Which is rougher: getting a crown or recovering from a root canal?

When my daughter had hers, the root canal was over pretty fast, but the crown process dragged on for weeks. First, she had to get the temporary one (which kept feeling weird and made her extra cautious with eating), then a second appointment for the permanent crown, and even then, she needed a couple bite adjustments. She got so tired of going back for “just one more quick fix.” The root canal itself was more intense in the moment, but the crown felt like it never ended. I think for kids, all those extra steps just add to the stress.

I actually think the crown process is way more drawn out and annoying, especially for kids. The root canal itself is stressful, sure, but at least it's over in one go. With crowns, you're stuck dealing with weird temps, careful chewing, and those bite adjustments that never seem to feel quite right the first time. My last crown took three visits just to get the bite comfortable. The whole thing just feels like it drags on forever, and by the end, I was more frustrated with the crown than the root canal pain.

Totally get where you’re coming from. Crowns are like the never-ending dental saga - just when you think you’re done, there’s another appointment. I swear, those temporary crowns always feel like you’re chewing with a Tic Tac glued on. At least with a root canal, it’s intense but then you can move on… well, after your face stops feeling like rubber, anyway.

I’m actually about to get my first crown and I’m kinda freaking out, so reading this thread is oddly comforting. The “Tic Tac glued on” thing made me laugh - my dentist literally said, “don’t eat anything sticky,” and now I’m picturing my temp crown flying off mid-bite. With root canals, everyone says it’s scary but then it’s just numbness and a sore jaw for a bit, right? The crown process feels like it drags on forever... appointments, impressions, waiting for the real one. Not sure which is worse, honestly, but neither sounds like a spa day.

The crown process feels like it drags on forever... appointments, impressions, waiting for the real one.

I totally feel you. My temp crown popped off while I was eating a sandwich - nothing even remotely sticky, just rogue lettuce. Root canal itself was less dramatic for me, honestly. The crown saga just takes patience (and soft foods).

I get where you’re coming from with the crown process dragging on, but for me, the root canal was way rougher. Maybe I just had bad luck, but my jaw was sore for days after, and I couldn’t eat on that side without wincing. The crown stuff felt tedious, yeah, but at least it wasn’t painful - just a lot of sitting around and trying to avoid chewing anything crunchy.

Funny thing is, my temporary crown actually held up fine, but the real one felt weird for weeks. My dentist kept saying I’d “get used to it,” which... I guess eventually happened? Still, compared to the actual recovery from the root canal (which felt like someone punched me in the face), I’ll take a couple of drawn-out appointments over throbbing pain any day.

Guess it really depends on how your body reacts. Some people breeze through root canals and hate crowns, others are the opposite. Just wish there was a fast-forward button for all of it.

Just wish there was a fast-forward button for all of it.

If only, right? My kiddo had to go through both, and honestly, I was way more anxious about the root canal. The recovery just dragged on, and I felt so helpless watching her try to eat soup for days. The crown appointments were boring, but at least she wasn’t in pain - just cranky from being stuck in the chair. I’d trade a little boredom over seeing her miserable any day. But yeah, everyone’s different... sometimes I think it’s harder on the parents than the patient!

I totally get what you mean about the root canal recovery dragging on. I had one a while back, and honestly, I’d take the endless crown appointments over that weird throbbing pain any day. At least with crowns, you’re just bored… not miserable and living on smoothies.

My kid had a root canal last year and honestly, I was surprised by how rough the recovery was for her. She was on soft foods for nearly a week, and the throbbing pain just wouldn’t quit, even with pain meds. With her crown, it was more about convincing her to sit still and not complain about the “weird taste” of the materials. Not fun, but at least she wasn’t miserable. If I had to pick, I’d say root canal recovery is tougher, especially for kids who don’t always say exactly how much it hurts.

Yeah, I totally get where you’re coming from. My niece had a root canal when she was 8, and it was honestly kind of nerve-wracking for the whole family. She was super sensitive to pain, and even with the meds, she just seemed wiped out for days. I remember her being so frustrated about not being able to eat crunchy stuff - she basically lived on yogurt and mashed potatoes that week.

With crowns, at least in our experience, it’s more about the weirdness and annoyance than actual pain. The taste thing is real... my nephew kept making faces and saying it was “like eating glue,” which cracked us up but also made me wonder what they put in those materials. But yeah, overall he bounced back way faster after the crown than his sister did after her root canal.

I worry sometimes that kids don’t really tell us how much something hurts because they don’t want to seem dramatic or get poked at again. It’s tough to know when to push for more help or just let them rest. Dental stuff always feels a bit more intense than I expect.

That’s really interesting about the taste thing with crowns - I never thought about it, but my son kept describing it as “weird metal” after his. He actually found the root canal itself less painful than the days after, when he just felt run down and cranky. I do wonder if part of that is the stress and not just the physical recovery. For us, the crown was more about discomfort and getting used to something new in his mouth, but the root canal recovery just seemed to zap his energy. It’s tough to know when to worry or just let them ride it out... I sometimes wish dentists gave more info on what’s normal for kids afterward.

I do wonder if part of that is the stress and not just the physical recovery.

That’s a good point - I’ve noticed with my own kids that stress seems to hit them way harder after dental stuff. Even when the actual procedure is over, it’s like their bodies just need a few days to bounce back. I wonder if the “weird metal” taste is partly psychological, too, or if it’s really just the crown material. Either way, it’s tough when you’re not sure what’s normal. I wish dentists gave a little more heads-up about how recovery can look different for every kid.

The stress factor is real - sometimes I think the anxiety before and after is worse than the actual drilling. I’ve had both a crown and a root canal, and honestly, my jaw was more sore from clenching during the appointment than anything else. That weird metal taste… yeah, I remember that too. For me, it faded after a couple days, but it’s definitely not just in your head. Kids probably feel all of it way more intensely. Dentists could do a better job prepping us for the “not-so-obvious” stuff, no question.

That jaw clenching is no joke - sometimes I think people leave more sore from that than the actual procedure. I mean, who decided that holding your mouth open for 90 minutes was a good time? And yeah, the metal taste... it’s like licking a battery, right? Totally normal, but nobody ever warns you about that.

Honestly, I’ve seen folks breeze through root canals and then get totally blindsided by how weird their bite feels after a crown. Or vice versa. Did anyone tell you about the “phantom tooth” sensation after a root canal? It’s like your brain can’t quite believe your tooth is still there, so it keeps sending those weird signals.

I always wonder if we should hand out stress balls or something before appointments. Or maybe just a playlist of whale sounds - anything to keep people from locking their jaws up like a bear trap.

Kids definitely feel it all at level 10, though. No amount of “it’ll be fine” really helps when you’re eight and convinced the dentist is building a robot in your mouth.

I swear, the phantom tooth thing is real. After my root canal, I kept poking at the tooth with my tongue for weeks, convinced it was about to fall out or something. The weirdest part was that it didn’t even hurt anymore - just felt... off. Like my mouth forgot what normal was.

Crowns are a different beast. My jaw gets so sore from all the “open wider, just a little more” requests, and then you leave feeling like your bite is all wrong. I had one crown that took me a month to get used to. Every time I bit down, I expected sparks to fly.

If I had to pick, I’d say the root canal recovery is weirder, but crowns are rougher in the moment. And yeah, stress balls should be standard issue. Or maybe a neck pillow? Anything to keep me from leaving the chair looking like I wrestled a bear.

Crowns are a different beast. My jaw gets so sore from all the “open wider, just a little more” requests, and then you leave feeling like your bite is all wrong.

Totally get this. The crown fitting had my jaw aching for days - felt like I’d chewed through a bag of rocks. But the weirdest part was after my root canal, I kept expecting pain that never really came. Just this strange numbness and the urge to check if my tooth was still there. For me, root canal recovery was mentally trickier, but crowns win for physical discomfort in the chair. A neck pillow would’ve been a game changer...

Honestly, the “open wider” part is the stuff of nightmares for me. I always end up with my jaw popping and my wallet crying. Crowns are rough in the chair, no question, but between the two, the root canal aftermath messed with my head more. I kept thinking, “Did they even do anything? Shouldn’t this hurt?” It was like waiting for a storm that never came. Weirdly unsettling.

But the crown fitting - ugh. My jaw felt like it had run a marathon, and then I left biting down and thinking, “Is this how my mouth is supposed to feel now?” The first week after, I was paranoid about chewing anything harder than a banana. Also, why do those temporary crowns always feel like they’re seconds away from falling off? I spent days on soft foods just in case.

From the budget side, neither is exactly a bargain. I tried to put off the crown for a bit after the root canal (big mistake - my dentist was not impressed). Insurance barely covered half, and I still had to cough up for the “better” crown material. If I’d known how much sitting there with my mouth open was worth, I’d have charged them for jaw rental.

If I ever have to do it again, I’m bringing my own neck pillow and maybe some noise-cancelling headphones. And I’m definitely double-checking what insurance actually covers before I commit to anything. It’s wild how much dental work costs, especially when you’re just trying to fix pain and not get a gold tooth for the fun of it.

Man, the “open wider” thing always gets me too. Why do dentists act like everyone’s jaw is made of rubber bands? I swear the temp crowns are just there to test your anxiety levels... I spent a week chewing on one side and basically living off mashed potatoes. Has anyone here ever skipped the crown after a root canal for a while? My dentist gave me that “not mad, just disappointed” look when I tried to delay it. Also, does anyone else feel like insurance just makes up numbers when it comes to dental stuff?