Fear of palatal injection infiltration

[Anne2021]

Hi. I have two teeth that are vulnerable and I believe one or both of them is getting close to needing to be extracted. I have lost eight teeth already (in addition to wisdom teeth) because I can't handle the thought of root canals, so I extract when they need root canals. I had these two teeth (#13 and #14) filled in April. They were deep fillings and already had temperature sensitivity before that. I haven't been using them since then because there are no opposing teeth on the bottom, so I don't know if they would hurt with chewing. They are still temperature sensitive when food touches them.

One or both have not felt normal since I got them filled. It's like when I brush them they feel odd - like they're dead. I don't know if that's just me being me, but since late August I started having more of a feeling of pressure and like it's itchy under the gums. I can't tell if it's one or both teeth. I went to the dentist and he said that can often mean the nerve is dead or dying, but he saw nothing suspicious on x-ray and thought they looked good. He doesn't do the cold test. I left it at that, but now two months later, the pressure feeling is more frequent. The weird thing is that it's worse when I'm stressed, especially work stress, and I know I carry tension in my face when I'm stressed out. I can feel myself clenching my jaw on that side even though teeth don't actually touch over there.

The worst part for me is that I am living in terrible fear about the palatal injection should one or both be extracted. I know people say that it can be painful, which doesn't sound great, but that's not the worst of it. As far as upper teeth go, I have had both upper wisdom teeth extracted (more than 30 years ago), #15 (upper left second molar-14 years ago), #2 (upper right second molar-13 years ago), and #12 (upper left first pre-molar-4 years ago). I don't remember anything specifically about the anesthetic from #15 and the wisdom teeth. When I had #2 out, I remember my palate being filled with the anesthetic and feeling very much like I was suffocating, not just because I was numb, but because it was actually so full of the anesthetic infiltrating the tissues. I don't remember anything similar with #12 four years ago. I don't know if that was because he used less for a pre-molar or because it was a different oral surgeon. I'm terrified as I feel this pressure and think about going back or seeing someone else who will do the cold test and find out if one or both need to come out, but I am so, so scared of that suffocating sense and the palatal infiltration. I had a considerable amount of pain during the fillings themselves since the fillings were deep and the molar was below the gum line, but I just tolerated it because I did not want the palatal. I couldn't handle it with an extraction though and would need the injection. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about or worked their way through this fear or just anything helpful?

(I'm starting to feel more panicky every day with holidays coming and dental offices taking time off in case I have an emergency - especially Thanksgiving with the four-day weekend).

 

[NervousUSA]

@Anne2021 I had two palatal injections for wisdom teeth removal, it was just last year so I remember it well. I didn't have any feelings of suffocation. The injections were painful, and a bit more painful than other local anesthetic injections, but it was quick and bearable, not painful enough to cause me to jump, or make a sound or anything like that. Also, my dentist is a bit more painful than other dentists I have had in his technique for nerve block injections, so maybe with another dentist, the palatal injections could be less painful than they were for me. After the extractions the local anesthetic seemed to spread up my cheek almost to my nose which was a bit weird, but didn't feel suffocating, more like when your face gets numb from cold but a bit more.

It also sounds like you might not ever need to have these two teeth extracted, it is a possiblity but maybe it will never happen. That is one possible outcome, and the worst possible outcome, but there could be lots of other possible outcomes or reasons these teeth are having these feelings, and it is a good sign that when you saw the dentist in August he said they looked OK on an xray. The feelings could be caused by other things than the teeth, maybe that muscle tension and clenching you mention.

 

[Anne2021]

@NervousUSA Thank you for your kind encouragement. I'm sorry that I did not reply soon after you wrote. I've just been a bundle of nerves, and sometimes I can't even come back here on the forum out of avoidance. Sometimes I pop in, read fast, and run. Your thoughts are very helpful, though. I'm still going with these teeth. One or both (not sure since they are together) still feel funny, but I take it day by day and I made it through the dreaded long Thanksgiving weekend without an emergency so that's something.

 

[NervousUSA]

@Anne2021 No worries! Glad to hear the teeth still seem to be fairly stable, from the sound of it.

 

[Anne2021]

@NervousUSA Yes, but I have been putting off a partial denture due to fears of getting the molds done. I went in today to consult about it and the dentist said that he sees evidence of supra-eruption on both sides of my mouth on the top where teeth have not had occlusion for 8.5 months on one side and 11.5 months on the other. These two teeth are on the side without occlusion for 11.5 months and he said they look worse than the other side, but that we should still be able to do a partial. I'm just kicking myself. These fears make me delay and then there is more damage of one kind or another and then new things to fear. I've made an appointment for two weeks from now, but I'm so scared the mold will pull out teeth or fillings or loosen them. I hate this phobia! I'm considering going to an office that I don't normally use that would do the partial denture with digital images instead of molds, even though I guess the molds would be better. I feel like panicking because if I put this off any longer my teeth will just keep supra-erupting even worse.

 

[NervousUSA]

@Anne2021 The mold can't pull out your teeth or fillings. I know because I have had molds taken and I have fillings, a crown and dental implant, and a baby tooth still in my mouth with tiny little kid size roots. The putty in them is a texture between play doh and oatmeal and no more sticky than those things. It might be a good idea to try the office that does a digital scan though if that would be the way to get it done so your teeth can get some occlusion and stop supra errupting. I hear what you are saying when you say I hate this phobia! I hate it too, and feel very tired of it.

 

[Anne2021]

@NervousUSA Thank you so much for your replies. I'm sorry I comment and then disappear. Some days I just can't stand the thought of even checking the forum because I don't want to think about it and some days I read replies, but can't get my mind together to answer.

So I saw the dentist about the partial (which I mentioned above) on 11/29. I made an appointment that day for 12/12. Then I went ahead and made an appointment with the one who does it with digital images and no impressions. I saw him two days ago (12/6). Now it's decision time. Both of them think the way they do it is better (naturally). The first one is an older dentist, and he is the one I want to see for my regular check-ups, fillings, etc. He said that he hasn't invested in the technology because he doesn't think it is as good as the impressions. His son and his former (retired) partner's sons have joined the practice, so they do have younger, newer dentists there who might be more open to change and they obviously aren't doing it yet. The second dentist is younger and at an office with a married couple who are dentists. They are more into the latest technology for everything. He clearly believed the digital scans method is superior. I don't know what to do. I don't want to alienate the dentist I want to stay with by getting the partial at the second office, but I don't see. myself being able to do the impression on Tuesday. I was also shocked to get estimates. The first dentist with the impressions quoted me about $1,500 and the second one with the digital images quoted me $945. That shocked me because I went to that office once six years ago. I asked way too many questions at that time and ended up leaving because I didn't feel like I developed enough rapport to move forward with them at that time. When I was there back then, I got the impression from my treatment plan that they were probably more expensive than anyone else for most of what they do. Ugh. I have to decide by Monday so that I can cancel the Tuesday appointment with 24 hours notice.

 

[Anne2021]

Oh dear. I just read Fangface's comment on 11/16/23 (you replied to it on 11/24/23), and I now I feel like panicking no matter what course I take. I'm already so scared to get COVID at the dentist.

 

[NervousUSA]

Don't worry, I understand. Today I had to get my partner to take a flyer from our doctor office out of the mail box and recycle it because I couldn't look at it without my heart pounding. Sometimes you just can't look at things. I wonder if you could avoid alienating your usual dentist by explaining to them you have a phobia of the impression? Are those quotes just for the impression and the scan? Or for actually making the device? I can tell you, I had a set of essix retainers made with a digital scan this summer, and I didn't get sick or anything, the retainers also fit accurately. Maybe different offices clean differently. I had traditional impressions/molds for a crown on my dental implant, and that didn't seem to go as well, the crown was oversized. The dentist was talking up a storm about his personal life with his assistant while taking the impression, so maybe that didn't help. Good luck, I hope you can come up with a plan that works for you!

 

[Anne2021]

@NervousUSA Well, I just went ahead and did it. This morning I called the office that does the digital images for the partial denture. My plan was to see if he could see me first thing on a Monday so that any germs in the office would have had Friday through Sunday (they are only open Mon-Thu) to dissipate due to my COVID (and flu) fears. Then if I could get in soon, I planned to cancel the appointment for tomorrow at the dentist who does the impressions. When I called and asked for first thing on a Monday, she said, "how fast can you get here?" He had time this morning - I think it was a cancellation - or else it would be 1/8/24 - four weeks from now! So I said I'd be right over and I just did it. All seemed to go very well (unless of course I picked up germs). He asked if the hygienest could do a little cleaning on the lower teeth since it's a lower partial, so he would get a better fit, and I said yes. Even that seemed to go well. And he didn't charge me for the cleaning work! It was probably better for me that I didn't end up making an appointment for some time in the future and then have time to go back and forth about it. So, all in all, it seems like a positive experience, but of course, I'm scared to get my hopes up that it will all work out. Naturally, I'm scared to get sick when I go back to get in a couple of weeks, too. I also waited until it was over to cancel the appointment for tomorrow and that ended up being only 23 hours notice instead of 24 hours so, of course, I'm obsessing about that and whether they'll ever see me again since I didn't give 24 hours.

Thank you so much for all your encouragement!

 

[NervousUSA]

@Anne2021 It's great you went ahead and got some progress made! It is nice you could drop in like that without the long wait time/anticipation. I always like urgent cares for this reason, too bad that isn't usually an option with dentists. Hopefully now this is done, you can get the partial and put a stop the the supra erruption. I hope you don't get sick. I didn't after having a digital scanning, and I think most people don't, or they couldn't use that type of scanner regularly. I think if you cancel without enough notice the most likely thing that will happen is you might have to pay a cancellation fee.