i would recommend going back and following up on the root canal - i know when i had mine done, i had several xrays - was told that the root of my tooth was the longest my dentist had ever seen on a front tooth - and it took more filling to fill that one root than it normally takes forall four roots of a molar! so yes, xray is needed - and please don't put up with the pain - infection is a lot worse (pain, possible sepsis) than what some numbing of the mouth is! due the problems i had, the infection had actually gone septic and was making me really unwell - it's not something you want to mess with!