Big Mess and Dental Anxiety to add to the mess

[tooth]

Let's see how can I put this, my mouth is a mess from years of neglect, my biggest issue right now is a rotted molar that that recently broke and a good part of the crown I pulled out since it was practically hanging by a thread and getting in the way of chewing, and the bone would make contact with the gum when I chewed, so that's gone, what's left is part of the tooth and a nice clean socket, at least I try to keep it clean, I was last seen at the the dentist back in Aug and he said that the nerve was toast, no surprise there. He offered to choices root canal that my insurance would not cover or extraction which my insurance would cover, guess which one I opted for? If you guessed extraction you were right. So I'm with Advantage Dental Oregon Health Plan's Dental Plan and Moved in Oct. and reassigned to a different office but I missed a future appointment or two, so I have to schedule another one that probably won't be set till sometime in Feb, March or maybe further out. To make matters worse I hate novacaine, according to the QA on here for novacaine it sounds like I have an allergy to it or the preservative in it since I don't respond well to any preservatives. I once had a total freak out from it, lost total control and had to apologize to the clinic I went to in FL, that was years ago, I have on occasion had novacaine without epi, because the epi makes my heart race and I get a full blown anxiety attack, I also get anxiety from knowing that part of my face is numb, like a stroke and it will take some time for it to be back to normal. Before you suggest anxiety medications, know that I'm not on any meds for anything including anxiety, nor wish to take any, I have had at least two molar extractions done with just Valerian Root capsules, they really numb you up, I also take rescue remedy like it's suggested on here, but I'm not sure that surgical extraction where the bone might need to be cut or drilled or gumline incision can be done with anything but nova with epi, although I seem to recall that lidocaine may be an alternative?

To make matters even worse I have untreated moderate obstructive sleep apnea, and yes I have tried CPAP and it made it worse to the point I was having central apneas according to my sleep doctor. So suffice it to say I'm very reluctant to go to the dentist. In Jan. I will hit the big 50 and I realize it's not the most mature approach to take but many people my age have serious dental issues. I was talking with my 80+ year old father about my issue and he has had his share of problems and had a full set of false teeth, he also has a tooth that rotted to the bone still in his gums, has had for years with no issues, he saw a dentist in FL that actually was afraid of removing it not knowing what effect it might have. I suppose I could wait and wait some more, but I know that's not the answer, I also have a chipped front tooth I chipped over 5 years ago that I would like to get repaired, I have had all my mercury taken out for good reason and I have decay in some other teeth as well as I am sure I will have issues with them sometime in the future as well if I could do the general anesthetic sleep dentistry or nitrous, I would but I have never been put under before and I'm not about to start now, I know if I'm ever in a serious accident and need operating I will have no say in the matter, but as long as I do, not gonna happen, so I don't know what to do at this time, I'm going to call tomorrow and schedule an appointment, but since it's not an emergency I will not be seen for some time, I guess the key is of course to keep the appointment and not keep putting off the inevitable, what say you forum?

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Hi,

There is a numbing technique named the WAND which means numbing only the to be treated tooth without numbing the entire area. This technique also guarantees that no anaesthetic solution will go to the blood circulation. You can read more about it here: The Wand

By the way, the company the produces the WAND system publishes a list of dentists who use it so it is easy to find them.

leaving rotted teeth in the mouth means leaving sources of infection in the body. Not only could they become painful but also the immune system has to constantly be busy with these infections instead of dealing with others. However, sometimes it is too difficult to treat these bad teeth and it is better to leave them and just support the patient's quality of life. But again, it is a compromise.