• Dental Phobia Support

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Getting all of my teeth removed TERRIFIED

Hi littlecrittle, it sounds as if you've already made up your mind (although I have to agree with others here that it's really sad seeing how most of your teeth could be saved) and that money is the main concern.

Have you considered keeping some of your lower teeth as anchor teeth for the denture? This would hugely help with stabilising the lower denture (it's not such a big problem with upper dentures). Maybe you could get a price comparison and see if this option would be financially feasible.

Dentures are not a one-off expense - they should be replaced every 5-7 years. So it would make sense to hang onto some anchor teeth for as long as you can.

You can also find some more information here:


Best wishes :grouphug:
 
I am frightened because.....well I'm having all of my teeth extracted at once, while being awake. Hopefully the valium will help, but also because this is a low-income clinic, and like I said, I'm paying next to nothing what if the service isn't up to par?

Here is where i can add my 2 cents. If you have a extreme dental phobia like most of us. I dont think the Valium will work the way you want it to work. I say this only because I had a decayed molar (#20) extracted last week. Great dentist prescribed me 10mg Valium. It worked great considering I had The Wand injection/CRT? Painless took about 15mins. but you are having 29 ...or 28 teeth extracted all in one go. Personally I think no amount of oral Valium will prepare you for this experience. They should really put you out IMO. Also the aftercare of my extraction was is a moderate ordeal since it is still healing. I couldnt imagine trying to preventing dry socket on 29..or 28 blood clotted sockets. Dont forget you have to eat somehow. Easier said than done.

Maybe you could just reconsider a little while longer and REALLY think about this. Either way all of us here will support you whatever you decide.I Wish you and your family luck. PLEASE keep us updated, would love to see how your story pans out.
 
I also agree that having so many teeth removed in a single sitting would in its own right be very traumatic for anyone, so we can all understand how you would fear that even if there were no issue with the teeth actually being savable. You can expect it to be painfree (apart from the shots maybe depends on dentist's technique) but just unpleasant in the sense that you are losing part of your body all in one go.

If you do go ahead I think you should do it over several appointments...28 is far too many in one sitting unless the valium really did put you in La la land...it would depend on the dose I suppose.

Be at least a bit kind to yourself and stage this. The afterhealing wouldn't be much fun with so many teeth at once.
Letsconnect makes a great point about keeping at least a couple of teeth to retain the bottom denture. You should at least ask about this?

Are you in a lot of pain currently? How about just removing the ones causing pain and then rethink. I know we are not being very supportive and I apologise but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't alert you to my real feelings on the matter.:grouphug:

You know dentists, even low-cost clinic ones, are ten a penny really and they would all likely have different views on what you should do, and on what they are prepared to do, so stopping after just one consult is maybe a bit premature.
What's the rush anyway?
 
Add in the cost of regular care for them. I feel like it would just be easier to pay the little bit now, and never worry about them again...

Well, you might feel good to know that you're not the only person who has done this. I alone, know of two people who had all their teeth removed at an early age for similar reasons (basically, like you said, they just wanted to get it over with and not have to deal with them again).

That said, I think you should have more faith in yourself and husband. A lot can happen in 20 years! Ya know, it's possible (probable?) that you won't always be this broke. You're just starting out. Life is overwhelming. But it won't always be this way. In 20 years, you might be sitting on substantial savings with your kids out of the house, regretting this decision.

Whatever you do I wish you the best of luck. I just hate to hear someone your age sounding so despondent. I'm almost twice your age and what I wouldn't give to be 25 again. I know people who have made, lost, and re-made millions from age 25 to 45. Your whole life is ahead of you and you can move mountains! I hate to see someone give up so quickly. Good luck to you!
 
In 2 weeks I'm having all of my teeth removed. I'm only 25, and have been severely neglecting them. The dentist said he could save about 2/3rds of my teeth but it would be way more expensive than I can afford so I decided I wanted them all removed. I won't be put to sleep because I can't afford the cost. I know I'm going to freak out because just thinking about it I get shaky and nausiated, and it's still 2 weeks away. He said he would give me Valium to take the day before and day of, but I've never taken it, and am worried that it won't be enough to calm me. Any tips/suggestions?

First off, big hugs to you... I know this is a scary situation. :grouphug:
I stumbled across your post while researching about my recent extractions, and felt the need to chime in.
I am 26 years old, married with children, and just had 22 extractions done on February 10. The dentist could have saved some of my teeth by doing root canals and then crowns, but like you, I didn't have the money for all of that work, so I opted to have them all extracted. I was absolutely terrified... I even cried for the two days right before my extractions. When I went in for my fittings that morning (I got immediate dentures), I told the dentist about my fears, and they gave me a sedative (Lorazepam, which from what I understand is weaker than Valium). I took the sedatives 2 hours before my extractions, and was very calm at the time of the appointment. I was still scared, but it was like the fear couldn't register in my brain... It seemed to not be able to bother me. I was only given Novocaine (no IV or being put under), and to be honest, the shots did hurt, but after they were given, I felt nothing but a bit of tugging until the dentist got to my third molars on the bottom. When he got to the third molars, I felt a bit of pain, but I let him know, and he numbed me more before proceeding. All 22 teeth only took an hour to extract, and the pain of the whole procedure was minimal. I am now healing well and comfortably (my upper denture doesn't fit right, but that will be taken care of tomorrow).
You can make it through this, and will be happier for it when it's all done (you seem a lot like me, so I can guess at that). Yes, you could save the teeth, but if it's a choice of going through constant pain while only having one or two fixed at a time, or getting them all extracted now and getting dentures, I'd pick the dentures. Even with the minor complications and anxiety issues that I have dealt with through all of this, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Lean on your husband for strength, listen to everything your dentist tells you, talk to your dentist about your nerves, and take your sedatives... Everything else will work out on its own. :XXLhug:
 
I'd still enquire about using some teeth as anchor teeth - with two-thirds of teeth being savable, some of them may not even need any additional work in order to serve as anchor teeth :)
 
I'd still enquire about using some teeth as anchor teeth - with two-thirds of teeth being savable, some of them may not even need any additional work in order to serve as anchor teeth :)

I definitely agree with anchor teeth. I only have a partial on the bottom because I had 8 good teeth in the front on the bottom, and I understand that partials are a lot easier to handle than full bottom dentures. Even if it is just one or two, it would help. The anchor teeth also help your jawbone retain its form for longer.
 
All 22 teeth only took an hour to extract, and the pain of the whole procedure was minimal. I am now healing well and comfortably (my upper denture doesn't fit right, but that will be taken care of tomorrow).

Wow. It's good to know that 22 are possible in one shot, because I'm having 5 extracted and am a little anxious about it. I also do not want an IV and thought I was nuts to do this in one shot. Can I ask you a quick question?

You don't even mention the adjustment to eating now. Is it hard to eat and still enjoy a meal? What about when you go out to dinner? Do you have to worry about dentures falling out, etc.? This is what I'm really petrified of. It's not like I'm a big eater or anything, but I worry that I'll never enjoy a meal again or be able to eat with friends and family without being embarrassed by dentures. I'd be interested in anything you (or anyone else) can tell me about this aspect of it. Thanks.
 
You don't even mention the adjustment to eating now. Is it hard to eat and still enjoy a meal? What about when you go out to dinner? Do you have to worry about dentures falling out, etc.? This is what I'm really petrified of. It's not like I'm a big eater or anything, but I worry that I'll never enjoy a meal again or be able to eat with friends and family without being embarrassed by dentures. I'd be interested in anything you (or anyone else) can tell me about this aspect of it. Thanks.

Since I am still in the beginning stages of healing (4 and a half days post-extraction), eating is still quite difficult. My dentures don't fall out or slide around, but the fit of them isn't perfect (my gums are still a bit swollen, so they're a bit tight), and my gums are still very tender, so chewing is a challenge. I can eat food that is broken up into tiny bits (scrambled eggs with ham was my main meal today, all cut up to be ready to swallow - no chewing needed) or food that requires no chewing (jell-o, pudding, yogurt, ice cream, and other things like that). I seem to get quite a bit of my nutrients through drinks right now (Slim Fast and other things like that). It is getting easier every day, though. Within the next few days, I should be able to graduate to noodles and other soft easy-to-chew things. I can safely say that eating in public may not be a choice for me for at least the first two weeks, seeing as I'm supposed to rinse with warm salt water after every meal, and that may be difficult at a restaurant. Building up to eating anything "on the menu" will take a bit of time, but it will happen, and with all the re-fittings and relines, denture slipping should not be a big concern.
 
Since I am still in the beginning stages of healing (4 and a half days post-extraction), eating is still quite difficult. My dentures don't fall out or slide around, but the fit of them isn't perfect (my gums are still a bit swollen, so they're a bit tight), and my gums are still very tender, so chewing is a challenge. I can eat food that is broken up into tiny bits (scrambled eggs with ham was my main meal today, all cut up to be ready to swallow - no chewing needed) or food that requires no chewing (jell-o, pudding, yogurt, ice cream, and other things like that). I seem to get quite a bit of my nutrients through drinks right now (Slim Fast and other things like that). It is getting easier every day, though. Within the next few days, I should be able to graduate to noodles and other soft easy-to-chew things. I can safely say that eating in public may not be a choice for me for at least the first two weeks, seeing as I'm supposed to rinse with warm salt water after every meal, and that may be difficult at a restaurant. Building up to eating anything "on the menu" will take a bit of time, but it will happen, and with all the re-fittings and relines, denture slipping should not be a big concern.

Thanks for responding. This scares me more than the extractions. A lot of my business is conducted over lunches. And I attend a lot of social dinners and dine out often. It scares the heck out of me that I might not be able to do this any more. Good luck to you!
 
Think we've scared littlecrittle away....:redface:
 
I just want to say that I have anxiety and Valium worked GREAT for me!
 
First off, big hugs to you... I know this is a scary situation. :grouphug:
I stumbled across your post while researching about my recent extractions, and felt the need to chime in.
I am 26 years old, married with children, and just had 22 extractions done on February 10. The dentist could have saved some of my teeth by doing root canals and then crowns, but like you, I didn't have the money for all of that work, so I opted to have them all extracted. I was absolutely terrified... I even cried for the two days right before my extractions. When I went in for my fittings that morning (I got immediate dentures), I told the dentist about my fears, and they gave me a sedative (Lorazepam, which from what I understand is weaker than Valium). I took the sedatives 2 hours before my extractions, and was very calm at the time of the appointment. I was still scared, but it was like the fear couldn't register in my brain... It seemed to not be able to bother me. I was only given Novocaine (no IV or being put under), and to be honest, the shots did hurt, but after they were given, I felt nothing but a bit of tugging until the dentist got to my third molars on the bottom. When he got to the third molars, I felt a bit of pain, but I let him know, and he numbed me more before proceeding. All 22 teeth only took an hour to extract, and the pain of the whole procedure was minimal. I am now healing well and comfortably (my upper denture doesn't fit right, but that will be taken care of tomorrow).
You can make it through this, and will be happier for it when it's all done (you seem a lot like me, so I can guess at that). Yes, you could save the teeth, but if it's a choice of going through constant pain while only having one or two fixed at a time, or getting them all extracted now and getting dentures, I'd pick the dentures. Even with the minor complications and anxiety issues that I have dealt with through all of this, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Lean on your husband for strength, listen to everything your dentist tells you, talk to your dentist about your nerves, and take your sedatives... Everything else will work out on its own. :XXLhug:

I just want to say, thank you for attempting to actually help her based on the actual fears she reached out about. There are loads of responses on here and I am actually somewhat taken aback at a seeming lack of compassion for actually hearing what she is asking about. (Some did though).

I must also say that this is atypical of these forums and I am not sure why it happened. I mean, I completely understand that you are all concerned with the decision to extract so many teeth. However, once she stated the dentist advised against it, the responses, in my opinion, discussing not doing it could have subsided.

Please understand that I love this place and the people here are great and I am not condemning anyone, but we need to all be always vigilant to not add any more anxiety, which I think happened here, while inadvertently. While young, she is perfectly old enough to make these decisions and it seems as though she has put a lot of thought into it. Additionally, while perhaps not quite so young (but not by much), I am sure there are loads of folks this young getting the same thing done.

Look at it this way - she is certainly not doing the worst thing she could do, which is to do nothing, yet from the responses it seems as though some were insinuating that she was making a horrible mistake. i.e. being suddenly unsure of a decision can = major (unnecessary) anxiety.

Hopefully she will come back and get the awesome support that is perfectly capable of coming from our people here.

Mike
 
Hi ShelzMike
You're new around here and we don't believe in always just validating what people plan to do.
There are some very unethical dentists out there. Whilst I am not proud if we scare her away...she is not making a decision in her best interests and so I simply cannot tell her she is. In the UK she arguably wouldn't face this dilemma at all however poor she is or is not right now...ditto most EU countries.

Once she has had treatment, it is then another matter....the teeth can't be put back....she is afraid because she knows she is not acting in her own best interests and because she fears dentists....no one would like to be in that position...there are dentists who would help her differently..even in USA. She has to search for humane care though.
 
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This forum has a dual role, education and support- it saved me from making some pretty big mistakes where my teeth are concerned and I'm a masters prepared healthcare professional. Dental phobics make emotional decisions based on the easy way out- .................. irrational thinking takes over,

Maybe she would be in a different spot if she went back to the clinic that's supposed to help her and say... I want to save my teeth, please help me develop a plan to do that.....

the forum has taught me about informed consent, my rights to pain free care and a whole host of information about possibilities and how to pay for them/manage them. No one JUDGES here on either side of a post, and we don't second guess what they post (unless its a clear violation) Most here have a bit of fear of being chastized- the last we thing we need to do is embarass or instill guilt about choices or about reponses - we give our best advice and encouragement as non-clinicans. An anonymous best friend. So we don't always tell people what they want to hear, we take a journey with them, pointing out different hazards along the way, trouble shooting obstacles, refuelling the tank and sometimes even kicking the tires.

rp
 
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This forum has a dual role, education and support- it saved me from making some pretty big mistakes where my teeth are concerned and I'm a masters prepared healthcare professional. Dental phobics make emotional decisions based on the easy way out- .................. irrational thinking takes over,

Maybe she would be in a different spot if she went back to the clinic that's supposed to help her and say... I want to save my teeth, please help me develop a plan to do that.....

the forum has taught me about informed consent, my rights to pain free care and a whole host of information about possibilities and how to pay for them/manage them. No one JUDGES here on either side of a post, and we don't second guess what they post (unless its a clear violation) Most here have a bit of fear of being chastized- the last we thing we need to do is embarass or instill guilt about choices or about reponses - we give our best advice and encouragement as non-clinicans. An anonymous best friend. So we don't always tell people what they want to hear, we take a journey with them, pointing out different hazards along the way, trouble shooting obstacles, refilling the tank and sometimes even kicking the tires.

rp

:respect::respect::respect:

Could not agree more with RP, we don't always get what we want to hear, but what we need to hear even thought it's not what we wish for at that time ;).
 
Okay, I feel compelled to respond here to set the record straight. I am in no way attempting to start any arguments here. That was never my intention to begin with. However, in addition to these responses, I also got a surprising amount of condescending PM's regarding this.

Let me first start out by pointing out that 80% of my post was talking about how awesome I thought the forums were, that includes the people - after all, without the people there is no forum. That seems to be overlooked. In addition, I also did not call anyone out by name, nor was I even referring to anyone in particular or even thinking about any response in general. I apologize if anyone thought that I was.

The only thing I was really trying to point out was that not many folks actually addressed her fear in the least - some did, many did not. I completely 110% understand that the intentions were all good, no matter the response - and even indicated as such, so I am not even sure why anyone took offense. However, the point I was trying to make was that after a few responses from here, it was pretty clear (to me anyway) that she had already made up her mind. I am assuming this was already a hard, terrifying, and anxiety-inducing ordeal in and of itself. Much of anxiety is related to "did I make the right decision" or "am I doing the right thing", etc. and attempting to get her to second guess her decision (again, in MY opinion) is not very conducive to alleviating anxiety. For some reason, I still feel the need to clarify that I am NOT saying anyone intended to do so.

And I also have to address a statement made to me in a PM regarding me simply being a non-professional and not being very helpful. If I am not being helpful, then I will depart since I seem to have made some enemies rather quickly. Not sure why, but so is life I suppose. Let me just say that not only have I had anxiety disorder with panic attacks for 11 years, I have diligently worked to get healed and have found a way to do that for the most part. If experience dictates anything it would be that I can 100% empathize with all of you here. On top of that, I am also a certified counselor through AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors) so I have clinical and educational experience to back all of this up. However, I did not come here as a pro. I came here as someone who simply wanted to help, has compassion for others going through what I have went through, and passion for doing so.

On that note, let me please ask for forgiveness and say that I am sorry to the number of folks I have offended. As dramatic as it sounds (though it is not meant to be in the slightest), I am not sure I can even continue on here. I am generally an assertive person and will say what I think - and in a very civil and fair way, which I think I have done here -and apparently that is frowned upon by some of the most active and most senior folks here. Might I remind everyone that I was here to get support too - and I am not sure about all of you but it is always better to get advice from people who actually think you are worth it....

I wish you all the best...

Mike
 
Shelzmike
No need to apologise to me and I have not sent you any pms. The only misunderstanding is that you were working with her 'decision' - some of the rest of us 'weren't' because of what RP said.
All dentists are not 'good guys', most are - you need to find the ethical ones as a dental phobic.
 
Just a little note on this discussion. Mike As you said everyone s entiled to their own opinion. That being said the Pm's sent to you (not that I know what they said) were probably much of the same situation. Nobody expects or wants you to leave or feel uncomfortable on this forum. That being said I can see both points of view. I put off dental work for 10 years because of lack of money. Now that I have saved some money I basically chose my dental destination. However, we must acknowledge that others are right to their opinion and experiences, in that not all dentists are good detnists and dont have our best interests at heart.( This is only A very small few) As the patient we should have a say as to our dental path.
I can fully appreciate everyones comments about saving the teeth. I would love to save more than I am but unfortunately for me this is not possible. If I had the choice yes I would.
On the flip side I am able to fully relate on the money issue. Dental work is not cheap and here in the US if you dont have insurance then everything comes out of pocket. And anymore today if you dont pay up front then you dont get work done. Very few offices are allowing payments on dental work.
I dont want to start an uproar here, just simply point out that we are all here for a reason, for support and our opinions. I hope that Mike wont stop coming to this forum and I hope that everyone will still share their honest opinions.
Thanks for letting give my input.:thumbsup:
 
I also hope you won't stop posting here, Mike :) - people have different opinions on these matters, depending on their own past experiences and what they've read on the internet.

That's what's so great about these forums - that you get a variety of perspectives (personally speaking, I've often changed my opinions on matters, just from reading about other people's experiences and their opinions, which are often radically different from my own!).

One of the complexities of this forum is that it's not a purely about the psychology of dental phobia (of course, one could disregard the dentistry aspects altogether and only focus on the anxiety, which indeed some other websites do), but it attempts to operate in both spheres (psychology and dentistry) simultaneously. So input on both issues issues is appreciated, because they can't really be separated.

This was the case here - on the one hand, there is anxiety to deal with, on the other hand, there is much evidence that people often have difficulties adjusting to full lower dentures especially because of stability issues, and some options like keeping anchor teeth for dentures are not really much more expensive than going for full dentures (which also need to be replaced on a fairly regular basis - they're not a "once-off" investment).

Some people do get along fine with full dentures - but it's not something you can know advance, and if someone turns out to have great difficulties with them, this can have a huge impact on their quality of life and their psychological well-being, too. Especially if there are so many other options, as appeared to be the case here - it's not an all-or-nothing scenario. There are many options in between.

Personally I appreciate both posts which are purely supportive in nature, as well as posts which try to provide guidance or stimulate critical thinking - they're both valuable in their own right :thumbsup:.
 
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