In January this year, whist in Turkey eating a delicious meal, I had a tremendous pain go through one of my rear molars, at the very back. I had a look at it in the mirror afterwards, and don't ask me how, there was quite a hole in the centre of the tooth. Lesson learnt, regular checkups, I've always brushed well and never thought anything like that could get to that stage, un-noticed!
So, I got home, and went to the dentist. After a rap on the knuckles for going 18 months without a checkup, he took an X-ray, and found the tooth was infected. He told me he would put a temporary filling in, and that I should come back to have it root canal treated, and then a permanent filling. Sounded good to me.
So I went back for the root canal. He administered the injections to numb the gum, and drilled out the temp filling. As he did this, I felt immense pain in the tooth - and nearly jumped out the chair. Although I couldn't feel my cheek/lip/tip of tongue, he gave me more anaesthetic, prodded the gums etc, and when totally satisfied I was aneasthetised up to the eyeballs, continued. The result? Exactly the same. As soon as that drill went in - agony. There was no way he could have done a root treatment, unless he could reach up to the celiing!
At this point, he said it was too infected, causing "hot pulp", basically meaning the anaesthetic couldn't get near enough to the nerve. He placed some antiseptic type stuff in the tooth, put another temp filling in, and said come back in 3 months.
3 months later - here I am again. As much anaesthetic as he dares to give me - and, long story short - exactly the same. He just cannot get in there without causing me real pain. I told him to carry on and I'll grip the chair... but he wasn't having it, said it was impossible, and to be fair to him, he was right. SO he said come back in a week, and he will have ordered some special anaesthetic which should do the trick. He said he may also have to inject some of this into the nerve, which would be very painful, but maybe the only option.
So - I come back again. This time, I don't mind adding - I am really anxious... the last few times have been really painful, and I didn't hold much hope. He again fills my gums full of this new anaesthetic (I won't pretend to know what it is) and injects something into my tooth with a funny hook like thing, which was horrendous.
Drilling begins - you guessed it..... not numb at alll

So, he puts some more stuff in there, another temp filling, and tells me there is no option other than to let the nerve die - and then root treat it. Tells me to come back in October to try again.
Well it's now October. Due to this and that, the appt. is not booked until early November, which I thought would be fine, as it wasn't at all painful day to day.
The last week, I've been in real pain with this tooth, radiating all up my face and over my head.
I've got to go back.... I know I have... but.....

I really, honestly, don't know what to do. I don't want to lose the tooth, I kinda rely on it for eating. Can one elect for general anaesthetic under such circumstances? I don't like the thought of that for one minute either... but I really don't know what else to do...