Is a tooth extraction more painful than a root canal?

[Lil Missy]

I started with an abscessed tooth a week ago, went to endodontist for the root canal today and the tooth was full of cavities and mushy. It cannot be saved. It's a molar.

I've never had one extracted before. Is this going to be more painful than the root canal? Or the original abscess? I have been through abscess HELL this past week!



Here is thread from last week
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018559647

[Scuba]

1. Nah, you won't feel a thing.

[Lil Missy]

2. HA!

I don't believe you.

[In_The_Wind]

3. You'll feel better as soon as the danged tooth is out.

imo: Root canals are the worst.

[RebelOne]

13. Right. Once the tooth is gone, the source of the pain is gone.

I have had root canals and extractions. Both are painless nowadays. And usually the dentist will give you a prescription for some super-duper pain killers.

[FSogol]

4. I had one root canal in my late 30s. I was worried because I heard they were terrible.

It was not problem at all.

I thought the fillings I got in my late 20s were worse. If you can afford it, get the root canal.

[Codeine]

22. Same here. I made it to 40 before I had a root canal

and I was terrified. Turned out to be less than nothing.

[riderinthestorm]

5. Both are awful.

My teeth are like rocks so they had to break it apart to extract it.

Awful. As bad as a root canal.

Good luck with yours. I've never been back to the dentist since I had the tooth extracted. Too terrified after that. It was two hours of sawing and yanking that no anesthesia or pain killer could overcome.

[Hoyt]

6. Extraction is a lot faster, and likely won't hurt.

[patricia92243]

7. The actual extraction won't hurt at all, because the dentist will numb your gum..Br careful not to

get a dry socket. That was the worst pain I have ever had in my life - and I have three kids.

[mokawanis]

8. The numbing shots are the only part that hurts

Once the dentist numbs all the tissue around the tooth you should only feel pressure when the extraction is done. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and painless it will be.

[sharp_stick]

9. If done properly

neither should be too bad. I think PCIntern is a dentist isn't he? You might want to ask him.

[Lil Missy]

10. CONSENSUS: It's not that bad

I tell ya, if it's not worse than the abscess has been or the sore jaw tonight from the attempted root canal this morning, I can handle it. I'm getting by on Ibuprofen alternating with Tylenol tonight, albeit high doses.

I think I'll be fine. Thanks for all the replies.

[tblue]

19. Let us know how it goes.

Sending you good vibes.

[OmahaBlueDog]

11. You'll be flying so high they could remove your jaw and you wouldn't feel it

Feel better

[sarge43]

16. What he said. The best legal high ever.

Be sure someone takes you. Do not drive.

Good Vibes.

[JCMach1]

12. Impacted horizonal growing wisdom tooth=saw

sort of like the movie... and painful (i.e. Oral Surgeon level job)

had all the rest of them out at the same time too... that didn't help

[progressoid]

14. Extraction - easy peasy.

Root canal takes multiple visits to the doc. But it is nice to have an actual tooth.

[gvstn]

15. I had to have a molar extracted this summer.

It was about a 5 minute procedure. Novocaine and then he slid a flat sided tool down around each side of the tooth and out it came. I wish he had made it a 15 minute procedure and given the Novocaine a few more minutes to take more effect.

As long as the roots are straight it should be an easy procedure. They can tell from the x-ray what they have to do.

Overall very simple and the pain does go away immediately. The swelling from the abscess took a day or so to totally subside. I asked for an antibiotic to make sure the infection was totally cleared. Probably not necessary but I take so few antibiotics I thought it was worth getting them to be sure.

Good luck!

[elleng]

17. Not bad if done properly

and infections/abscesses treated well AND if you keep your tongue and food + OUT of the 'hole.' The WORST pain is from a 'dry socket,' essentially exposed nerve because scab disturbed.

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dry-socket-symptoms-and-treatment

[tblue]

18. Not if you take your meds.

I've had both. Neither is better. I'd say the root canal was just a lot of gauze and poking and drilling. My first extractions (2 wisdoms) I had twilight sleep so I only remember the aftermath, feeling spacey for a few days and my jaw being very puffy on one side The other extraction (a dead tooth) was done using novacaine, so I was aware of everything and it was not fun! A lot of tugging and drilling and noise and it took a long time. Ask for the twilight sleep and take your pain meds when you get home. You'll be fine. Good luck! It's better to have it out than let it fester.

[TorchTheWitch]

20. you don't feel anything

The worst part is the Novocaine needle. Any time I've had teeth pulled I couldn't feel a thing from the neck up, and because of medication I take I can't have any happy gas or anything like that - just Novocaine.

Having been through what you have lately MANY times, you'll be thrilled to pieces having the offending tooth removed. It's instant relief. There's been several times with a really bad painful tooth that I've BEGGED the dentist to pull the sucker stat or I was getting out my own pliers. There was one time I even fell asleep in the dentist's chair once I was numbed up since the tooth pain I'd been having was so bad I hadn't slept hardly at all for days.

I'm not kidding, once it's done you'll kick your own butt for not having it pulled right away and getting rid of all that misery you've been through with the tooth pain. You'll be wanting to get your pliers out and start yanking them all out just because you'll be feeling so much better and getting it pulled was nothing at all. I swear, each one I had pulled I LAUGHED all the way home just because it felt so wonderful to not have any pain anymore. It was glorious.

I wish I'd seen your thread from last week or I would have told you to threaten your dentist to make him yank the sucker ASAP and get rid of all that ghastly pain. It's a waste of money and just not worth the agony of trying to save a tooth that's gone bad after a root canal.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

21. I had my wisdom teeth pulled by an oral surgeon many years ago

My regular dentist said they were going to be a bit tricky to remove, as the roots went in deep. I didn't feel a thing. But it was a very dramatic looking procedure. The oral surgeon went back and forth with a pair of what looked like thin, long-nosed pliers and took a long time to get them out. At one point, it required so much exertion on his part that he jumped on top of me and straddled me to get a good grip on one of the stubborn teeth. I felt nothing, but the sight was pretty shocking.

[Orrex]

23. You will be amazed at how much better you'll feel afterward

You'll ache for a few days, and it will be tender while you heal, but it will heal and you'll be much better off.

Abscess pain is all the proof I need that hell exists. You have my every sympathy.

Good luck!

[LiberalEsto]

24. I have never experienced a painful root canal

because the dentists I've gone to were really good at it and gave me lots of novocaine.

Didn't feel the tooth extractions either, for the same reason.

However after a tooth is pulled the area is sometimes quite painful for a week or longer.

[840high]

25. Extraction quicker and less pain.

[arcane1]

26. Not really. But when they say don't smoke or use straws for a week, OBEY THEM!!

Probably the only pain worse than a toothache is the pain of a dry socket

[elleng]

28. YESSSSS!

[meow2u3]

27. They numb your gum

You won't feel a thing except a bit of pressure, that is, after you get the needle to numb you. The needle is another story.

[ZombieHorde]

29. I had a tooth extracted, and here is my advice.

1. If the dentist asks if you feel any pain, then be honest. If you feel even a little, then get more drugs.

2. Tell the dentist that you are nervous and you want gas. It's great. I love nitrous! I get it even if I am just getting a cleaning.

If you do this, you will just feel some pressure in the tooth's area. Won't hurt a bit.

[davidpdx]

33. Good advice

I was under when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. They don't use gas here in Korea and my dentist uses a HUGE needle to inject the stuff into the gum for numbing. I HATE it! I think they know this and now hide it until the last minute before they get me. Sneaky bastards!

[Lil Missy]

30. THANK YOU FOR ALLL THE GOOD TIPS!

I'm going in at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow to get the tooth pulled.

I'm not worried anymore - just exhausted with it. The infection got so bad it came through my gums and blew up about the size of a cut green bean. It wouldn't pop so I had to go to ER Sunday morning for them to lance it. That has relieved the pain.

I appreciate all the good advice and experiences shared. I'll do everything the dentist says to do after the extraction so I don't get a dry socket. I'll be asking for pain pills too, for when the Novocain wears off.

I'll be curled up on the couch with my kitties and my pup Max for the rest of tomorrow.

[davidpdx]

34. Good luck

Make sure to follow their aftercare instructions. Dry socket is a big concern. The animals will be a good distraction.

[mnhtnbb]

35. I got an infection in a tooth that had previously had a root canal

because the tooth finally split. Decided to have the oral surgeon put me out
to have it extracted. Also decided that because of its location I would have an implant
to replace it.

It just so happens I'm going in today for the oral surgeon to evaluate whether the bone
has grown in well enough to finally put the crown on the implant. The whole process
started at the end of last June with the tooth being pulled and I may now, finally,
get the crown so I will no longer have an empty space where that tooth was!

Good luck with the extraction.

[DebJ]

31. Not bad at all. I had 28 teeth extracted over a few months, so I guess

that means I have some experience.

I had only one incredibly painful extraction....so painful the surgeon was almost crying watching me...
it was the second to last one to come out. That tooth had a root canal before.

On edit: my teeth had been needing work for many years, but I had no money for any type of health
insurance or health care. After years of getting cheap antibiotics, and the tooth pain triggering too
many migraines to count, it was a relief....albeit a sad one.

[davidpdx]

32. I would say extraction is worse

The one time I had a tooth extracted is when I got all four wisdom teeth pulled in the mid 90's.

[andresbarrett]

36. Both are same

Root extraction is same as that of root canal because in both the process, local anesthesia is given.