Root Canal Revealed

Posted on October 26, 2006 in Dentition

I prepped myself for the root canal by taking a Xanax and three Tylenol tablets. The Xanax stuck to my tongue momentarilly, leaving a bitter taste for a few seconds until I lapped it into my throat.

The surgery itself took place under a microscope that hung over the dentist’s chair. I needed several shots of anesthetic to get through the operation, each going in at a different stage in the unearthing of the dying nerves. Deep breathing supplemented the pain killers and anti-anxiety measures that I took. When it got to the point where he burned in the filling, I knew it was almost over.

The procedure (which I knew well from other excursions of the same kind) involved drilling, filing out the dead nerves, the insertion of an electric probe (to measure the length of the roots?), and the final filling of the slim cavities. I went home and took a long nap, then watched X-Men 3, which disappointed me. Very little pain troubled the aftermath. I slept well except when the wind tapped at the blinds. For this, I closed the window.

I woke slightly on the low side, wanting more sleep but deciding on rising so that I could exercise.

The stump of my tooth feels round and low.