Feeling sick with fear and can't stop crying

[Kat75]

I have just come back from my first appointment with my new dentist, thinking he was going to start procedures for my crown.

They took another x-ray(didn't have time to pick up my x-rays from the Endodontist's office), and he said my lower right wisdom tooth is pressing against the molar which I had root canaled at the beginning of the month. He said that's probably what caused the cavity/infection in the first place.

He took some digital photos and showed them to me on this big tv, and there was no way I could argue the case - the tooth has no space whatsoever, it almost looks like it's directly underneath my molar.

I feel so embarrassed about it, but I started crying. I couldn't help it.

I am so scared, it's untrue. I know he's right and I need to have this done, but God help me, I don't want to.

I feel so sick, there is no way I will be able to do this.

He wants me to see the oral surgeon before we do any treatment on the molar, because he said putting a crown on now would be a waste of time and money because it would be compromised by my wisdom tooth.

He also said if I go under for it or have IV sedation, it would be a good idea to remove all wisdom teeth at the same time and be done with it.

Oh God, I am so scared!!!!!

Katx

 

[mikey]

If you get i/v sedation for it its like going to sleep for the whole thing and waking up with it all done.

 

[Kat75]

Thanks for your reply.

What I am most scared of is not the pain afterwards or even the procedure itself, it's the risk of nerve damage.

I'm 32 years old now, and judging by what I've been reading on the internet, I have an increased risk of nerve damage.

Oh God, I don't want to do this.

I wish I could just pretend today never happened and forget all about it.

 

[Anniebea]

I was actually living in the UK when I had my wissies out, they put me under general anasethic (sp) at a Bristol hospital, it was the best hing I ever did. I had no nerve damage, I must have swollowed loads of blood because I spent 12 hours vomiting afterwards........yuk!

It was well worth it and I would definitly go through that experience again, just to be rid of them.........any sedation would help, often the thought is worse than the experience

 

[Kat75]

Thanks for your reply.

How old were you when you had yours removed? (if you don't mind the question)

My husband had his removed under general anaesthetic in the UK when he was 21.

Over here they tend to go with IV sedation I think.

God, I feel so sick. I don't think I'm going to be able to do this.

 

[mikey]

I don't think I have ever seen or heard of anyone having nerve damage on here or that I know personally. I don't think it's very common.

 

[Kat75]

Thanks Mikey, you're probably right and I'm just getting myself all worked up for nothing.

I have been looking at stuff on the internet for the past five hours or so, which I know is probably a bad idea.

I really don't want to have it done, but if I have to do it, I'd rather get it over with soon before I drive myself insane!

 

[scaredstiff]

I've said before and I'll say it again. The internet is a wonderful place but it can also be scarey full of people giving bac accounts of their experiences. I'm not going to say that people shouldn't vent about their experiences, whether good or bad, but bear in mind for every bad experience there are probably thousands of good. When we are afraid of something, we hook onto these bad accounts and dwell on them, becoming pessimistic about our own forthcoming appontments, thinking everything will go wrong, instead of being positive and focusing on the 99.9% probability that everything will go well, will be nowhere as bad as we had imagined.

I know it's hard, but you've got to try and have not only more confidence in your dentist, but confidence in yourself also and keep telling yourself you can do it, you will do it, and it won't hurt and the after effects will be bloody marvellous.

 

[blah]

You'll be ok. I know you're scared and it's very easy for the mind to go through a bunch of "what ifs", but people get their wisdom teeth removed every day without consequence. Dentists and oral surgeons are very skilled at what they do. 32 is very young. I can't imagine it having much more risk than say, getting them done at 22. Try to think of the positives. You get to sleep through the procedure and when it's all over your gums are going to heal very quickly. Then you can have a nice new crown put on your root canal. You won't have any more infections and life will be good.