depending on the tooth is what'll make the time shorter/longer. front teeth & premolars only take about 30-45 minutes but the molars can take longer. if there's alot of infection around the roots of the tooth then it can be hard to get sufficiently numb. ask if they'll give you antibiotics for a week or so before you do the root canal. having worked in a dental office, the patients who were already on antibiotics had a better experience.
crown the tooth. the tooth is dead since the nerve's been taken out. that makes the tooth weak and can chip/break. in some cases, it'll break in a way where you'd have to have it taken out. a crown helps!
anyways, it's not a super pleasant experience but it can be ok. keeping your mouth open that long can be the hardest but taking some ibuprofen after (or even before) can help that. i agree with Nikki about nitrous oxide (laughing gas)! love that stuff. if you're really scared/anxious, you could always ask about valium? you'd need someone to drive you there and back but it really helps with dentist anxiety.
good luck! i know i'm going to need one soon & i'm not looking forward to it.
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