Urbidontics is located at the 3rd level of Abreeza mall near the activity center's elevator. Their clinic beautifully designed, clean, and would certainly be at the level of international standard. They have several cubicles inside for their specialists and the staff is well trained and always accommodating.

One of my greatest fears is losing a tooth or having dental issues because having a great smile is a thing of beauty for me and it’s really a big part of what gives me confidence when I interact with people. Dental health is something I value and I have been doing everything I can to maintain it.

This post is all about my first root canal and the reason why I’m writing about it is because I want to share my own experience with it and to help alleviate the anxiety and dread that comes with needing to undergo the procedure.

Honestly, a lot of the things I heard and read made me almost too afraid to go through with it. Most of the stories I managed to read were horror stories so that didn’t help at all.

If you are afraid as I initially was, I hope this post helps.

Why I Needed A Root Canal

The filling for one of my premolars had come off and while I already had an appointment for the dentist, an unexpected incident occurred. I broke the back of that tooth while having dinner at a party. It broke the back part clean off, exposing the nerves of my tooth. The front part looked normal but on the inside back part, a huge chunk had been lopped off. I was in so much pain and I could no longer eat nor drink because  anything that touched the raw side of the tooth hurt so much. 

Of course to make matters worse, this had to be on a Sunday night when all dental clinics outside the malls are closed and all the mall clinics’ dentists have already left. I can’t remember how many calls I placed that night, but we finally decided to try our luck at Abreeza because it had Urbidontics and Green Apple. Turns out, they are actually one clinic and while there were no dentists on duty anymore, their receptionists at Urbidontics were very sympathetic and accommodating to me. They scheduled me for the first appointment the next day and had me take Meifenamic acid for the pain. 

These girls took care of me throughout my treatment plan, reminding me about the scheduled appointments and they have been so nice and accommodating throughout this experience.

The very next day, I had my dental xray done and Doc Claire gave me a dental checkup. She determined that the damage was severe and had exposed the nerves on the tooth and I was told that she could no longer just use a filling for it. I was advised to then have a root canal to save my tooth and to address the pain being caused by the exposed nerves. She went on to explain that because the tooth would be essentially dead but it would save it to be functional, this would compromise the strength of the remaining tooth and the fact that it no longer had a big portion for support actually meant that that part would most likely break as well.

Leaving it as is wasn’t an option because the opening would make me prone to infection.

Some people would probably opt to just have the tooth extracted but since mine was still salvageable, I wanted to keep it as I have never lost a permanent tooth before. Another big reason why I didn’t want it extracted was the fact that the tooth is visible when I smile. I can’t imagine how a gap there would make me feel. I already have so many things going on in my head that I knew that losing a tooth just wasn’t something I wanted to deal with.

Another part of the treatment would be the installation of a fiber post to reinforce the strength of the treated tooth. I would then need a crown at the end of all this.

What happened after you agreed to the procedure?

Once you get your dental evaluation, the clinic will design a treatment plan for you which will help you plan out your schedule and payments. All procedures involve putting on hair covers and booties to help maintain cleanliness and each immaculately clean glass cubicle is furnished with top of the line equipment.

Once I had decided to undergo the root canal treatment, Urbidontics immediately designed a personalized treatment plan for me which included both the procedures as well as the cost. This was sent to my email for my personal record.

They had me start antibiotics to prep me for the procedure and was told to take pain meds as needed. I was told it was essential to not be in pain on the day of the procedure so the anesthesia would do its work more efficiently.

What was the root canal experience like?

Days leading up to the actual appointment I had read up and watched all the root canal videos I could find and I would ask every friend and relative I knew about their own experiences. Most of the information I gathered basically said, you don’t really feel any of it because they give you an aesthetic for the pain during the procedure.

This is the affected tooth that I chipped the back of while I was eating. While it pretty much looks normal in the front, the back had broken off.

 
Personally, the thing that got me the first day was my own anxiety and sense of dread. Turns out, it isn’t as bad as one would think. Most of the discomfort is from having to open your mouth for a long time and pressure from the tools. The drilling sound may freak you out at first but eventually you get used to it and in all honesty, you can hardly feel
a thing. Anytime you start to have some kind of sensation in the tooth, the dentist would add more anesthesia.

The back portion of the tooth that had broken off.

So to help dispel any fears or preconceptions about root canals, the procedure itself for me was not painful. They will take x-rays of your tooth with a handheld x-ray machine to monitor the progress. And yes, they will constantly ask if you are ok or in pain throughout the procedure.

Once the nerves and pulp have been removed, the tooth is then cleaned and sealed temporarily. Assessment would be done on
the succeeding visits to ensure that you no longer have sensation in your
tooth. I was told that bruising or even pressure pain was normal but
sensitivity was not. These succeeding visits will no longer have any anesthesia involved as the dentist will need you to feel for any kind of sensation. At this point, it is virtually painless save for some slight sensitivity.

Basically, you work on the tooth until you and the dentist are sure the tooth is well and truly dead. You wanna be sure nothing gets left behind that can cause infection or rot.

What happens after the root canal treatment is done?

Once the rct is done, a tiny post is then placed at the back to strengthen the tooth. This is sealed and once you are ready to get a crown, it gets prepped for this procedure. 

When being prepped for a crown, they will first try to match the natural color of your teeth with the crown they plan to put in. You get fitted for the crown and then the actual tooth and the filling are shaved down to a point where it can be ready to accept a crown. Your upper and lower set of teeth will then be scanned by a machine which will not only scan how your teeth looks but also your natural bite. After that, the results are sent to a lab where your custom crown will be 3d printed.

Doc Claire Señerez performed the root canal treatment, fiber post installation, and installed my crown for me. She was very patient with my many questions and helped me cope with my anxiety regarding the procedure. She did such a good job that I am no longer afraid of any of these procedures now.

For crowns, you will have the option to choose from porcelain fused to metal or a zirconia crown. The former is a budget friendly option but the metal part will be visible. The zirconia one is stronger and looks like natural teeth all the way through but is much more expensive. Since my premolar is still visible when I smile, I chose the zirconia one.

While my smile was never quite affected by the incident because the front stayed intact, Urbidontics helped give me peace of mind regarding my broken tooth. I don’t have to worry about that premolar's remaining part breaking unexpectedly when I eat nor will I need to worry about the compromised tooth getting tooth decay from the opening. And beyond beauty or aesthetics and just being able to eat on that side of my mouth again? The fact that I am now pain free on that tooth is something I am absolutely grateful for.

Thank you, Doc Urbi, Doc Claire, and Team Urbidontics!