# Are Root Canals Really Toxic?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 17, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576 "2013-02-17T04:29:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/181 "2013-02-22T23:38:34Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > Now my heart is beating weird no lie. It’s been beating off sync but that may be from all the shots or the antibotics I am still taking. I would imagine it’s from nerves. Chillax. > [@](#): > > Is it normal for my root canal tooth to be swollen and look like blood is under the gums around the tooth? It has been like 2 full days since I had it done. Does this sound normal? Of course it is. Don’t mess around with it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/182 "2013-02-23T02:32:38Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > It has been like 2 full days since I had it done. I’m going to assume this is the pain killers talking, because that just doesn’t add up. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/183 "2013-02-23T03:50:07Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > I got the root canal done guys. It took 2 hours and I got to go back 2 more times. My dentist said my nerve was severely inflamed and he had to give me a ton of shots so I couldn’t feel pain. It hurt pretty bad none the less which I was surprised because I had a root canal when I was like 20 and it didnt hurt. > > But back then I was too poor to go for the 2nd part of my treatment and my tooth just fell out one day. Anyways here I am with a root canal. > > Now my heart is beating weird no lie. It’s been beating off sync but that may be from all the shots or the antibotics I am still taking. > > Is it normal for my root canal tooth to be swollen and look like blood is under the gums around the tooth? It has been like 2 full days since I had it done. Does this sound normal? Dude I don’t know about your dentist. I did a lower first molar root canal this afternoon in about 50 minutes start to finish. A bit faster than usual but rarely takes more than an hour to an hour and a quarter. Three two hour visits, really?(I know you didn’t say the next visits would be two hours each, just guessing.) Not sure what a ton of shots is but for uppers I’ll get virtually all of them with one carpule of anesthetic(1.7cc)injected in two locations, one check side, one roof of the mouth. For lowers probably 90% with one injection most of the rest on the second try once in a blue moon need a third. It isn’t a function of inflamed nerves, but of anesthetic placement. Folks please don’t think I’m bragging these are the same type of numbers most dentist I know get. Can’t say about the heartbeat, could possibly be antibiotics, but more likely pain meds if you are taking them. Also infections can increase heartrate. as for the swelling, it doesn’t sound normal. If there was infection and swelling prior to the RCT it may not have resolved but new swelling looking like blood under the gums around the tooth doesn’t sound normal. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/184 "2013-02-23T06:46:03Z")
I got at least 15 shots during the whole thing. Im not making that up and it could be as high as 30 shots. I would say right around 20 if I had to bet. Does this sound normal? My tooth was in extreme pain when he clamped it. That was after like 10-15 shots. He said my nerve was extremely irritated. It concerns me to think how those shots could effect my health. The gums are swollen around the RC tooth will blood under them on the edges. I mean my tooth went through a lot of trauma…this has to be kinda normal right? Your tooth doesn’t look great right after its done does it? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/185 "2013-02-23T07:06:48Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > I got at least 15 shots during the whole thing. Im not making that up and it could be as high as 30 shots. I would say right around 20 if I had to bet. Does this sound normal? My tooth was in extreme pain when he clamped it. That was after like 10-15 shots. He said my nerve was extremely irritated. > > It concerns me to think how those shots could effect my health. The gums are swollen around the RC tooth will blood under them on the edges. I mean my tooth went through a lot of trauma…this has to be kinda normal right? Your tooth doesn’t look great right after its done does it? I _really_ wouldn’t have gotten that root canal if I were you. I think there’s a very good chance you could _die_ now! What were you thinking? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/186 "2013-02-23T07:49:20Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > I got at least 15 shots during the whole thing. Im not making that up and it could be as high as 30 shots. Could it be that you got two shots, fell asleep, and had an incredibly silly and exaggerated nightmare about the procedure? Did your dentist happen to look like Steve Martin? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/187 "2013-02-23T07:51:43Z")
guys what can I expect for the crown prep and crown? Do I need more shots for this too? Or can these be done without shots? I believe I have enough of that medication in my system. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/188 "2013-02-23T08:02:28Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > guys what can I expect for the crown prep and crown? Do I need more shots for this too? Or can these be done without shots? I believe I have enough of that medication in my system. 1. It’s probably gonna take another 30 shots, or 2. Since you’ve taken pain killers of various types over the years, it is certainly possible that you’ve built up an immunity to pain itself! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/189 "2013-02-23T12:04:20Z")
Seriously, you sound like you have been most neglectful of your teeth. When you wait until it’s inflamed, swollen, infected, what do you expect? I have a horrible dentistry history as my teeth just do not freeze well, or as easily as most. I have had some awful experiences, truly. I became seriously phobic as a result. For awhile I saw a sedation dentist, but it was wicked expensive. What keeps me moving forward, dragging myself in? Because the alternative is worse. Ignoring it only makes things worse, every time. And usually way more expensive. (Then suddenly and unexpectedly, a friend turned me on to an awesome dentist! ) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/190 "2013-02-23T12:23:09Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > I got at least 15 shots during the whole thing. Im not making that up and it could be as high as 30 shots. I would say right around 20 if I had to bet. Does this sound normal? My tooth was in extreme pain when he clamped it. That was after like 10-15 shots. He said my nerve was extremely irritated. > > It concerns me to think how those shots could effect my health. The gums are swollen around the RC tooth will blood under them on the edges. I mean my tooth went through a lot of trauma…this has to be kinda normal right? Your tooth doesn’t look great right after its done does it? It’s entirely normal for someone who has neglected treatment until absolute desperation prevails. I hope your condition gets better, but if you’d had this treated at the first sign of trouble, it would not have been this bad, and the chances of it failing altogether would be significantly lower. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/191 "2013-02-23T14:25:47Z")
> [@ineedthetruth](#): > > I got at least 15 shots during the whole thing. Im not making that up and it could be as high as 30 shots. I would say right around 20 if I had to bet. Does this sound normal? My tooth was in extreme pain when he clamped it. That was after like 10-15 shots. He said my nerve was extremely irritated. > > It concerns me to think how those shots could effect my health. The gums are swollen around the RC tooth will blood under them on the edges. I mean my tooth went through a lot of trauma…this has to be kinda normal right? Your tooth doesn’t look great right after its done does it? Nope, not normal, see previous post #183. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/192 "2013-02-23T15:55:06Z")
For **ineedthetruth** ’s sake, I hope he is relying on his dentist for followup questions and not Dopers. For **ineedthetruth** ’s dentists’s sake, I hope he/she has an exceptionally high bullshit tolerance level. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/193 "2013-02-23T15:56:18Z")
I have had three root canals in my life. One was done by a conventional dentist and hurt a lot (but no more than two or three injections), two others by endodontists that hurt about the same or maybe even a little less than a regular filling. In defence of my first dentist, he did say that the roots were curved around, and from much past experience I know that that quadrant of my mouth can be problematic to freeze properly. If you need that much local anesthetic for a dental procedure, next time get them to knock you out instead. I’ve never needed that done myself, but friends have, and they seemed to recover just fine. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/194 "2013-02-23T16:10:12Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > For **ineedthetruth** ’s sake, I hope he is relying on his dentist for followup questions and not Dopers. > > For **ineedthetruth** ’s dentists’s sake, I hope he/she has an exceptionally high bullshit tolerance level. **IF** ineedthetruth is correct in his statements then I hope he isn’t relying on \*\*HIS \*\*dentist. While I always take patients comments about previous dentists with a grain of salt, in 26 years I can only recall once having to give a fourth mandibular block. Again it is about placement not volumn, never go to the same place again always ajust the location of the injection site. Can’t imagine where you could even give 15, 20 or 30 injections. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/195 "2013-02-23T16:15:18Z")
I’ve just gone through several dental websites and forums, and 2 shots for the same tooth in the same session seems to be the max for the vast majority of dentists, although some have had rare cases where they had to use three. They don’t get that stuff for free, so I’m wondering what your bill was for this procedure-and don’t even try to tell me insurance covered it, because gross negligence of that sort would raise red flags immediately. Now, your _life_ insurance policy would most certainly kick in after your death from the massive overdose that you claim you received. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/196 "2013-02-23T16:17:17Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > **IF** ineedthetruth is correct in his statements then I hope he isn’t relying on \*\*HIS \*\*dentist. While I always take patients comments about previous dentists with a grain of salt, in 26 years I can only recall once having to give a fourth mandibular block. Again it is about placement not volumn, never go to the same place again always ajust the location of the injection site. Can’t imagine where you could even give 15, 20 or 30 injections. What do you think would be the result of 20 or 30 injections at the same time? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/197 "2013-02-23T16:29:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What do you think would be the result of 20 or 30 injections at the same time? One hell of a swollen mouth just from the volume injected? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/198 "2013-02-23T16:34:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What do you think would be the result of 20 or 30 injections at the same time? [Lidocaine toxicity.](http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/167309-clinical) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/199 "2013-02-23T16:35:10Z")
[Here are a good number of anonymous anecdotes](http://dentistry.about.com/u/ua/preventionandtreatment/rootcanalua.htm) about root canals, and none come within a hundred miles of **ineedthetruth’s** tale. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576/200 "2013-02-23T16:38:05Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > [Lidocaine toxicity.](http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/167309-clinical) Thank you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-root-canals-really-toxic/650576.md?page=11)