In Honor of my Root Canal

March 31st 2015.  The day I had my first Root Canal.  This process deserves a post.  A rant and some reflection.  Not only did it cost approximately $1,200, it reinforced once again my skill with the yoga breath.  In honor of this I will share two great scenes about dental procedures.

The Pink Panther Dental Scene

The Carol Burnet Show Dental Scene

The history of tooth number 3 top right:  A few years ago ,when I first started going to my current dentist, she replaced the majority of my old mercury fillings.  Tooth number 3 was a troubled case.  There was so much tooth gone on the side, on the surface.   The dentist told me off hand, "oh this one will need a crown and a root canal."  I asked her how much something like that costs, she shrugged. "Not more than two or three thousand."  I went into shock and was furious.  She stated this like it was no big deal.  Sorry but to most people dropping a couple grand does not happen every day.  

So, being of gentle and balanced temperament, I swore I would not deal with either issue and would let it be, frankly it caused no pain.   Number 3 was strong and I was not giving up on it.   Then one day, about 2 hours before I was leaving for the airport on a Toronto trip, a good part of #3 broke off. Just fell off in my mouth.    I freaked, called the dentist and she got me right it.  They smoothed it out and booked a crown appointment for right after I returned from my trip.

I gave in to the first part of the expense and got a crown.  The dentist, of course gave me some grief about getting the root canal.  I told her that unfortunately that year our medical funds were already accounted for due to my son's hospital stay.  She kind of shrugged as if to say "suit your self' like Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein.  

Number 3 had a new shinny top, all strong and clean.  I felt like I was on the top of the world.  Only problem was that cold liquids seemed to be a bit much for Number 3.   I called the dentist and they said it would go away over time after the crown.  Only it did not go away,  it got worse.

Slowly, slowly I changed the way I chewed and drank using the left side more and more  Recently I noticed a sour taste and more sensitivity.  I broke down and booked the appointment.   

So I got up this morning knowing I was looking down the barrel at the dreaded Root Canal.  With a name like Root Canal what is one to think. It sounds like a bone marrow transplant, or a joint replacement.  It sounds like pain and suffering.   At 12:45 I was in the office with the forms filled out and reading the same three lines over and over on my iPad.   They called me and the procedure began.   

The numbing stage began.  Boy I hate needles.  I could never be an inject-able drug user as I can't stand needles.   No thank you.  Anyway four needles later I feel like a stuck pig waiting to feel my face melt of.  They took some shots and waited for the numbing to take full effect.  I read some of my romance novel, again reading the same lines over and over.  

They began preparing me. The entire concept of a dental dam is a horrible thing.  Lets block off your mouth so you can't breath and all you can do is feel your epiglottis drying up and hope it does not stich to your throat and make you vomit.  If you vomit then you would breath in my own vomit because it will be blocked by a stupid balloon stretched across your airway like a evil April fools joke.   

Moments of panic flashed as I struggled to breath and keep calm while the drilling went on and on.  All of the flesh inside the roots was smoothly removed. The canals were prepared for stints like you were shoring up a concrete supporting wall.  Random Smells and tastes processed through, disinfectant, clove.  Each time I felt ready to panic I would go into yoga breathing.  Calmly focusing on each in-hail and each ex-hail one at a time.  Finally they put in the packing material of the temporary filling and we were done.   

Two hours out the door.  That is approximately $600 per hour.  Not a bad take for an afternoon's work.   I felt like I looked like I had a stroke.  My right side was of my face was not moving and Number 3 was starting to pulse.   I went home, had something easy to eat and then went about my day waiting for to get my face back.  I tried to drink a soda and had that wild feeling of only feeling it has it passed the left side of my lip not the right.  

There was a point this afternoon where I felt like I had been hit in the face with a football.  This was at the height of the de-freezing experience.   It was pulsing and I was feeling kind of sad for myself.  Yet as the numbing wore off it hurt less and less.    By dinner time I was ready to try to eat on Number 3.  

As I ate dinner, I realized it was the first time in several years that I purposely ate on the right side.  I did not realized how much I had been holding back.  It felt pretty good.  It was not sensitive when I drank some cold water and did not hurt as I chewed.  It felt a little beaten up but probably less painful then when day began.  So all and all it was not too terrible.  The procedure was worse then anything else.  I hope that this will be all for Number 3 and we can let it just hang out and be a happy tooth from now on.