How to deal with the feeling that something is wrong when receiving numbing injections?

[osmosian]

How to deal with the feeling that something is wrong when receiving numbing injections?

Well first, hi, I'm new.
After a while of putting it off I was finally in so much tooth pain from a cavity and infected root that I had to see a dentist. I started a course of antibiotics and when I finished I was ready to have the tooth out. I'm okay with needles if I can see them enter me so I asked for a mirror and watched the injection. I don't exactly know how to explain it but I felt a massive fear go through me like something was wrong. I suffer from anxiety in general so I don't know if the numbing feeling just kicked it off but I soon had a panic attack and the dentist wasn't comfortable taking the tooth out and referred me to a sedation clinic.

The problem is the time it's going to take. I'm once again on antibiotics from pain and infection, and If I wait for the sedation clinic I feel like the infection will keep coming back, but I'm so terrified of the feeling that something is terribly wrong when I receive the injections. I need this tooth out, it's actually ruining my life. I can't live with this sort of pain.

So when I've finished my antibiotics on friday I need to get the tooth removed under local injection and I am absolutely terrified. I was wondering if there was anything I could do before hand to make myself feel more relaxed? Perhaps there's something I can ask the doctor for? Whilst I'm on this subject, does anybody recommend me waiting to start my antidepressants until after the treatment since I usually get really bad side effects in the first couple of days?

I also get dentist induced nightmares, although I'm awake when I experience them, if that makes sense? There's a faceless dentist prodding me with needles and numbing up my mouth. I think I'm more terrified of the numbing sensation than the needles.

 

[findingthesun]

Re: How to deal with the feeling that something is wrong when receiving numbing injections?

Well first, hi, I'm new.
After a while of putting it off I was finally in so much tooth pain from a cavity and infected root that I had to see a dentist. I started a course of antibiotics and when I finished I was ready to have the tooth out. I'm okay with needles if I can see them enter me so I asked for a mirror and watched the injection. I don't exactly know how to explain it but I felt a massive fear go through me like something was wrong. I suffer from anxiety in general so I don't know if the numbing feeling just kicked it off but I soon had a panic attack and the dentist wasn't comfortable taking the tooth out and referred me to a sedation clinic.

The problem is the time it's going to take. I'm once again on antibiotics from pain and infection, and If I wait for the sedation clinic I feel like the infection will keep coming back, but I'm so terrified of the feeling that something is terribly wrong when I receive the injections. I need this tooth out, it's actually ruining my life. I can't live with this sort of pain.

So when I've finished my antibiotics on friday I need to get the tooth removed under local injection and I am absolutely terrified. I was wondering if there was anything I could do before hand to make myself feel more relaxed? Perhaps there's something I can ask the doctor for? Whilst I'm on this subject, does anybody recommend me waiting to start my antidepressants until after the treatment since I usually get really bad side effects in the first couple of days?

I also get dentist induced nightmares, although I'm awake when I experience them, if that makes sense? There's a faceless dentist prodding me with needles and numbing up my mouth. I think I'm more terrified of the numbing sensation than the needles.

I have been through the extraction rodeo a few times. First of all, call your doctor and if you feel you really need it, ask them if they can give you a tranquilizer (I believe the usual is ativan...I take klonopin already for my anxiety disorder, so I don't need to ask) which will help slow you down on the day of the procedure. I would suggest you hold off on your meds if you know you get side effects starting them, personally, especially if those side effects involve nausea (when I started my meds I was sooo nauseous), as obviously you don't want to feel pukey while they're poking around!

Anyway -

Make sure your doctor knows you are scared and have a huge dental phobia, as most will be very kind and take it slowly with you. Make sure you read the section of this site re: injections, because knowledge is power and knowing what to potentially expect is a good idea. Being numb really is not a big deal though, it kind of feels a bit like when your foot is asleep actually. Very odd sensation but not painful or scary.

Once you are numbed it is really just a lot of noise. If you feel any pain make sure you tell your doctor as they will stop and inject some more in and you will be good. If you feel a little pain it won't be the worst pain ever as long as you open your mouth and say it hurts, just kind of achy, so don't worry about that too much. The noise will sound a bit scary but really it's just the doctor needs to make sure he/she has everything out. You will feel pressure while he or she pulls but again, that is less painful and more weird feeling due to the numbness.

Afterwards just please make sure you follow instructions to a T! Keep the area clean and all should go fine and heal up well. It will hurt for a little while but honestly as long as you follow instructions there should be nothing to worry about. Trust me when I say all of this is much better than letting it get abscessed (been there done that...ugh). Good luck.