care required to make sure it is not a bad memory for him . All the best and please give him this kiss and hug from me (( hug )) xxx

[Psychick]

Hope it all goes smoothly and as painless as possible for the poor little lad!
Ive had root canals done.............the less the better! lol
If it was my daughter though, I would take her to the childrens dentists at the hospital for something like that, do you have anything like that there? If so, then he will be just fine as theyre specially trained to deal with nervous children (and parents!) and will be very gentle and careful with him.

[SaintAleia]

Hi ilovemarkb.
Being a dental nurse means I have overseen a lot of root canal treatment, it's quite common nowadays as dentists as well as patients are more willing to go further to save a tooth rather than rip it out. I can tell you it certainly doesn't hurt, it's just a question of finding a good dentist who is gentle and good with children. There does need to be a good line of communication between all parties - I have had experiences before where children tell you they are numb when they aren't because they think it's what we want to hear - absolutely not! Next thing we know they are on the ceiling! Make sure your dentist is not someone your son is afraid to talk to.
I can tell you that sedation or general anaesthetic will probably be far more traumatic for both you and your son. There are more risks involved, and you will probably have difficulty finding somebody willing to go through with this.
Also, if you have any concerns about what the treatment involves try to speak to your dentist beforehand for reassurance. Otherwise you are going to transfer your anxieties onto your child, which is how a lot of people aquire dental phobias. Ask if there is a topical anaesthetic your dentist could use on the gums before the injection to make things a bit more comfortable. The crowning should not hurt either, although preparing the tooth first may look a bit horrific to you, especially on the front teeth!
Good luck to you both, and make sure you are returning for regular check-ups! ;)

[homerbart]

I am terrified of the dentis and my part-nhs-part-private offers me sedation at �15.00 which I readily take. It is just like a little sleep well worth it at any price. bless your son - it is frightening for little kiddies