Root canal wasn’t as scary as I thought - pain gone!

I get where you’re coming from. I had the same worry after my root canal - like, if I was too gentle, maybe I’d end up with more problems just because I wasn’t cleaning well enough. But honestly, I think there’s a balance.

I started worrying maybe I wasn’t cleaning it well enough.

My dentist told me to treat it mostly normal after the first couple days, but just avoid really hard foods. He said gentle brushing was fine, but not to baby it so much that you skip cleaning. I did go back to my regular brushing routine pretty quickly, and things healed up without any issues.

I don’t know if being “too gentle” actually slows healing, but I do think if you’re skipping proper cleaning out of fear, that could cause more trouble than just treating it like any other tooth (within reason). It’s tough not to stress, though - I totally get that part. For me, once the pain was gone and I got back into my usual routine, it felt a lot less scary.

I did go back to my regular brushing routine pretty quickly, and things healed up without any issues.

Same here - I was super nervous about brushing at first, but honestly, gentle was enough. I didn’t want to overthink it, so I just stuck with my normal routine, like you said. The pain faded, and I stopped stressing every time I brushed. Weird how something that seemed so scary turned out to be way less of a deal than I expected.

Weird how something that seemed so scary turned out to be way less of a deal than I expected.

Seriously, right? I was all ready to stockpile pudding and avoid my toothbrush like it was made of sandpaper. Turns out, as long as I didn’t go full Hulk with the brushing, it was fine. Did anyone else get paranoid about eating on that side, or was that just me being dramatic? I swear I chewed like a squirrel for a week.

I totally get the whole “chewing like a squirrel” thing - felt the same way for days. I was nervous about biting down on anything harder than a banana, mostly because I didn’t want to risk messing up what I just paid for. Did your insurance cover most of it? Mine only chipped in a bit, so I was extra careful not to need a redo. Wonder if anyone else had sticker shock, or if I just picked the most expensive dentist in town...

Sticker shock? You bet. I nearly fainted when I saw the bill - felt like I needed smelling salts more than pain meds. But honestly, I think the prices are wild everywhere, not just your dentist. Maybe I’m just old-school, but I remember when a root canal didn’t cost as much as a weekend getaway.

About the insurance - mine barely covered half, and then there was that “specialist fee” they tacked on. Don’t get me started. I actually waited a few extra days before eating anything crunchier than mashed potatoes, but my dentist said the crown is tougher than it looks. Are we just babying our teeth out of paranoia? My neighbor was chomping on steak two days after his and swears it was fine.

Do you think we’re being too cautious or is it just the fear of having to fork over another chunk of change if something goes wrong? Maybe we’re all just traumatized by the bill more than the root canal itself...