Please place these in order of the most painful!

[nellypope]

(A) A filling
(B) A root canal (Back tooth)
(C) An extraction (back tooth)

Many thanks for taking the time to complete this survey. My dental plans in the very near future depend on your input ;-)

[Sqad]

C...B...A

[Jemisa]

'B'

jem

[sandyRoe]

None of them would be painful with anaesthetic. I still wouldn't be looking forward to a visit to a dentist.

[redman41]

BOO is our Dental expert if she is around, she likes the Dentist :-))

[Mamyalynne]

Given the correct amount of anaesthetic, none should be painful. However as a dental phobic who has had all done I would venture a guess at Root canal being the most sore.

[Sqad]

redman....LOL

[nellypope]

I've had A & B and with local anaesthetic they were fine. But everyone tells me that a ROot canal is agony, even with pain relief! WOndering whether I should just get the dentist to pull the sucker out.

[bednobs]

all the same - you have anaesthetic and you don't feel anything

[ummmm]

Root canal is fine.....so is A & C

[albaqwerty]

B C A

Root canal front upper is blooming painful

[carmalee]

have had all three - none painful- modern dentisry is virtually pain free but like a lot of things a bit uncomfortable.

[cupid04]

everything at the dentist is painful, including one you forgot to mention:- paying!

[nellypope]

Ahh yes the cost! I was quoted £500-£900 for the pleasure of a root canal. However I am now pregnant, and found an NHS dentist! Luckily the cost for me is FOC

[albaqwerty]

Get the dentist to make sure all is free from abscess/infection, pain relief will work. I guess it's just the continuous opening of the jaw which makes it very uncomfy.

Do what the dentist says, clench the jaws, clench, open a touch, open a touch. Hope all goes well.

[archeraddict]

I would say B at the time but C for a day or two afterwards.

Mind you, I did have a bad experience when I had root canal - my dentist took an 'important' phone call, just after she had put the rods in my tooth and then I had to wait, for what seemed like ages, desperately trying not to put any pressure on the rod, whilst listening to her get increasingly annoyed with her mortgage broker!

[beattie819]

Root canal definitely, but nothing compares with a bone marrow biopsy in my opinion! other end of the body, but ..........ouch......took me breath away!

[Misky]

I'm terrified of the dentist and was forced to go after 19 years when a pain was too much to bear. I had a filling, which didn't work and had to be re-done and was uncomfortable for four weeks or so until they could book me in for a root canal. They prefer to save the tooth if they can, and you should too, otherwise your face starts to cave in. My root canal didn't hurt during or after and I was over the moon. Mind you, don't get me started on the hygienist - now THAT hurts!! Good luck!

[Frank97]

Having had all three done myself I agree with the above that none hurt at the time, however I would say that the extraction hurts the most after the anesthetic has worn of as your mouth has to heal from it.
The most painful experience I've ever had dental wise was an apicoectomy, I thought I was going to pass out on the way home as the anesthetic wore off, I will never have that done again.

[LoftyLottie]

In my experience none have been painful. The root canal is the most uncomfortable because of the time it takes and the length of time you have to keep your mouth open, which causes headaches and aching jaw and pain killer and rest afterwards. Fillings are just not painful.

A good dentist will ensure that you have the correct amount of anaesthetic and will stop immediately you feel pain and might even give you extra local anaesthetic. There is absolutely no need for any pain at all.