root canal treatment

[bubbles4920]

had root canal treatment today, couldnt believe it, i had 3 root canals done in one tooth, only thought one tooth ever had one but there can even be 4 or 5! when the dentist was talking to his assistant, he kept saying a number ie 15, 17, was this the distance he was going down the canal and in one unit of measurement? also he put a dam on my tooth, what does this do, it was like a rubber sheeting over my entire mouth on a frame??!!

[Aprilis]

The numbers you refer to identify which teeth the dentist was talking to the assistant about. As for the dental dam, check this out...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_dam

They aren't just used for dentistry either, they are also used as protection against STDs. The link will explain.

[bubbles4920]

what, omg, i now see what you mean., as for the numbers he was only referring to the one tooth he was doing root canal treatment on, i thought he may have been referring to the depth of the rod he was pushing down into the canal, yak! and if so what unit of measurement was he using?

[dannyday5821]

wow! you can understand what your dentist says! you so lucky!

[ermintrude35]

...the numbers are NOT the teeth numbers.... as these only go up to 8 each side top and bottom....the numbers he was asking his assistant for was the size numbers for the little spring/screw type things they use to clean out the root.....

[bubbles4920]

wow, thanks for that, did think he would be going a bit deep if it was 18ins! hope i shall never have to listen to him again anyway saying this!

[Aprilis]

Thanks for that ermintrude. I just remember my dentist calling out numbers when doing my check up....never really paid attention to the fact they only went up to 8. And I meant to say on my last post that the numbers are possibly referring to which teeth...

Amazing how different something can sound when one doesn't choose ones words more carefully. That'll teach me for posting at that ridiculous hour of the morning!