I am most certain that we have all had our fair share of dental nightmares that we can easily share with others, and here is the low down on one of mine. I was about fifteen years old at the time and had been saving up my money from a part time job that I was working so I could go on a Mexican Coastal vacation and learning tour with my classmates – a two week excursion to some amazing places in Mexico, including three serene days in Cancun. Of course, little did I realize that a molar in the back of my mouth would entirely ruin my experience and send me home on an emergency flight, leaving me hospitalized for several weeks. So without ado, here is what happened.

How I Fared During my Root Canal Experiences
I had a root in my molar on the right side of my mouth that had become infected and had died. The infection had nowhere to escape so over time it built up in the root, underneath the tooth. When on the plane over to Mexico City, once we hit about thirty thousand feet, the tooth became abscessed and the root ruptured. Now imagine being hit in the gums with a red hot poker, it felt worse than that. I jumped from my seat and was in so much pain I was screaming. A doctor onboard realized what it was and gave me some pain killers and an ice pack, but it did little to minimize the pain.

Why a Root Canal Can Put you in the Hospital
The infection had nowhere to go and so over the next few days it spread throughout my mouth, causing my gums, tongue and lips to greatly swell. About three days in, and after immense amounts of pain, I was sent home on an emergency flight, where I was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The doctors administered some direct antibiotic shots into my mouth and an IV. They informed me that the infection had spread through my body making me very sick, and I was lucky because the infection had not affected my sinuses or brain. Apparently, they told me this has killed people before when left untreated and that I was very lucky to be admitted when I was; I was released from the hopsital ten days later.

What to Expect During the Procedure
I was not able to get the root canal procedure for at least two weeks, until after the infection had been quelled. During the procedure they gave my nitrogen oxide to calm my nerves. They numbed the area with a few shots and placed a rubber like mask on my mouth that allowed them to see the entire area inside. Then they drilled through the tooth and burned out the dying root. They also cleaned out the root canals, hence the name, and disinfected them. After the surgery they placed a temporary crown on the tooth and ordered a porcelain mold. A few weeks later the crown came in from the lab and it was glued on to my tooth.