Six in one go? That sounds like a dental marathon, not gonna lie. I’ve had a couple root canals before, but never more than one at a time—my jaw gets tired just thinking about it. My dentist spaced mine out over a few weeks, which definitely helped with the whole “chewing anything harder than mashed potatoes” situation. Did your dentist mention if you’ll need crowns after, or are they holding off? I always ended up with temporary fillings for a bit and looked like I’d been in a bar fight with my food choices.
I hear you on the “dental marathon” part—my jaw was sore for days after just two back-to-back. Six at once seems intense. I always had to get crowns after, but my dentist gave me temps for a while first. Eating was a weird adventure… apples were off the menu for weeks. Curious if they’re doing all six in one session or breaking it up? That recovery sounds rough either way.
“apples were off the menu for weeks”
Right? I remember thinking I’d never eat anything crunchier than mashed potatoes again after my last round of dental work. Six root canals at once sounds like a full-on endurance event. My dentist split mine over two appointments and even then, my jaw felt like it had run a marathon with a brick in its mouth. I honestly can’t wrap my head around doing all six in one session—props to anyone tough enough for that.
Temps are their own adventure, too. I tried biting into a sandwich and the whole thing just shifted like tectonic plates. Ended up cutting everything into tiny pieces for ages. If you do get them all done at once, maybe stock up on smoothies and soup... anything that doesn’t require actual chewing. In my experience, patience (and a lot of soft food) is key during recovery.
I get where you’re coming from—eating after dental work can be a whole new challenge. But I actually found getting several root canals done at once way easier than dragging it out over multiple appointments. For me, the anticipation was honestly worse than the actual procedures. Once I was numb and settled in, my dentist just worked through them one by one, and by the end, I was relieved it was over instead of dreading going back.
Recovery is definitely not a walk in the park, but I didn’t have as much trouble with temps shifting as I expected. Maybe it depends on the materials they use or how your bite lines up? I lived on scrambled eggs and yogurt for a bit, but after about a week, I could manage softer sandwiches if I cut them up small enough.
If you’re worried about doing them all at once, it might be worth talking to your dentist about your specific concerns. Sometimes knocking it all out can mean fewer days off work and less overall stress. Everyone’s different, but it wasn’t as brutal as I’d psyched myself up for.
Man, I totally get the nerves about root canals—had to get three done last year and honestly, the lead-up was way worse than the actual work. I was freaking out about the pain and not being able to eat anything “real” for ages, but it wasn’t that dramatic. The numbing stuff they use is kind of a miracle, and my dentist let me zone out with headphones, which helped a ton.
Recovery was weird though—my jaw felt like it’d been at the gym for hours. I lived on instant mashed potatoes and applesauce for a bit. The worst part was just being paranoid about biting down wrong or messing up the temporary fillings. Didn’t really have major shifting issues either, but I guess everyone’s mouth is different.
Honestly, if I had to do it again, I’d rather just get them all over with at once instead of dragging it out. Less time off work, less stress building up in my head. Still not fun, but definitely survivable. Hang in there—it’s not as apocalyptic as it sounds.