Dilemma

[OxfordGuy]

I have a bit of a Dilemma after 12 years of not going to dentist and breaking off teeth myself at home to ease pain I now need 14 teeth out I been terrified since a kid to sit on dentist chair or even being numb even a x ray has been a horrible anxious feeling

Waiting for appointments has been horrible anxious wait counting time etc


But thankfully past 5 weeks I've had 4 teeth out of the 10 out 2 from top front and 2 from bottom front they been quite easy and still need another 4 top ones taken out which are rotten to the gum line


3 more are top Molars that just leaves 3 teeth that I ain't mentioned


I never thought I'll ever get my teeth fixed but now front ones are easy and I don't expect back top ones to bother me either


I usually sit in chair make jokes and mess about with my dentist and enjoy it I always been scared of being numb so having these teeth out has been a massive step


But there's 1 last phobia left and that is the nerve block 3 of the teeth needed out are 2 2nd molars each side so I'm going to have to have 2 nerve blocks at some point which is worrying me and upsetting


What makes matters worse is one of my first molars is a badly damaged tooth that has a abscess that is constantly swelling and decreasing for months I've had it drained the lot and there's a permanent hard mass there even when it's not swelling up


Dentist wants it out and has been doing these tiny steps with my other teeth to get me to the point that I get this tooth out its quite a bad state this tooth is in and could be serious if I don't get it out


I been to hospital with it twice before Christmas which lead me to get my teeth out and beat my phobia


Well I got this one last phobia left and this is a urgent extraction needed at the latest the 28th of this Month but after it's been extracted I can relax and take other teeth out as none are really a bother unlike this one


Is there any sort of way I can have this tooth out without numbing my tongue because this is what it all comes down to my last phobia is numb tongue and or throat


If there is a way to not get it numb I would get the tooth out also Antibiotics don't even really touch this tooth so even if swollen it has to be taken out there worried I be in pain and be put of going to the dentist as it be hard to numb me when swollen but my main concern is the numb tongue and of throat


Please tell me there's another way because in all honestly I don't think I'm quite ready to face that last phobia just yet

 

[OxfordGuy]

I been thinking about it today about my worries and why this is scary for me?

Im scared of a few things

1. I'm scared the Inferior Nerve Block will cause a numbing sensation I don't like and have a panic attack that won't go away

2. I'm scared that my throat will go numb


3. I'm scared the injection will make my ear go numb and become dizzy


4. I'm scared how I will react when my tongue is numb


5. I'm scared that I won't be able to swollow because my tongue will be numb


6. I'm scared that I will swollow my tongue or choke


7. I'm scared that I will choke of my own spit and won't be able to swollow


8. I'm scared that I will swallow harshly as I won't feel it on my tongue and cause me to choke or cough


9. I'm scared of how much my tongue will be numb


10. I'm scared because it's unknown to me and I never had this injection before

 

[FearfulInMA]

To try to ease some of your fears (I have many nerve block injections -- too many to count):

1. You will be numb and it will feel weird. But, you've been numb before and the sensation will be very similar. The numbness will happen gradually as this type of injection takes longer to work that numbing on the top teeth. The best thing to do is to focus on deep diaphragmatic breathing. If you can do this successfully, you will not have a panic attack -- it's physiologically impossible to have a panic attack if you are able to maintain your breathing. If find laying flat for a bit after the injection to be very helpful. I also find talking with the dentist (or assistant) about anything but what's going on at the dentist to also be helpful. When I used to have a much more difficult time, I would prepare topics to talk about ahead of time.

2. Your throat will not go numb. Your lip and part of your tongue will be numb, but NOT your throat. It's a different nerve that provides sensation to your throat than to your lower jaw.

3. Your ear should not go numb -- I've had times when this has happened only very slightly and it was when i was having a root canal on my back bottom tooth. An extraction should not require that same amount of numbness. Even if this does happen (which, again, seems very unlikely) this will not cause dizziness. I'm someone with very bad ears and, as a result extreme propensity for motion sickness and vertigo. Dental injections themselves have never made me dizzy. When I've gotten dizzy at the dentist it's from the fear I was experiencing and, as a result, poor breathing. If you do get dizzy, for whatever reason, lay flat and bring your knees up. This will force blood back to your core and brain and you will feel better.

4. When your tongue gets numb try to focus on deep breaths. Again, it may be helpful to distract yourself from what is going on by talking about something totally unrelated. Only part of your tongue will be numb and you will be able to talk.

5. You will be able to swallow. Even though some of your tongue will be numb, the back won't be and you will be able to move your tongue and swallow normally. Your numb tongue may feel like it's bigger than usual, but it is definitely still the same size.

6. You will not choke due to the numbness. You will be able to swallow normally.

7. The back of your tongue and throat will not be numb. You will absolutely feel saliva on the back of your tongue and in your throat and your swallowing reflexes will work normally. While you are having the dental work done, they will use the tool that suctions excess stuff from your month, so you won't really have to swallow much during the procedure.

8. As above, you will feel the saliva because your throat and the back of your tongue will not be numb.

9. About half of your tongue will be numb, but not all the way back to your throat.

10. I have been terrified each time I've had to go through a 'new' dental procedure. Though, having had so much work done over the years, this has definitely gotten better especially when it's my regular dentist doing the work. It might help to remember that your dentist does this injections many times a day and that people don't choke at the dentist. You can get through this and you will get through it. My guess is, on the other side of this, you will wonder why you were ever so worked up about it because it will not be nearly as bad as you imagine.

Good luck to you and please let us know how it goes!

 

[OxfordGuy]

Thank you that helped a lot I'm kinda wondering will it be tingling or pins or needles or actual numb as people tell me different things my mum for example said her tongue didn't even go numb when she had it....

 

[FearfulInMA]

I think it varies a little person to person. For example, my lip never goes numb with the block even though it should. I tend to feel pins and needles only when it starts to go numb and when the numbness starts to wear off. Otherwise, it's just numb.

 

[OxfordGuy]

I'm try and get it sorted this week as it's still swollen and keeps swelling up when eating then decreases slightly again afterwards

I don't really want it done but I don't really have a choice I mean I should of had it out in October but refused even at the hospital I did

Usually when pushed people face there fear but my fear is crippling to the point I refuse to get it treated infected or not swollen or not and I know the risks and I'm scared of the risks of leaving it untreated more then it treated but It still stops me getting it done somehow

 

[lillyh]

Have you considered sedation? Oral or I. V ? Or taking Valium or Halcion before the procedure? I took Valium before I had my remaining 11teeth extracted recently. I've also had I. V sedation twice. I hope you can get your tooth taken care of.

 

[OxfordGuy]

It's what I think is a Chronic Abscess it has no pain just small swelling bottom of jaw line tooth on outside of the gum it's hard swelling and no pus above the hard swelling which is half size of my thumb or size of my thumb and don't show outside of my mouth there's a pus pocket that fills and gets better mainly when food is trapped in my tooth and it goes away again just as quickly as it came

I've had no pain at all with this tooth it's not even hot, antibiotics hasn't worked nor has draining the hard mass as there's no pus there.

i went to the dentist last week annoyed cause I still have the tooth and the young dentist said I be in pain as abscesses don't go numb and wants me on antibiotics but my main dentist whose a specialist said I got nothing worry about and can get it extracted and numb no problem

few weeks back I had the tooth numbed locally not the block one as a student dentist cut my gum to try drain it and failed she then tried wiggle it out and failed as I was anxious and it takes like 5 mins more for any dental procedure so she attempted to drill a hole in it and only did half the job before she had to stop the appointment and send me to hospital to finish the job

which they just tried to drain but realised its just no pus to drain so I think maybe this has played a part in my phobia but also made me think it could be possible to get it extracted locally rather then block injection

i understand Sedation etc would be easy to do but to me that's last resort as it won't be actual having to face the phobia I never dreamed or imagined I could go to a dentist let alone have a tooth out so 4 out and me ok at a dentist is amazing

even if he attempts to inject a nerve block I be calm and relaxed I just worry how I be after he's finished injecting me

but I'm also worried my tooth won't go numb or injection would spread after its pulled or cause swelling lol I read to many things on Internet