A 40yo male shouldn't be this scared of going to a dentist!

[Spanky]

Hi,
I'm a 40yo male... unfortunately my dental history is quite bad and I've lost quite a few teeth already due to decay... so you'd think that having a wisdom tooth removed wouldn't be too much of an issue right? WRONG!!

I've had my upper right and lower left wisdom teeth removed. When I was 21 I had OPG xrays and my lower right wisdom tooth was horizontal and quite low in the jawbone... back then the dentist told me that because of where it was they would literally have to break me jaw to be able to get it out... so obviously I left it alone!

When I was 29 I had my lower left wisdom tooth removed in the chair... was infected under the gum and also had an abcess... it's like something out of a horror story... butchered by the dentist, 90 minutes IN THE CHAIR to get it out... couldn't get totally numb due to the infection but they still removed it... removing jaw bone with the drill, major swelling afterwards, bled for several days (it was then I found out I can't take ibuprofen after an extraction)... and that was the start of my now terrible dental phobia. Previous to the phobia I was always one of those people who will go and get it looked at 'next week'... and usually put it off until the pain was too much to bare!

About 3 years later (32yo) I developed a lot of pain in my lower right jaw (thinking it was the wisdom tooth), went to the dentist to find the horizontal wisdom tooth had broken the root of the second molar, so that tooth (2nd molar) had to come out... I was told then that the wisdom tooth should turn around and head towards the surface now it had room... more to come on that later!

18 months ago I had the upper right wisdom tooth removed as it developed decay and was causing pain... straight forward extraction (except the crown broke during extraction so they had to dig the roots out)... but as I said, no dramas and it healed well. The dentist had also done a couple fillings for me previous to this and was quite aware of my anxiety and treated me very well... started to restore my faith in sitting back in the chair.

Recently I started getting pain in my lower right first molar... so I went to a new dentist (they'd closed down the local clinic so I went to the next closest one), had the consultation and the dentist was awesome... developed a plan and the painful tooth I went to get checked out had decay and caused an infection in the tooth... not having the money for a root canal and crown (quoted approx $3000) I opted to have it removed. I was on antibiotics for a week and referred for another OPG and to see an oral surgeon as they also wanted to get the now partially erupted lower right wisdom tooth removed, and the top second molar as it had fractured aswell, and was also in need of either root canal or removal.

So xrays done, consult with the oral surgeon (in another surgery), I arrive, knowing it's just a consult and I'm not getting any work done... and I start sweating... shaking... feeling sick in the stomach. Surgery is booked for the following day, so I go to my doctor and get a script for valium (diazepam) and arrange transport to and from the surgery with a friend as I live out of town and wouldn't be able to drive.

Last Friday I go in for the surgery... I'd taken the valium and think I should have doubled the dose... tried to stay reasonably calm and got the injections in the top and bottom jaw. The top 2nd molar was out in 5 mins... no drama... once they had stopped the bleeding they went to work on the bottom 1st molar... I COULD FEEL PAIN! More injections of anesthetic, waited, still not good, then another set of injections into the bone around the base of the root of the tooth... it first burnt like acid (felt like that) and then started throbbing badly, after a few minutes they tested the numbness again and I could still feel pain. At that point they said they couldn't do the rest of the procedure because the infection was stopping the anesthetic from working... and they'd given me the maximum amount they are allowed to (there was a LOT of needles). Diagnosed as a "hot tooth", I have been put on antibiotics (2 types to kill both types of bacteria that could be in there) and have to go back in for another go tomorrow afternoon... to say I'm nervous about the whole thing is an understatement.

It's now 3.45am the day before I'm due to go in for surgery and I can't sleep for anxiety. The tooth that is infected is still sore... and all I can think about is what is to come! I wish I could afford to get general anesthesia and wake up after the job is done... again it's cost prohibitive.

The surgeon has been awesome with me... but the thought of having to psych myself up again to get in that chair is beyond a joke. I keep thinking that what if I can't get numb again? You'd think a 40yo guy would man up and deal with it... any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Spanky]

OK... just had the surgery (2 1/2 hrs ago). Everything went great... the 1st molar did hurt a tiny bit when it was removed, but it did have an abcess on it which was the cause of the agony and inability to numb it last time. Funnily enough, when he was working on the first molar I thought he'd broken the crown off, and then asked his assistant for some other type of forcep... thinking he now had to get the root out. I had my eyes closed, and then felt the root of the tooth come out... then he said to me "ALL DONE"!!

I'm like thinking WTF? and I open my eyes to see he's holding the wisdom tooth in the forceps. He looked at the OPG before the did the wisdom tooth and believe it or not it was at the PERFECT angle to come straight out without any nasty surgery or jaw bone removal. The fact that it broke the 2nd molar and that had to be removed years ago gave it the space it needed to dodge the surgery bullet! Talk about relief... I told him he was awesome and shook his hand haha.

Its starting to hurt a bit now that the anaesthetic has started to wear off... and I'm onto my second bit of gauze on each extraction site as it's still bleeding a bit, which I was told would happen, but overall 'm extremely happy now that I won't be living on pain killers all day every day for months on end and I can't say enough about getting a good dentist/surgeon for this type of thing. Now just a few fillings to get replaced and then I'll be back on top of my dental health and won't be leaving it another 18 months to get anything looked at. I still have my phobia of the dentist chair, but conquered that today with a helping of valium and also a tramadol (chemical intervention was a requirement for this). I will be doing what I should have been doing all along and getting a regular 6 month checkup and keeping on top of it all from now on to avoid the mental and physical trauma of getting teeth pulled.

Now the aftercare until it's healed... the last extraction is healing beautifully, and has almost fully sealed over the hole. Can't believe how well it went... I was almost driving myself insane with anxiety especially the last couple of days!!

 

[FearfulInMA]

Congratulations!!! I'm so glad you had a positive experience

 

[Spanky]

Thanks very much... I was so suprised that it all went so well... I haven't had a good run of luck with anything lately so this was a burden that turned into a godsend! I was in a bit of pain earlier, so took my prescription pain meds and also used an ice pack on my jaw... the pain didn't start to subside until I used the ice pack... couldn't believe it made such a difference!

 

[Kat8937]

You should be so proud of yourself!! I'm 38 and terrified of the dentist and I need a lot of work done. I'm hoping to try valium to relax me (never had it before, but I believe it's good to use for anxiety).

 

[Suzie]

i'm 58 and scared I will get unnecessary or really poor dental care even from specialist dentists. Lost cause or what! I have a lot of dental problems but only mild discomfort at present.

Glad you had good experiences, it helps me reading your post, maybe there's hope for me yet

 

[Spanky]

You should be so proud of yourself!! I'm 38 and terrified of the dentist and I need a lot of work done. I'm hoping to try valium to relax me (never had it before, but I believe it's good to use for anxiety).

Honestly... if you'd seen me the morning I went in for my consult... I was literally sweating, shaking, on the brink of having a panic attack. That night I went to my GP and told him what I was proposing to have done and he had no hesitation giving me a script for valium... it's a common fix for this type of phobia! Take 1 pill the night before so you get a good sleep and then take 2 pills an hour before your appointment. Make sure you get someone to drive you there and back. Also make sure the dentist will give you GOOD painkillers if you're having anything like root canal or extractions done... it also helps ease the anxiety if you know you're not going to be in pain after any work you get done.

 

[Spanky]

i'm 58 and scared I will get unnecessary or really poor dental care even from specialist dentists. Lost cause or what! I have a lot of dental problems but only mild discomfort at present.

Glad you had good experiences, it helps me reading your post, maybe there's hope for me yet

Suzie I'm glad it helps... and of course there is hope for you!! The fact that you have only 'mild' discomfort currently sounds just like me.... about 8 months ago when I first started to get that niggling pain every now and again. I left it... and left it some more... and it got so bad and that whole time I was taking painkillers every day, 2 to 3 times the dosage what I was supposed to be taking just so I could get thru a day of work... until one day when I'd obviously left it too long and it got infected and abscessed... now I'm another couple teeth short, whereas if I'd taken action earlier it would have just been a filling. I know how hard it is to get yourself to the dentist... finding the time, and the money (lets face it dentists aren't cheap), and especially the courage to even make that first phone call all seems too difficult... climbing Mt Everest seemed like it would be an easier task. My general dentist was awesome, I was embarrassed to initially go in there, but left the clinic calm, with a plan to get my dental health back on track, a referral to see the surgeon who just completed the work to remove the 3 teeth that couldn't be saved (who was also an awesome guy). Sure there's a bit of pain, but once this heals and I get those few fillings done, there won't be anymore pain... that's the best thing to look forward to!! I think if I added up the amount of $$$ I've spent on pain meds because of my teeth pain over the last year, I wouldn't be suprised if I'd spent more on pain medication over that time than I did to get the teeth sorted out.

Don't be embarrassed, shy, or feel like you won't get good treatment... try to see a reputable dentist and make a plan. Easier said than done, but I had one of my friends help me thru it, and I'm so very thankful for her assistance thru the ordeal. Think of it this way Suzie.... life without tooth pain or discomfort... is a MUCH HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER LIFE!!!