Smoke and Mirrors



My dental adventure continued today. I had a root canal. It’s probably been 15-20 years since I had my first root canal and the procedure has improved. The worst part of the whole procedure was the numbing shots at the beginning.



First they took digital X-rays – no film – instant results. The radiograph of the teeth is displayed on a flat screen and is visible to the patient for the doctor to explain what he does. After the procedure another radiograph is taken showing the finished root canal.

The doctor even has a sensor to tell him how deep the root is so he can’t go too far. They put a tent in your mouth and a chock between your teeth (so you don’t have to hold your mouth open).


During part of the procedure the doctor heats and melts some material to fill in the area where the root was. When he does this a little column of smoke rises from your mouth. So the job is literally smoke and mirrors!



I was in and out in about a half-hour. When I paid my bill I got a “free” root canal survivor T-shirt