G
Guest
Former Member
(this is a copy of a PM I sent a friend of mine who has not been to the dentist in 30 years.)
I took 3 ativan before I went in today, spaced a half hour in between doseages before the time of my appointment. Had no coffee or breakfast, just a yogurt smoothie in the morning. It was sunny and warm today in Boston, and I made sure to walk much of the way so the walking and the sunlight would make me feel a little more drowsy. I read my Alan Alda book for a few minutes in the sunniest chair. They came and got me and we headed into the treatment room.
The dentist asked if I was cool with novocaine, which I was, and he said he'd be giving me a novocaine 'block' - it makes half of your face and most of your tongue completely and UTTERLY numb. I didn't even feel the needle - he took my cheek in his hand and mooshed it around, kinda like making a meatball, while administering the shot and there wasn't even a pinch or prick.
While we chatted and I commented a few times on how I didn't really seem to NOT be feeling anything yet, he leaned me back and said 'do you feel this?'
(This sounds like the start of a dirty story, but it isn't Especially since the guy's wife/receptionist is having a caesarian tomorrow to which I wished them both hearty mazel-tovs!
Anyway, I didn't feel that. Or anything. I felt like I 'wanted' to be nervous but I just wasn't, I felt sleepy. I guess it might be called 'relaxed.' So he put the various things in my mouth to keep it open and draining and started working...
This is exactly how it feels while the work is being done:
You are in a subway tunnel, leaning against the wall. On the other side of the wall there is much construction going on. You can hear little sounds of various tools and every so often you can feel on your side of the wall that they are working on the wall on their side - you can feel a bit of the pressure of their tools against the cinderblock. Two or three times there might be a high-pitched noise that makes you feel like it's hurt your ears, but it's over in a second. (That 'high pitched noise' being a spot in the tooth that needs an extra bit of novocaine, which is administered quickly and painlessly - that 'pinch' dentists are always talking about? In this instance, it does - it feels like a quick pinch.)
To anyone with an analytical mind you just have this overall wish to be able to SEE what the hell all this grinding and scraping and pushing and banging is doing - I mean, it's just a tiny little tooth and it feels like the big dig is going on in there. (the 'big dig' is a huge construction project that's been going on for 20 years plus here in Boston.)
BUT IT DOESN'T HURT - IT REALLY AND TRULY DOESN'T HURT. The 2 or 3 times that he got into the deeper spot and nicked a nerve, it was literally half a second and he quickly jammed in more novocaine. The tiny split-second pain made me make a surprised noise, but it was not enough to make me flinch or anything like that.
He even showed me the nerve that was causing me so much trouble, a tiny little bastard at the end of a pair of tweezers. I gave it the finger.
I didn't get the crown done today, I have to come back when the tooth has healed from the actual canalling. But when he told me I was done, I swear, I SWEAR, I asked 'is there anything else you can do today? Wanna drill some cavities or do the other tooth that's really bothering me of late?' I said it jokingly but I meant it - how about THAT???
Going back in 2 weeks for 2 tiny cavities and maybe the bigger one. I am LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!
I have to say, though, that the best part was when I said 'okay, when can I smoke, when can I drink something, and when can I eat,' and his reply was 'when the novocaine wears off'
Actually, the best part was that I had read the price estimate from the insurance company wrong and thought I had to pay the amount THEY'RE paying. About a $600. difference!
So on the way home I stopped at one of the last 'real' NY-style delicatessens here and came home with thirty dollars worth of corned beef, pastrami, knishes and cole slaw. I'm bringing lunch to work tomorrow - for everyone.
Two key concepts for anyone petrified reading this but resigned to go and get themselves fixed: Mild sedative for before the appointment, ask the dentist to prescribe you one, and a 'Novocaine Block' for anaesthetic. With those two things, anyone will be able to sail through this.
I hadn't been to the dentist since 1983. I had 22 years of time working on my fear. When the time came that I could no longer put it off, I went and talked to the dentist. I cried, I listened to his information, I discussed treatment plans, I cried, I even shook a little I think, but I left his office trusting that he would not hurt me. And today he proved me right, and cured a phobia I've had my entire life.
I'm looking forward to having a piece of gum now and again. Also, nuts, gooey cheese, steak, and crackers. Not tonight, however
I took 3 ativan before I went in today, spaced a half hour in between doseages before the time of my appointment. Had no coffee or breakfast, just a yogurt smoothie in the morning. It was sunny and warm today in Boston, and I made sure to walk much of the way so the walking and the sunlight would make me feel a little more drowsy. I read my Alan Alda book for a few minutes in the sunniest chair. They came and got me and we headed into the treatment room.
The dentist asked if I was cool with novocaine, which I was, and he said he'd be giving me a novocaine 'block' - it makes half of your face and most of your tongue completely and UTTERLY numb. I didn't even feel the needle - he took my cheek in his hand and mooshed it around, kinda like making a meatball, while administering the shot and there wasn't even a pinch or prick.
While we chatted and I commented a few times on how I didn't really seem to NOT be feeling anything yet, he leaned me back and said 'do you feel this?'
(This sounds like the start of a dirty story, but it isn't Especially since the guy's wife/receptionist is having a caesarian tomorrow to which I wished them both hearty mazel-tovs!
Anyway, I didn't feel that. Or anything. I felt like I 'wanted' to be nervous but I just wasn't, I felt sleepy. I guess it might be called 'relaxed.' So he put the various things in my mouth to keep it open and draining and started working...
This is exactly how it feels while the work is being done:
You are in a subway tunnel, leaning against the wall. On the other side of the wall there is much construction going on. You can hear little sounds of various tools and every so often you can feel on your side of the wall that they are working on the wall on their side - you can feel a bit of the pressure of their tools against the cinderblock. Two or three times there might be a high-pitched noise that makes you feel like it's hurt your ears, but it's over in a second. (That 'high pitched noise' being a spot in the tooth that needs an extra bit of novocaine, which is administered quickly and painlessly - that 'pinch' dentists are always talking about? In this instance, it does - it feels like a quick pinch.)
To anyone with an analytical mind you just have this overall wish to be able to SEE what the hell all this grinding and scraping and pushing and banging is doing - I mean, it's just a tiny little tooth and it feels like the big dig is going on in there. (the 'big dig' is a huge construction project that's been going on for 20 years plus here in Boston.)
BUT IT DOESN'T HURT - IT REALLY AND TRULY DOESN'T HURT. The 2 or 3 times that he got into the deeper spot and nicked a nerve, it was literally half a second and he quickly jammed in more novocaine. The tiny split-second pain made me make a surprised noise, but it was not enough to make me flinch or anything like that.
He even showed me the nerve that was causing me so much trouble, a tiny little bastard at the end of a pair of tweezers. I gave it the finger.
I didn't get the crown done today, I have to come back when the tooth has healed from the actual canalling. But when he told me I was done, I swear, I SWEAR, I asked 'is there anything else you can do today? Wanna drill some cavities or do the other tooth that's really bothering me of late?' I said it jokingly but I meant it - how about THAT???
Going back in 2 weeks for 2 tiny cavities and maybe the bigger one. I am LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!
I have to say, though, that the best part was when I said 'okay, when can I smoke, when can I drink something, and when can I eat,' and his reply was 'when the novocaine wears off'
Actually, the best part was that I had read the price estimate from the insurance company wrong and thought I had to pay the amount THEY'RE paying. About a $600. difference!
So on the way home I stopped at one of the last 'real' NY-style delicatessens here and came home with thirty dollars worth of corned beef, pastrami, knishes and cole slaw. I'm bringing lunch to work tomorrow - for everyone.
Two key concepts for anyone petrified reading this but resigned to go and get themselves fixed: Mild sedative for before the appointment, ask the dentist to prescribe you one, and a 'Novocaine Block' for anaesthetic. With those two things, anyone will be able to sail through this.
I hadn't been to the dentist since 1983. I had 22 years of time working on my fear. When the time came that I could no longer put it off, I went and talked to the dentist. I cried, I listened to his information, I discussed treatment plans, I cried, I even shook a little I think, but I left his office trusting that he would not hurt me. And today he proved me right, and cured a phobia I've had my entire life.
I'm looking forward to having a piece of gum now and again. Also, nuts, gooey cheese, steak, and crackers. Not tonight, however