My teeth - 'medicine' phobia and periodontal battle

[carole]

You did really well, hope next week goes as well. It was good how it happened because at least you couldn't spend all week stressing about a root canal treatment. Keep going, you can do it.

WELL DONE

[Carys]

Hey, forget next week, it is THIS Friday, even sooner than that. He said the permanent filling could be done in a couple of days, so figured I sould get it over with asap. He also wants to 'protect' and try to re-mineralise an area which was exposed on another tooth, whilst he was doing the work today. Also, there is still the reshaping of the temporary crown to do on Friday.Then next week I now have the hygienist and then possibly another dental appointment to discuss the invisalign. Oh its all go.......I just want to get it all out of the way as quickly as possibly.....

[carole]

It's good it's happening so quick, it keeps the momentum going and spurs you on. I hate the thought of the 6 month break. You just get used to everything and then nothing again. Then you start again in 6 months. I must admit though I was glad when he said see you in 6 months. But I didn't get that far I got to 2 weeks and another tooth started. I still have to go back and it is a rct on that one as well. And although I am not worried as such I do feel a little nervous because it's at the bottom and the filling in there is very near the nerve.

But anyway back to you Good Luck for Fri this week, good lord when you get going, YOU GET GOING, YEAH!!!!!

[Carys]

So, today my tooth still hurts. Not all the time, just when I bite down in a certain direction. it is not when I bit vertically down, but when the tooth gets moved slightly side-ways. This is most irritating as it wasn't really painful before. At the moment I am putting it down to the structures around the tooth being bruised. There is also a disgusting antiseptic taste from the tooth. I actually contacted the dental surgery as wondered if the temporary filling was perhaps leaking, but he seemed to think this taste was to be expected due to the strength of the inserted antiseptic pad.

The trouble is the taste reminds me of my 'medicine fear', the thought that I am swallowing whatever the substance might be and that it is being absorbed into my body from the site of the root canal makes me feel jittery. I keep trying to remind myself that everything used in the dental surgery must be checked rigorously for safety, as they wouldn't use anything in your mouth that would cause illness/bad reactions.

I am meant to be returning on Friday for the proper shaping of the root canals and permanent filling.

[carole]

It may well be that he will leave it on Friday, and give it more time to settle down. You have had a lot done in the last two weeks. You've gone from nothing to full on big jobs, I think they are big jobs anyway. I think you will be fine with the dressing, I doubt it will poison you, although I understand it is this that bothers you about going to the dentist. It is as much a valid phobia as fearing the actual treatment.

You were okay with the injection, and the dressing put in after the extraction, so I think you will be fine with the dressing inside the tooth and blocked in with temp filling.

Concentrate on the fact that you survived the other things. Your mouth with feel a bit sore and ache after so much work. In a few days it will feel like a distant memory.

All the best keep going, you will be fine. Brave words until it's me I know.

[Carys]

OK quick update....

Yesterday I have a 40 mins hygenist appointment, a long chat with her and then a clean. She tells me that I do have some gum disease, in some areas, but we can get it back under control with effort on my part and professional cleaning every 3 months. Interestingly there was nothing much in the way of tartar, just the bacteria that was affecting the gums. She has given me some different heads for my electric brush, some fancy new flossing stick thingies and lots of interdental brushes to try. I was fairly relaxed throughout as I knew there was nothing major that was going to happen.

Then.....back today for pre-molar root canal part 2. He started getting ready with the topical numbing stuff and I asked if I really needed injections today. He thought that it could be uncomfortable when he got to the end of the root, but was willing to let me try without. Well, that didn't last long....he inserted one of those long wirey things to the bottom of the root to measure and I had a shooting pain which made me jump. He said that he'd not even really got as far as he needed to go, so there was no way I was going to cope without an injection. I then agreed to have the customary 2 shots of lidocaine. All was going ok, until the second injection, the one that goes into the roof of the mouth area. I HATE that one, because you feel it so much more than the other one. As it was being completed I started a panic attack, heart racing burning adrenaline feeling through my body, dizziness. He asked if I was ok and I said no I wanted to sit up. Very rapidly he plugged the hole in the tooth temporarily and got the dam off my mouth. I got things back under control very quickly, within a couple of minutes (so therefore that is how I knew it was definitely just a panic attack and not a reaction to anything in the injection, I 'recovered' far too quickly!) I rinsed my mouth and lay back down to carry on.

Another hour passed and the root canal internal work was all complete and the temporary filling was in place. I still need to go back as an inlay is needed, but I am really hoping that this time I won't need injections ?!

[carole]

It sounds very dramatic, but you seemed to get yourself together to be able to carry on. I on the other hand want numbing full up the side of my face, but my fear is feeling anything, I know yours is the medicine side of dentistry.

I don't know if they usually numb you up for the third visit but when I have my crown on I hope so.

I bet you feel really proud of yourself now don't you? You should, CONGRATULATIONS

When is your next appointment.

[Carys]

Do you know Carole, I feel quite ashamed and not proud. I keep analysing my 'panic attack' moment. I wasn't hysterical, but I certainly blurted out very loudly 'I'm having a panic attack' and he said 'are you ok ?' and I said 'No !' and wanted to sit up. I feel really bad for giving him the extra work and breaking his pattern and I feel embarrased how I was infront of the dental nurse. It wasn't my favourite dental nurse today (funny how that makes all the difference isn't it !), although she was very nice and told me that someone this morning was gripping her arm so hard it hurt LOL I did get myself back together quite quickly, apologising all the way LOL...but I feel at the moment like an idiot. I know I shouldn't, I'm sure others have done similar, but.....well....there we go. It is a bit ridiculous as I had the same two jabs last week and was fine, I thought I would be fine today.

[carole]

It sounds like it was because it was unexpected, you thought you wouldn't have to have the injections so when this was put to you, shock and panic set in. I got panicy at my second visit when the drilling went on a bit longer than I expected. I could feel my breathing change and of course I do the 1, breath in through the mouth and, 2 breath out slowly through the nose. I could feel it going all wrong, I didn't stop him, but he stopped and asked if I wanted a break, I said no, but the time he took to do this and before starting again just gave me enough time to collect myself together. I did feel daft like you. But then I think at least I care enough about my teeth to go, and it is not easy, as we all know, so if at the end we end up feeling a bit daft, small price to pay. Next time go expecting to have the injections and if you don't, BONUS.

I find I do better if I know a little bit whats going to happen, not too much detail though. About the same as you would explain to a child, Ha Ha.

I think you have lucked out with your dentist, he seems really lovely and patient, when do you go back and what are you having

[Carys]

Next time go expecting to have the injections and if you don't, BONUS.

Yes, I think you are right. This was what was different this week, the two previous weeks when I have had injections I have been expecting to have them.