Deep Cleaning, then Wisdom Teeth Extraction... Overwhelmed!

[Aylie]

So, I went to the dentist a few weeks ago after almost 15 years. She cleaned out my teeth, but said that I needed deep cleaning. The prospect itself was sort of terrifying, especially since the cleaning process itself was quite painful for me, but now, to add to my bad luck, my wisdom teeth suddenly decide to act up after several years of peaceful existence. I now have an infection, and will definitely need to have it removed and I'm just extremely terrified of how much pain I"ll have to go through and how much I have to endure having both procedures done in a relatively short amount of time.

My dentist says she can do deep cleaning prior to the teeth extraction and that should be fine, but are there additional concerns I need to worry about having both done relatively close to each other? I know deep cleaning cuts open the gums, so does that open me up to more potential problems with infections when I extract a wisdom tooth on top of that? My teeth are really in terrible enough shape that I can't afford to put off either treatment, but I'm just overwhelmed and terrified of a bad recovery process, especially since I can't conceivably take more than a few weeks off from work for this. Would local anesthetic liquid help if I do need to go to work while in pain? I bought a bottle of benzocaine from CVS and tested a bit of it today, and it numbed my mouth relatively effectively.

Any help, or experiences with anything similar would really put my mind at ease!

 

[brit]

So, I went to the dentist a few weeks ago after almost 15 years. She cleaned out my teeth, but said that I needed deep cleaning. The prospect itself was sort of terrifying, especially since the cleaning process itself was quite painful for me,

This is our link with information on what deep cleaning involves:

Deep Cleaning

Is deep cleaning painful? This article describes what happens during scaling and root planing, and what it feels like.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

You can be numbed up for it and so it should not be painful....I wouldn't describe it as the gums being cut open either...you are making it sound scarier than it is.
You may have a decision to make on the timing though, some people do it all in one long appointment but it is not a good idea for your whole mouth to be numb at the same time so it is better to do it in two halves or one quadrant x4 shorter apppointments.

I now have an infection, and will definitely need to have it removed and I'm just extremely terrified of how much pain I"ll have to go through and how much I have to endure having both procedures done in a relatively short amount of time.
My dentist says she can do deep cleaning prior to the teeth extraction and that should be fine, but are there additional concerns I need to worry about having both done relatively close to each other? I know deep cleaning cuts open the gums, so does that open me up to more potential problems with infections when I extract a wisdom tooth on top of that? My teeth are really in terrible enough shape that I can't afford to put off either treatment, but I'm just overwhelmed and terrified of a bad recovery process, especially since I can't conceivably take more than a few weeks off from work for this.

I'm not a dentist but at worst I'd say it takes hours to recover from a deep cleaning and at worst days (not weeks) from wisdom tooth extraction.

Would local anesthetic liquid help if I do need to go to work while in pain? I bought a bottle of benzocaine from CVS and tested a bit of it today, and it numbed my mouth relatively effectively.

I'll let a dentist answer that.

Congratulations on taking the first step to dental health. Remember you are in control of the process and after discussion, you should proceed with the treatment at a pace which is right for you. Similarly, if you do not warm to your dentist, remember you are always free to go elsewhere. Personally I'd question why she did an unanaesthetized minor clean at your first visit...did you report the discomfort to her at the time?
Best wishes.

 

[Aylie]

Thanks for the reply! I am doing the deep cleaning in two separate appointments, and then in a separate appointment the wisdom teeth extraction. It's a relief to hear that recovery from deep cleaning is not as bad as I thought it would be! Ditto for wisdom teeth extraction. I was kind of visualizing myself bleeding from the mouth and unable to eat solid foods for weeks on end and suffering! My mom even offered to temporarily move in with me to help with the food and to take care of me if it gets too bad. I suspected I may be overreacting to the fear, but hopefully all it won't be as bad as I imagined.

As for the cleaning itself, it was okay for the most part. I would indicate when I was in pain and she would stop to let me recover before continuing. I am *definitely* going to be all numbed up for the deep cleaning, so hopefully pain won't be as big an issue for that. The dentist came recommended from a co-worker of mine, and she's been pretty good to me, despite me being a bit of a wimp about pain. I think I'll be okay with her doing the deep cleaning.

 

[Zzzdentist]

It's no problem to have a cleaning before a dental extraction if it helps gets things done under the same anesthetic. The dentist is likely trying to save you from having the same area numbed up at a separate appointment just for the extraction. I would leave the benzocaine topical gel behind and leave the numbing to the specialists. Topical works great for um topical purposes, but for deeper anesthesia of the nerves of the teeth, local anesthetics are better.

 

[tiggeroo]

Aylie, I am not a dentist either, but I have had both deep cleaning and wizdom teeth pulled (with 8 crowns and 5 cavities filled in between). I had the deep cleaning done in two appointments and I didn't feel any pain at all. I even told the hygenist that I could have fallen asleep because I was very comfortable. They definitely didn't cut my gums - they cleaned under them I believe, but no cutting. I also don't remember having to recover, I believe I ate dinner that night like normal. I think the worrying is the worst part - good luck!!