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I need a little pick-me-up before tomorrow

R

Routine

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2009
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45
I've written about this here already before, but basically - I have a small mouth, so I had a couple of teeth that grew behind everything else. I had one of them removed a few years ago, while the other one eventually fell out and now all that's left of it is the root that needs to be removed. I've been putting it off for ages (even though I know I shouldn't have, haha), but eventually it started hurting, so I figured I had to get it done. I'm scheduled for an appointment tomorrow.

I'm terrified, lol. I'm not really scared of most procedures anymore, but I honestly would rather have another root canal instead of this (root canals are nbd, at least they don't hurt...) I have a bad history with extractions, though - the anesthetic doesn't seem to work too well on me in those cases and I end up feeling most if not all of it.

At the same time, I'm in pain anyway, so I'm kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place here.
 
I once had a tooth extracted by a dentist that could not get me numb. I felt the ENTIRE thing! (hence all the years I never returned to see a dentist).

Just last Tuesday I found an AMAZING dentist with amazing staff and he extracted a tooth on Friday. I also had a filling and a root canal on other teeth at the same appointment. I didn't feel a thing!!!! They told me the trick is this.....when you tense up and hold your breath as they are injecting the anesthetic, it won't really work because you are blocking oxygen from reaching the nerves. If you breath in VERY deeply through your NOSE while they are doing it, you bring a ton of oxygen to the nerves and you will get numbed up pretty darn quick.

Well guess what? It TOTALLY worked!!!! I didn't feel ANY of the injections. I even had a one in the roof of my mouth and I barely felt that one. In the past, i would claw at the chair getting those in the roof of my mouth.

Try the DEEP breathing through your nose. It really worked!! It worked so well I was only there an hour and a half but I was numb for about 5 hours total afterward. LOL! You can do it and you will be fine. Keep us posted.
 
If you breath in VERY deeply through your NOSE while they are doing it, you bring a ton of oxygen to the nerves and you will get numbed up pretty darn quick.


Really? I had no idea. I'll try that and let you know if it works, lol. They always tell me to breathe when they're injecting the stuff, but I figured it's just so I wouldn't hyperventilate, since I used to be really scared of needles (not so much anymore.)


I only read that when you're anxious the anesthetic doesn't work as well, because your heart is beating faster, and the blood ends up "washing away" the anesthetic before it can work, or something like that. Which really sucks for us anxious people! I take benzos before my appointments, but it only helps somewhat. If I'm sufficiently freaked out, I found it ends up breaking through the calming effect of the pills, if that makes sense.

Bleh.
 
Really? I had no idea. I'll try that and let you know if it works, lol. They always tell me to breathe when they're injecting the stuff, but I figured it's just so I wouldn't hyperventilate, since I used to be really scared of needles (not so much anymore.)


I only read that when you're anxious the anesthetic doesn't work as well, because your heart is beating faster, and the blood ends up "washing away" the anesthetic before it can work, or something like that. Which really sucks for us anxious people! I take benzos before my appointments, but it only helps somewhat. If I'm sufficiently freaked out, I found it ends up breaking through the calming effect of the pills, if that makes sense.

Bleh.

Yep!I have anxiety and panic attacks as well so i know the feeling!!! and yes,you are also correct about the anxiety washing away the anesthetic. just try as best you can to relax. I know its hard but ,if I can do it I know you can do it.
 
Okay, time for the update

The good:
The dentist was super nice and reassuring (I went to my usual practice, but a different dentist). A lot of the time, I end up with dentists that get all annoyed when the anesthetic doesn't work as if it was my fault. Some even act as if I'm imagining the pain, like "but there's no way you can feel this!" (why would I be making this up, lady?!) But this time I actually didn't feel any pain during the extraction! Just pressure. Sure, it wasn't pleasant, but nowhere near as traumatizing as the previous two times. They actually managed to numb me properly, I'm in shock.

The bad:
I now have stitches on my palate that are annoying the Christ out of me and are making it difficult to eat. The dentist gave me some sort of a reason for why I needed stitches, but since the pills I take mess with my memory a bit, I don't remember what it was, lol. Gonna have to deal with them for a week now...

But boy! I've been worrying about this tooth for years and now it's finally out!
Next up: wisdom teeth. But hopefully I won't have to deal with those for a while.
 
Okay, time for the update

The good:
The dentist was super nice and reassuring (I went to my usual practice, but a different dentist). A lot of the time, I end up with dentists that get all annoyed when the anesthetic doesn't work as if it was my fault. Some even act as if I'm imagining the pain, like "but there's no way you can feel this!" (why would I be making this up, lady?!) But this time I actually didn't feel any pain during the extraction! Just pressure. Sure, it wasn't pleasant, but nowhere near as traumatizing as the previous two times. They actually managed to numb me properly, I'm in shock.

The bad:
I now have stitches on my palate that are annoying the Christ out of me and are making it difficult to eat. The dentist gave me some sort of a reason for why I needed stitches, but since the pills I take mess with my memory a bit, I don't remember what it was, lol. Gonna have to deal with them for a week now...

But boy! I've been worrying about this tooth for years and now it's finally out!
Next up: wisdom teeth. But hopefully I won't have to deal with those for a while.

You did it!!! Good for you! I bet the stitches are annoying but they will be out before you know it. Did you use the deep breathing technique during the injections?
 
I dunno if it was more "deep breathing" or "hyperventilating", but at least I tried :p
 
I dunno if it was more "deep breathing" or "hyperventilating", but at least I tried :p

Aw! This response is so cute! :)
I totally get it and even though I take anti-anxiety drugs for my appointments I still have to 'think' about breathing and relaxing my shoulders. It takes practice but it helps hugely!

Well done you and I'm glad you got it sorted!
A week with stitches is nothing - you can do it!
 
Well done you and I'm glad you got it sorted!
A week with stitches is nothing - you can do it!

Haha, yeah, considering I've been worrying about this tooth for such a long time, it's a good feeling to finally get it out. But the stitches are freaking me out a little, since it feels like if I move my tongue the wrong way I'm gonna rip them out, lol. Due to the way they're positioned, I can feel them all the time, too and eating is a bit tricky. Plus, since this is my first time having them, I don't know what's normal and what's not.

But at least I'm in a lot less pain compared to my previous extraction. Still, next Thursday can't come fast enough!
 
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