Extractions, Flipper - Scared

[BWilliams]

In a few short days I will be going in for major dental work -

-5 teeth extracted, including my top front four teeth. One bottom tooth next to a permanent retainer
-Full mouth scaling and root planing
-Top flipper to be used until TBD, no plans for implants as of now.
-All of this will be done at 1x under IV moderate conscious sedation

I'm literally terrified, I can't stop thinking about this. I have 3 small kids (two are twins), and I would rather push out another child than go through this upcoming appointment.

Any words of advise.....

1. I really hope I feel nothing/remember nothing from the procedure.
2. I hope the flipper fits and looks beautiful as my front teeth have been a huge issues since I was a child. The flipper will be put in immediately. I hope I can get use to it and I don't have pain from it being in. I will see my dentist the day or 2 after the procedure for an adjustment.
3. Recovery. What does that look like. Day of really scares me. This work is happening Wednesday and I hope I can go back to work feeling ok by Monday.

Thank you!

 

[Enarete]

Hi BWilliams

that sounds like quite a bit of work! I have never had a treatment under sedation myself, but from reading around, everyone was happy with that. If you take a look around, you will find many success stories here on the forum.

It may be a good idea to let your dentist know about your fear of the sedation not being deep enough. They should be able to put you at ease and try extra hard to make sure the sedation will be deep enough (it should be anyway).

I am glad you have an appointment for adjustment 2 days later. The gums change a lot during recovery so it is very unlikely that everything will fit and feel totally natural straight away. Most people need several adjustments until the flipper / denture feels ok. Please do not panic if things feel a bit weird at the beginning, you will get used to it and some adjustments will be needed.

Here is some reading that you may find helpful:

Healing after Tooth Removal

What should you do following tooth extractions? Find out about the healing process, and the do's and don'ts for a speedy recovery.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Dentures FAQ

Top tips for new denture wearers! Find out about different types of dentures and how to deal with "teething problems".

www.dentalfearcentral.org

All the best wishes

 

[MountainMama]

I wish you the best of luck with the procedure! It is always terrifying to have teeth extracted but a relief when the procedure is done. I did not have the top four extracted but I did have my top front tooth extracted and an immediate flipper put in. I was told not to chew with the flipper but I don’t know if one made for four teeth is different? I had to get mine adjusted four times within two weeks as it changed how it felt as the swelling went down, so don’t be afraid to call in and ask for an adjustment if it feels uncomfortable. I have also had molars our, and implants put in.
As far as sedation, I have never had IV sedation but I have had some major dental surgeries done under local anesthetic only (apicoectomy) or local and nitrous (my preference). Once they numb you, you won’t feel anything.
The recovery won’t be as bad as you imagine. Make sure you take some pain medicine before the numbing wears off and you will be fine. Take the medicine on a regular schedule even if you don’t feel pain to stay ahead of it for the first few days.

 

[BWilliams]

I wish you the best of luck with the procedure! It is always terrifying to have teeth extracted but a relief when the procedure is done. I did not have the top four extracted but I did have my top front tooth extracted and an immediate flipper put in. I was told not to chew with the flipper but I don’t know if one made for four teeth is different? I had to get mine adjusted four times within two weeks as it changed how it felt as the swelling went down, so don’t be afraid to call in and ask for an adjustment if it feels uncomfortable. I have also had molars our, and implants put in.
As far as sedation, I have never had IV sedation but I have had some major dental surgeries done under local anesthetic only (apicoectomy) or local and nitrous (my preference). Once they numb you, you won’t feel anything.
The recovery won’t be as bad as you imagine. Make sure you take some pain medicine before the numbing wears off and you will be fine. Take the medicine on a regular schedule even if you don’t feel pain to stay ahead of it for the first few days.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the positive support. I'm tired of my family telling me "it will be ok." I do not typically bit into things now with my front teeth now and I probably won't be able to with the flipper. I'm not really worried about that. I'm more worried that all this work is being done right at the front of my mouth (front and center). I will keep getting adjustments as needed for sure. So, the flipper was put in right away... did that help with the bleeding and everything from the extractions? I hope the recovery will be better than expected. Thank you again!

 

[BWilliams]

Hi BWilliams

that sounds like quite a bit of work! I have never had a treatment under sedation myself, but from reading around, everyone was happy with that. If you take a look around, you will find many success stories here on the forum.

It may be a good idea to let your dentist know about your fear of the sedation not being deep enough. They should be able to put you at ease and try extra hard to make sure the sedation will be deep enough (it should be anyway).

I am glad you have an appointment for adjustment 2 days later. The gums change a lot during recovery so it is very unlikely that everything will fit and feel totally natural straight away. Most people need several adjustments until the flipper / denture feels ok. Please do not panic if things feel a bit weird at the beginning, you will get used to it and some adjustments will be needed.

Here is some reading that you may find helpful:

Healing after Tooth Removal

What should you do following tooth extractions? Find out about the healing process, and the do's and don'ts for a speedy recovery.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Dentures FAQ

Top tips for new denture wearers! Find out about different types of dentures and how to deal with "teething problems".

www.dentalfearcentral.org

All the best wishes

Thank you! I did some searching through the forum prior to my post. So much helpful material!

 

[MountainMama]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the positive support. I'm tired of my family telling me "it will be ok." I do not typically bit into things now with my front teeth now and I probably won't be able to with the flipper. I'm not really worried about that. I'm more worried that all this work is being done right at the front of my mouth (front and center). I will keep getting adjustments as needed for sure. So, the flipper was put in right away... did that help with the bleeding and everything from the extractions? I hope the recovery will be better than expected. Thank you again!

I was actually amazed at how much the flipper helped control bleeding. To be honest, I did not even look at it the first day. My lip was swollen and other than peeking at the fake tooth sticking down under my lip, I didn’t do much else. I was told to leave it in for 24 hours, then remove the flipper and rinse it, then put it back in for another 24 hours. Then I was supposed to take it out at night after two days. The first time removing it was scary. I was afraid it would pull the extraction site open, but it came out fairly easily and then I could rinse really well.
I had the tooth cleaned out and the oral surgeon had to remove some infected bone (previous abscess that did not go way after a root canal and apico) and do a lot of scraping and cleaning in there. Then he put in bone grafting and a dental implant all in the same appointment. It was like two hours. I also had a dental implant and bone grafting done on a lower first molar that had been extracted previously at the same appointment. I was sure I was going to be a miserable mess afterwards, but I was surprised at how little pain I had. The pain I had previously from the painful tooth was worse than the recovery pain. I also can’t take ibuprofen due to a previous ulcer so I only took Tylenol, and a tramadol the first two nights. Then just Tylenol.
Expect lots of swelling! If you don’t already have some, those gel ice packs are awesome, because they mold to your face shape. I have two of them and would alternate them. Ibuprofen will help with swelling but any swelling on the upper lip and nose feels worse than it really is.