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Went to the endodontist first thing Thursday morning, foggy-headed and nauseous as I usually am whenever I have to get up too early. I filled out the paperwork in a daze but figured it wouldn't matter too much as it would probably be a quick consultation. There were no other patients in the office yet, so I got called in immediately.

I explained the situation to the endodontist, and he took an x-ray and looked at the tooth. He said I was already showing signs of the tooth being infected, and that since his earliest available appointment would be two months away, I should get antibiotic treatment right away, as in right that moment.

This caught me a bit off guard, but it was good in a way as I wouldn't have time to dread the procedure, so I agreed since I knew an abcess could cause me to lose the tooth. My mouth was still sore from the procedure I'd had Tuesday, so opening wide was no picnic, but I did my best. I made sure I was injected with the stuff that doesn't have epinephrine so I wouldn't have a reaction.

I kept my eyes closed through most of the procedure (it keeps me calmer), so I was a bit surprised when the endodontist announced that I had nerve/root over an inch long in that tooth! He was careful to measure a couple of different ways so that when I have the final procedure in a few months, he gets the whole thing taken care of. He put some kind of anti-bacterial stuff in the hole in my tooth and then put a temporary filling over that.

Part 2 of the root canal will be the last week of July, so I'm gonna have to baby that tooth until then. Once the root canal is finished, I'll have to go back to the regular dentist for a permanent crown. Sounds like a summer of fun for me.

Grumble.