My First Root Canal Treatment (RCT)

Something that I dread doing... but have to do it in the end..  and left a quite big hole in my pocket :(

I got problem with one of my tooth for quite some time.  It's one of the big tooth on the upper jaw.  Probably about 2 years back, I went for my regular check-up and the dentist did the filling for 2 teeth.  She actually told me this particular tooth got a little bit of cavity.. but she said it's just a small one and can leave it first.. until the next visit (I wish she filled that up for me then!).

And probably, my next visit was quite a long one since then (probably almost a year).  I start to feel sensitive at the tooth area.  So, I went to the dentist again and she said the cavity is quite big already. @_@  She filled it for me anyways but after 2 weeks, it's still feeling sensitive.  I went to the dentist again and she said she'll try to re-fill again but if I still got problem with it means I'll need to do RCT @_@.  She quoted RM700 for RCT.

Since then, I didn't go back to the same dentist (I went there at the first place for convenience sake as it was near to by previous office and she wasn't really the best dentist :p).

The reason that I normally go for yearly check-up, so that I can avoid RCT!   And so, I've been avoiding for almost a year :p  I basically didn't chew anything hard on that area.  But, I was preparing for the worse and sourced around for the price for treatment.   Got some recommendations from friends and basically, the price all range around RM1,000 onwards. :(    Talk about sakit gigi.. even more sakit when you have to pay so much!  And since I've never done the treatment before, I was wondering how it was done.  So, I googled it... I guess this clip basically describes how the whole treatment goes (watch at own risk! :p) Honestly, I'm not looking forward to such treatment!

I don't really know what the dentist did as all I needed to do was to open my mouth big big.. so, I guess she was doing this to my tooth.

And so.. it dragged on.  About 2 months back, I got a chipped tooth.  And so happened my bro needed to visit the dentist as well.  So, I tagged along to get the chipped tooth fixed.  The clinic is located near to my current office too. While at it, I asked the dentist to check that particular tooth and she said it looked OK and I didn't feel the pain when she knocked on the tooth.  So, she said wait till it's really giving me problem then will really need to do RCT if I want to keep the tooth.

2 months passed, and I got this massive headache on a Sunday night.  The pain won't go away even after taking Panadols.  The next day, I started to feel a bit of discomfort at the tooth area.  So, I suspected the headache started from the problematic tooth (that actually caused other teeth at the area to feel a bit of pain too @_@).  

I called the dentist and made appointment for a check up on the same day after work.  This time, I could feel the pain when the dentist knocked on the tooth.  Shucks... She recommended RCT if I want to keep the tooth.  I didn't want to cabut gigi.. cuz' the last time I did that (when I was a kid), I regretted that cuz' all my teeth at the lower jaw ended up with big gaps.  And I didn't like the 'after cabut effect'.  

She recommended another dentist (in the same clinic) and quoted me RM1,000 for RCT and RM800 for the crown @_@  That's probably the most expensive out of all the clinics that I've checked earlier.  But tentatively, I made appointment to see that doctor (I can cancel later).  They gave me some painkillers and some antibiotics for the swelling.  At that moment, the headache seems to be more serious than the toothache.  But was feeling better after taking the painkillers.

The next day, I start to feel the toothache.  Man.. I've never had toothache since I was a kid! (the same incident when I first cabut the gigi that I regretted).  But RM1,800 for the whole process is seriously too painful for me.  So, I called up another clinic nearby for a quote, and they quoted me RM550 for RCT and RM600 for the crown.  OK.. still not cheap but at least cheaper than RM1,800.  I made appointment straight away to see the dentist on the following day.  

A lot of people told me that RCT is painless cuz' the dentist will use anesthesia.  But some dentist would prefer not to use that cuz' when you can't feel the pain, you won't know if you've actually hurt your nerves or gums and once the anesthesia effect is over.. that's when the major pain will come.  

So, for my RCT, the dentist didn't use anesthesia.  I felt the pain of course but it's not like.. so pain that I'm gonna die type.  I could still bear with it.  The whole process took almost an hour.  I was told to visit them again a week later for the filling.  Well, the good news is, the dentist said the tooth can still be filled and no need a crown.  Phew!  Overall, just need to be careful. I mean in general, as the dentist said, we shouldn't really bite on anything hard as it's bad for our teeth.

I was having soft food that day.. still feeling a bit of pain.  But the pain has gone the next day. :D  

I went for my 2nd visit yesterday to get the tooth filled.  Still feeling a bit sensitive but the dentist said it'll normally go away after about 2 days.  I really hope so.  

I hope I don't have to go for another RCT.  I can say that I've been trying to keep my teeth clean and healthy all this while (though got quite a number of fillings :p).  I've been brushing and gargling with Plax in the morning.. and brushing and flossing before going to bed and gargle with water after meal, especially after some sweet food. 

So Kids... (and adults who refuse to brush) Better be more rajin now instead of the pain and bomb later :p