A little nervous - filling in 90 minutes

[leela]

It's to get the temp filling replaced from a root canal. While I'm not having a meltdown like I was for my last few dental appts., I am starting to feel some fear and apprehension.

It's funny - I assumed that because I did so well the last two times that I was completely over my phobia, but the brain is a funny thing. Even though I know I won't feel pain and that a temp filling replacement is not that big of a deal, I am nonetheless starting to play the old tapes over and over in my head. I still feel nervous and scared.

I really wasn't expecting this, I thought I'd be fine this time.

Oh well, just needed to share.

 

[letsconnect]

Leela, I think that is entirely normal . When the tape comes on, try switching it to another tape called "My last successful visit" (I find that helps).

Best of luck for your visit !!

 

[Starlight25]

Hi Leela
hope yr ok I thought yr appointment was tomorrow and I get so confused with this time difference thing! What time is it where you are cause its 9 pm here are you in front or behind? Im sure yr appointment will be fine im the same im ok now but I know I will be a mess again come next week everytime I know im ok with something I find something else to panic about I dont fear the injection now my fear of the drill went up!! I cant wait to hear that yr ok and its all over for you let us know as soon as you can !!
love and hugs
emma

 

[leela]

Dental phobia SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHEESH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well that was a shocker. I reverted right back to my TOTALLY PHOBIC self.

The dentist told me no local was required because the nerve was dead from the root canal. I jumped off the chair and said THERE IS NO WAY I CAN DO THIS without local. Now this entire dental office is like family to me. We go to the same church!! They are the MOST PATIENT caring people ever, so I fully understood and believed her that I didn't need local, but it's the old "left brain/right brain" thing - although I totally understood it, I still curled my knees into my chest, buried my head in my hands and hyperventilated with panic. I can't believe I forgot to take Ativan first - I think that would really have helped.

She took the time to show me pictures and explain how dead the nerve was and I finally let her drill a little bit. Then I panicked again and made her stop. But now I was committed because she had started. I clung onto her assistant for dear life, and finally after just maybe 3 minutes the drilling was over and she just did the filling stuff. I mean honestly, I didn't feel any pain, but I was SCARED TO DEATH all the same.

I wish all dental work could be done under IV sedation. ALL OF IT. I just hate it so much.

And here I thought I was over my phobia and had crossed over to the other side. But clearly my old phobic self is still alive and well.

And the worst is yet to come. 2 more stupid visits. The next one is for the crown fitting, which she explained to me and sounds HORRIBLE. Oddly enough I know I went through this before 20 years ago, but I remember NONE of it, I seem to have blocked it completely out.

She said for the next appt. I can take a combo of Ativan and Gravol (and can't drive obviously). Apparently that concoction is almost as good as IV sedation. That appt. is a LOT OF WORK!!!!!!!!

AARRGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST WANT IT TO BE OVER. Yuck. So more work to save one stupid tooth.

 

[Razzle3]

I'm sorry my reply is probably late, Leela. I hope you are long home and resting comfortably now. You have been so very brave and when this is all behind you I hope you'll do something to celebrate. Lol, I wish there was a to simply zap teeth and gums into a state of perputual healthiness. Meantime, thinking of you.

Mona

 

[FinnishGirl]

I know, I know. I consider meself to be an ex-needlephobic but still I'm nervous every time. It just isn't as bad as before. Even if I think this is no big deal and I can do it, when the day approaches I get butterflies in my tummy. I don't understand why, but it just happens and I guess I just have to live with it. I don't think there is a clear line between phobic and not phobic. A lot of people are in between. And about your appointment - who cares how much you panic as you were able to have the treatment done! That's all that matters, in my opinion. Don't be disappointed if you feel it wasn't perfect, you were cooperative enough to have the treatment you need. You deserve a big for that. And next time you'll know even better that this dentist will not hurt you.

 

[letsconnect]

Well done for getting through it despite the fear kicking in !!!

Agree with FinnishGirl - it's something that can "just happen" on a given day, and the most important thing is to be kind to yourself and not beat yourself up over it or view it as a "set-back" of sorts. You have made a tremendous amount of progress - for starters, you can actually go and see a dentist now (which may not have been the case in the past) - and you can think of positive experiences you've had. That's an enormous achievement in itself and there's no point in comparing yourself to someone who has never experienced this fear.

It's not surprising that it happened to you this time - if one of your major fears is pain during treatment, then being told that you don't need an anaesthetic is bound to send you into panic .

You did great and I'm glad to hear that your dentist was right and you experienced no pain

 

[Snowball]

I'd not be too happy if I asked for LA and was refused it. When I had the 2nd half of my RCT, even though I knew the tooth was dead as a doornail, my dentist offered me LA and said some people want it, some don't I would have walked out if she'd refused me it - it's not even that expensive, so what's the rationale in refusing it, if it then makes you tense up so much yo revert to full phobic mode?

Seems like a bad misjudgement or a strange bit of pennypinching, given they know you're a phobic?

 

[Starlight25]

Hi leela
Im so proud of you now I cant believe you managed it who cares If you were scared stiff at the time you still went through with it so big cheers!!!! I would have been like that because my first dentist hardly ever used local even if I'd had what you did and there was no chance of pain I would still be convinced I needed local its yr brains security network im sure!! I don't understand yr medicines but sounds like your dentist knows what she's doing so I hope they make you feel beeter next time!!!
What is a crown? Don't answer if it bothers you you can tell me afterwards !!!
Anyway im so so happy for you yr so different now already I think once yr phobic its always there hiding somewhere even if it feels like its gone I can sit here totally calm but next week it will be back !!
When is yr next appointment ?
Love and hugs
Emma

 

[leela]

Poodleo - I think my dentist resisted the LA because she is trying to help me get over the fear and not feed into it so much. She's a wonderful person on many levels, and she KNEW I could do it. She had faith in me and didn't want to give me any unnecessary treatment. She kept asking if she could try a little bit at a time, and she would stop every few seconds and ask if it was OK. I think her approach was perfect as I realized about 30 seconds into it that there was no pain, and that the local simply was not necessary.

Drilling out the temp filling took about 2-3 minutes at most and to have a local for that was so unnecessary. It honestly felt less painful than a cleaning, and about the same sensation as being home using my powerful electric toothbrush. She knew if I was OK for a cleaning, I was OK for this, and she wanted to show me I could do it.

After that it was just putting in the new white filling, and that was nothing. The whole filling probably took about 10 minutes, and another 10-15 minutes to talk to me before and after.

I actually hugged her afterwards and thanked her for taking her time and I was really happy to walk out of there having done it and I was able to go home and have dinner without being frozen and droopy. I felt like I made real progress.

I actually am really happy that she didn't just give me the LA because every time I go through an experience like this it helps me start to (a) trust my dentist and (b) help me get through the fear. I still have a long way to go on (b), but I'd rather a dentist help me than just give in to what I think is the best clinical approach. She is still the professional and ultimately knows what's best. That I have trust in, and today, I have a little bit more trust than yesterday because she proved it to me.

 

[Snowball]

Ah, I must have misread your post, leela. I thought you sounded upset and had reverted to the phobia, is why I replied the way I did, above. If you're happy, that's fantastic - I just thought you sounded very upset by the experience, with the opening and when you said:

I wish all dental work could be done under IV sedation. ALL OF IT. I just hate it so much.

and:

And the worst is yet to come. 2 more stupid visits.

it came over as unnecessarily traumatic, is all. And I was angry at her, for you!

I still think she should have offered you a choice, as it soudned like you were bulldozed.

 

[leela]

Hi Emma,

You may need to ask what a crown is on the "dentisty questions" board, but I'll try to do my best to explain it in laymens terms, and no it doesn't bother me at all. Remember - I have a wicked need for information, I don't get anything done unless I know EVERYTHING about it before hand.

After a root canal, the tooth isn't as "strong" once the root is dead, so they like to put a crown over it to protect it and keep it nice and strong. So first you have the root canal. The endo only puts in a temp filling, you go back to the dentist for the permanent filling like I did yesterday.

My next appt. will be prepping for the crown. The crown is a porcelain mold that slides over the tooth. The dentist explained that she has to file down the tooth all around to make it a bit smaller because obviously a crown won't fit over the tooth right now. She also takes a mold of the tooth which gets sent away and the crown gets made. She puts a temporary crown on the tooth while we are waiting for the permanent crown to come back. That process of filing and taking the mold takes about an hour.

Once the permanent crown comes back, I go in, she removes the temporary crown and puts on the new one. She said this visit it only a few minutes. She checks the "bite" and FINALLY IT'S ALLLLLLLL OOOVVVERRRR for that tooth!!

Like I said yesterday - a LOT OF WORK to save one tooth!!

If I didn't get any of the above info right, please anyone - feel free to correct me!!

 

[leela]

Poodleo - I am really offended that you say I was bulldozed. If you knew me personally you would know that NO ONE bulldozes me under any circumstances.

You have to respect that I am working with my dentist here to get the best course of treatment for me - clinically AND emotionally. I don't want to have a dentist that gives in to my demands just because I think I know more than she does.

When I got home yesterday I was still on an adrenaline rush and was still a bit freaked out. I don't think just because I'm freaked out she should give in.

I remember once going to the doctor and insisting I needed antibiotics for some reason, and the doctor said "NO, not until I confirm that you need them". That was the correct approach. I am still the patient, and I shouldn't be able to bully any medical professional. I would honestly lose all kinds of respect for my dentist or doctor if I could talk them into giving me what I wanted.

I respect her for working with me the way she is. Maybe she would work with another patient in a different way and give them the local. But she knows me really well - she's been my dentist for 6 years. If she thinks I can get through a procedure a certain way - even if I am freaked out - I respect her and trust her enough to do it that way. If she is suggesting that it is not to get me out the door or for money - it's because SHE KNOWS that in the long run it's best FOR ME. (And just as an FYI - she didn't even charge me for yesterday's appointment.)

She completely knew I needed IV sedation for the root canal and never once suggested I try it any other way, and she was right. She also knew I would be OK with no local yesterday, and she was right again. She can't always give in to me because I'm freaked out. I would totally lose respect for her if she did.

You can't always mask every single fear and emotion - sometimes you have to feel them head on even if it's unpleasant at the moment. For me, those are the experiences that make me grow and mature. I am in the process of trying to do that now with this fear.

 

[letsconnect]

Maybe the misunderstanding arose because of the phrases that were put in capitals (they tend to be the ones which catch your eye first)? I have to admit, I had to read the post twice myself before I got the gist (and even then I wasn't quite sure) . Just like the Dental Button (to mention a recent example), this might be a matter of personal preference - and as you said, leela, your dentist knows you and together you did what was right for you, with your consent.

It can be difficult (and very lengthy ) to give a complete account of what actually happened, and it's not unusual for this to lead to some degree of misunderstanding or confusion - I'm sure it it happens all the time on this forum!

 

[brit]

It can be difficult (and very lengthy ) to give a complete account of what actually happened, and it's not unusual for this to lead to some degree of misunderstanding or confusion - I'm sure it it happens all the time on this forum!

It surely does and that's why we often ask nosey follow-up questions.
I have to say Leela, your post did sound like you'd had a dreadful experience but I am familiar with your thread and knew you had a basic relationship of trust going back for many years and that your dentist was a lovely person.

If she spent 15 mins reassuring, 10 mins treating and 15 mins debriefing..she is indeed a caring dentist..I'd stick with her for sure .
Congratulations on getting one step further on the journey and as you say..it is ok to 'freak out'..you will get there in the end.

 

[Starlight25]

Hi leela
What Brit said about freaking out is absolutely right I have come to the conclusion that its better to freak out at the dentist im an expert the way it works is if you freakout at the dentists surgery the dentist ( If its a good dentist) can ask whats scaring you so much and reassure you ive tried this it does help eventually. When I saw the oral surgeon I tried to be super super brave determined not to cry in front of him sat shaking and terrified barely managed to speak then got outside to the car and completely melted because I had got upset afterwards and still had tons of questions that I hadnt asked for reassurances about I was worse it wasnt until my mum got my dentist on the phone that I felt better. The moral of the story is if you feel like crying its fine better the dentist explains at the time than you leave ready to break and without the reasurance!!
love emma

 

[Geraint]

Hi Leela, Well done on getting through the second part of your root canal without LA. You obviously have a lot of trust in your dentist and you both understand each other. Your dentist clearly understands your worries, and you seem to trust her. Did you have a mp3 player to listen to I always find this helps when I need any drilling done. Hope your next visit goes well.