Extraction tomorrow morning

[tazey]

Thanks everyone for being so understanding - it helps to not feel so alone when you know others understand how you feel. That is an interesting point about the anaesthetic. I haven't ever had an injection in my lower jaw so can't imagine how it feels but just hate the thought of tongue/throat numbness. I had an upper tooth removed as a child but don't remember much about it and am told that it's not the same anyway.

I had a chat with my GP today who has prescribed me diazepam to calm me down, he assures me it's perfectly safe to take while pregnant as long as you're not making a habit of taking them daily which I definitely won't be - as someone who hates to lose control the thought of taking them makes me a bit shaky anyway.

I hate taking pills (in fact I dont) it prob doesn't help that the last one I did take gave me a bad reaction+i ended up in a+e but that was a strong painkiller (tramodol) I'd advise anyone not to take that. However l can see me having to take diazapam next visit so will have to see or rather hope it makes a difference. Do you have an appointment yet?

 

[Katiepage93]

I hate taking pills (in fact I dont) it prob doesn't help that the last one I did take gave me a bad reaction+i ended up in a+e but that was a strong painkiller (tramodol) I'd advise anyone not to take that. However l can see me having to take diazapam next visit so will have to see or rather hope it makes a difference. Do you have an appointment yet?

I don't have another appointment booked yet. Even though I don't think anyone at my dental practice gets annoyed that I don't have the necessary work done and I get in a state - I still feel a bit embarrassed which stops me from trying to go straight back. I also don't feel ready. But it's difficult isn't it because I'll probably never feel ready so am I just stalling to put off trying again? Probably. I feel like I need a few days to recovered and get my head together before I think about trying again.

 

[Anxious76]

I don't have another appointment booked yet. Even though I don't think anyone at my dental practice gets annoyed that I don't have the necessary work done and I get in a state - I still feel a bit embarrassed which stops me from trying to go straight back. I also don't feel ready. But it's difficult isn't it because I'll probably never feel ready so am I just stalling to put off trying again? Probably. I feel like I need a few days to recovered and get my head together before I think about trying again.

I get it. The embarrassment, the working yourself into a state, not feeling ready. I never feel ready. I get into the car and announce “I don’t want to do this”, I say the same thing when I arrive at the appointment and as I am walking toward the door.
I think it to myself when I get in the chair and before I get my Sedation. This is why in my particular case I just have to make the appointment and force myself otherwise I would be more than happy to never go back again as long as I live. Rationally I will never get better only worse with that attitude so I buck up after a while and just do it. You’ll get there too you just need to come to the end of yourself...when the suffering becomes bigger to bear than the actual fear of the procedure. In the meantime try not to beat yourself up and be good to you...take good care!?

 

[Enarete]

I still feel a bit embarrassed which stops me from trying to go straight back. I also don't feel ready. But it's difficult isn't it because I'll probably never feel ready so am I just stalling to put off trying again? Probably. I feel like I need a few days to recovered and get my head together before I think about trying again.

Needing few days to process and recover is fine as soon as you don't get into the state of avoidance.

I totally get your feeling of embarrassment, but here is the point: when beating dental fear, it's about not getting overwhelmed since every negative experience you have can make your anxiety worse. If you don't feel able to go through a procedure, it's essential to stop. It feels weird and it feels like a failure but is the only right thing to do. From this perspective you did good.

My last experience at the dentist, it's just about one week ago: I should get numbed and get something painted on my tooth. The numbing wouldn't be necessary but we decided to do it anyway to desensitize me since I get panic attacks from the numbing sensation. So the aim is to get numbed as much as possible in a controlled way to get used to that. My dentist was running late and I suggested to make it quicker to be out earlier to save some time. How it went: he just tipped me back and I asked him to stop and put me up again, which he did. I was, frozen, felt dizzy, my mind was foggy. I knew the injection would be the next step and I would have to get through somehow so I decided to just force myself to get through and gave my dentist the go to tip me back again. He didn't even manage to react yet and I was asking for just one more second. I had this dilemma of not feeling ready physically and mentally but not having any other choice than to go on since that was why we were there on that day. So I sat there a minute or two, frozen, not saying anything, trying to figure out what should I do.

My dentist asked me what was going on in my mind. I told him I didn't look forward to the numbing because I had all the memories of my panic attack last time and also feel afraid of the administering, which was ok last time but now in my mind feels like a real danger. He offered me to just paint the tooth without numbing and he also offered me to stop for today altogether. He explained that progress was not linear and the ability to go through a treatment can vary from day to day and from minute to minute and the most important thing when treating dental fear is to keep making positive experiences and not letting the fear to get over. This explanation gave me a huge freedom and made me feel better instantly.

I suggested to only do the numbing, without painting the tooth so that I would have just one trigger, without having to get through the procedure. We had a further chat about what I was worried about and how my dentist could help me with it. He explained to me why numbness feels so scary: because the only time you would feel like this naturally would be if something would get swollen which would only happen if your were poisoned. For this reason our bodies sometimes panic when we get numbed. He reminded me that we were inducing this feeling by purpose and that this was the thing to keep in mind. So after 10 minutes of further chat I was calm enough to let him numb me. I kept concentrating on my feet during the whole time and the time after that to get distracted from the feeling. The whole experience was much better than the numbing we did the session before - I had no panic attack and I didn't even care much about the numbness this time but I felt upset because I didn't get through the planned treatment and made my dentist run even more late than he already was and while I didn't worry about the numbness, I indeed felt like a loser and a failure and like my dentist must be really angry with me. This was bothering me so much that I emailed my dentist in the middle of the night to check how embarrassing this all was. (Didn't put the real issue into the email, just thanked him for his patience and asked some questions - I would, on the reply, notice if he was angry or not).. I got a reply and it was very friendly, he didn't sound upset at all so I got calmer again.

So this is why I quite get your feelings about the last experience. I feel embarrassed after every visit and always feel like not being able to come back and like they probably either hate me, or don't even know I exist, but on a logical level I believe that nobody there thinks of me like this.

You did cbt, you went there, you tried and you recognized your limits. You learned your triggers a bit better, which is very important and will serve you on your further journey. This is all progress, keep it in mind. And stopping a procedure when you notice you are getting overwhelmed is a very important part of the process.

I wish you will find the courage to try again soon. My next appointment to get numbed is in 10 days. The plan is the same again: get numbed and get the tooth painted. I will see if I can make it this time.

 

[hatemyself]

Hey

You mentioned the doc said they might give you a tablet to calm you down - just wanted you to know they'll probably give you diazepam (valium). I've never had it (but been offered it) and all I can say is it must be a god send - other people have taken it on this forum and all it does is help you chill out and be not so miffed about things.

Sorry to hear today didn't go well. You're damn brave for going through with it at all. Well done, give yourself a pat on the back for being so brave.

Sending hugs your way

 

[tazey]

I don't have another appointment booked yet. Even though I don't think anyone at my dental practice gets annoyed that I don't have the necessary work done and I get in a state - I still feel a bit embarrassed which stops me from trying to go straight back. I also don't feel ready. But it's difficult isn't it because I'll probably never feel ready so am I just stalling to put off trying again? Probably. I feel like I need a few days to recovered and get my head together before I think about trying again.

Don't be to hard on yourself you can try again but I get what your saying there's never going to be a right time. My consultant said maybe I should re-think things if its stressing me out so much but the only reason I'm stressed (+getting worse) is because people have dragged it out so long.

 

[Katiepage93]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I've had a few days of feeling sorry for myself - having the usual thoughts of what's the point I will never be able to conquer this so why even bother trying. I have had enough time to think like that and am now ready to formulate a new plan of attack. I think you've got a great idea getting numbed for every procedure even when it isn't necessary and I think this is the way I am going to proceed. I have two teeth in my upper jaw that I think need some attention. Not major work - one has a filling that I have cracked whilst grinding my teeth at night. I feel like I would be able to have this numbed (as single tooth/area numbing on upper jaw I think?) and worked on which would be a giant step forward for me as I haven't had any dental work done in 10 years. The work I need done is 3 broken lower molars removed and these two upper teeth that I am assuming need fillings but they could be fine.

My end goal is Invisalign (if I'm a candidate, I fear my teeth might be too crooked for this). This is a long term goal and I think I got so excited about the idea of straight teeth that I underestimated how hard it would be for me to get the work done. It's important for me, and everyone else on this journey, to take small steps I think as sometimes the big steps mean you don't achieve what you had hoped and it has left me feeling down about it for a while. But onwards and upwards!

 

[Lexie35]

Katie, I have to go for extractions this Friday. I actually went to my doctor and asked for some anti anxiety meds. I was given about 3 weeks worth and I told him that I just want to try them out prior to my appointment which I've done. I, too live in a small area so they don't offer all the fun stuff. Also, my dentist wanted to do the extractions last but I decided to make the appointment and get it over with. I remember hearing or reading that the waiting is the worst. People have given me positive remarks about the whole process. I'm still scared but it needs to be done and I'm getting irritated when I accidentally bump it & I'm panicking that one will fall put or break off. I have a plan of attack and hope it will work but I'm going to take some medicine as well. I decided I want them pulled rather then oral surgery (actual cutting my gums). Oh and I talked to my hygienist and asked questions. How will I be sitting? Do I get the shot just in the back of my mouth? Will she make sure I'm numb? Can I have a signal if it's too much for me? Things like that. I'm trying not to think about it to be honest. I'm not thinking about the post extraction either. I seem to be focused on the actual pulling. I'm focusing on something happening after the fact. Perhaps make plans for after; something you can look forward to?