At the end of last week, I started to experience some mild tooth pain. It was annoying but nothing major, so I thought I would hold off and ask about it at my 6-month dental check-up in a few weeks. The pain quickly escalated, and by Saturday evening it was unbearable! I had a root canal done several years ago when I lived in Atlanta, and the pain was a lot like that. By Saturday it was obvious that I had to do something FAST ... the pain was so bad I could barely eat & it was causing me to get physically sick. It has also spread from the upper left side of my mouth to the entire left side of my head!
I called my dentist's office, only to find out that they would not be available until Monday at 7:00am. The recording suggested that I contact the emergency room. The ER told me that since I am pregnant they could do nothing for pain management - they simply recommended Tylenol & warm compresses (which did nothing to help ease my discomfort). I put in an emergency call to my OBGYN who told me it would be best if I could wait until 7am on Monday to see my own dentist. However, if the pain got too unbearable then go to the ER and they would have to call a dentist in.
I somehow managed to wait until Monday - but I did not sleep at all the night before. I arrived at my dentist's office only to find out that he was OUT OF TOWN! I nearly broke down in tears right then and there! The secretary and the hygienist were so nice to me - The secretary began calling other offices to see if another dentist could see me & the hygienist took x-rays to determine if a root canal was in fact needed (she stressed that she was not a dentist & really should not do this, but I think she felt so bad for me that she let the rules go a bit). She was also very careful & double-bibbed me with the lead aprons to protect Easton.
The secretary found a dentist that could see me at 8:00am - thank goodness! I went to his office along with my x-rays and he confirmed that a root canal on my top left tooth was needed. They called the endodonist & squeezed me in for a root canal appointment at 10:45am. I was so fortunate that all of these offices were so accommodating - I think they felt extra sorry for me since I am 30 weeks pregnant. Tooth pain is bad - but tooth pain & pregnancy is even worse!
Jason took me to my endodontist appointment, mainly because I was so sleep-deprived that I was afraid to drive. The endodontist, Dr. Fegan & his assistant, Christine, were extremely caring and worked fast & efficient. Christine has two children of her own and was understanding about how uncomfortable dental procedures can be while pregnant. She made sure to raise my chair a few times to allow me to stretch my back, and would hold the x-ray strip in my mouth for me (instead of requiring me to bite down on it and gag). They continuously asked me if I was comfortable & even took all of the mouth restraints loose midway through the procedure so I could swallow and rinse my mouth. (Again, it's tough to keep your mouth open through a dental procedure .... even harder when pregnant because it makes you queasy!)
I was getting quite worried about how the root canal procedure would impact Easton, especially the numbing medication & the x-rays. Christine and Dr. Fegan assured me that they were both localized, meaning they were aimed at my mouth & did not impact my abdomen at all. Dr. Fegan also mentioned that NOT taking care of a root canal is more dangerous to a fetus because the infection can spread to the baby. my OBGYN had said the same thing about the infection. With their reassurance I was able to relax (well, as much as you can relax while getting your teeth drilled!) :-)
The procedure took about an hour, and afterwards I was still a bit numb but PAIN FREE! Jason picked me up, bought me a milkshake (I could not eat solid foods for 3 hours) and then took me home for some much needed sleep. I slept for SEVEN hours straight! When I woke up I was a little sore, but nothing compared to the pain I had experienced over the weekend.
I have learned a few lessons: First, next time I even feel a hint of tooth pain, I will call the dentist ASAP and not wait. This is the 2nd root canal I have had, and both times the pain escalated over the weekend when the dentist was not available (causing me to have to wait until Monday to get some attention/relief).
Second, while I whined, cried and was not fun to deal with this past weekend, I am much stronger and have more pain tolerance than I ever thought. The dentist, endodontist & assistants were amazed that I made it through the weekend with just Tylenol & warm compresses to deal with the pain.... they said most people take strong pain meds for pain management. While I am sure childbirth is a much different (and intense) level of pain, my confidence in myself has boosted due to this experience. At least at the end of childbirth we will get an awesome reward ..... Easton! My only "reward" for dealing with tooth pain was a $450 bill at the endodontist's office, and a follow-up appointment for a permanent crown that will probably cost another $400! :-) Only time will tell if my theory is correct, but for now it has my spirits up!
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