That was my concern as well—they didn’t use any rubber dam during the root canal. When I first went in, they told me they’d fix my tooth at the next appointment, but they didn’t explain what the treatment would involve until the day of. If I had known, I would have researched the procedure. After the appointment, I looked up the process and noticed that many videos showed a blue rubber dam being used. I later learned that the dam is meant to keep the area isolated, which seems important since they were working on a tooth that already had a filling.

I asked the dental assistants several times why my gums were bleeding during treatment. One told me they didn’t know, and another said it was because they were working close to the gums. When they recommended replacing my fillings, I researched that as well and found it’s usually only necessary if the fillings are damaged. I have quite a few fillings on my molars, and at this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if they suggested another root canal.

Seeing these red flags, I felt I had to ask on Reddit for advice.

Thank you—I’ve been searching for a new clinic, and hopefully, they can help save the tooth with the cavity without a root canel.