I went to the emergency dentist, but now what? :(

[la_vie_en_rose]

I haven't really had my teeth polished since I was a child from what I recall so no, this never happened before. Gordon in the question section said that it could be irritation from the little cotton rolls. I will probably tell them when I go back on the 21st.

I did take some medication and went to the "hairdresser" (let's not tell the government that someone cut my hair with us still in "lockdown". I kinda needed it after all of the drama) then I pretty much just stayed in bed for most of the day as I was exhausted. I'm about to go BACK to bed and try and forget about the next dentist appointment, though it is hard.

 

[la_vie_en_rose]

The appointment on the 21st is only a few days away and I'm starting to freak out. I slowly calmed down again after the cleaning was done but now I'm quickly freaking out again.

 

[Enarete]

Hey, if you're freaking out, you're doing everything right! How is your lip by the way?

 

[la_vie_en_rose]

Completely healed up. After I took the meds on the 11th it was okay and then by the 13th I was eating everything without issues again.
This time there will be a drill and a shot (my two main fears apart from the dentists themselves). And I know that I won't be able to choke down food before the appointment (it's in the morning) so hopefully I don't faint because of the shot. All of the "what if's" are going through my head.

 

[Enarete]

Would it be an idea to drink something that could take care of your blood glucose, to prevent fainting? Such as cacao or a smoothie or a protein shake, just something small that will feel more like a drink than food. Worked for me back then. Not to prevent fainting because of the shot, but to prevent feeling super weak and out of order beforehand (which I felt anyway, but it was a different level with low blood glucose)
Have you fainted because of a shot before?

 

[la_vie_en_rose]

That is a very good idea! I should have thought of that myself. Some nice warm cocoa or some chai tea would go down more easily than my usual breakfast. Thankfully it is a morning appointment, so hopefully I will be able to eat a normal dinner the night before.

I have fainted once, yes, but I'm no longer sure if it was actually the shot. I had a really bad toothache, hadn't slept (also didn't eat) and was in a real state of panic because I really didn't trust that dentist at all. He was very impatient and his injection was very painful. And down I went. I'm hoping to never repeat that experience and heard that eating and getting a good night of sleep would help. Now sleep too will be difficult because I just don't sleep well before the dentist.

 

[letsconnect]

Best of luck for your appointment - hope you were able to get some sleep!

 

[Enarete]

I have fainted once, yes, but I'm no longer sure if it was actually the shot. I had a really bad toothache, hadn't slept (also didn't eat) and was in a real state of panic because I really didn't trust that dentist at all. He was very impatient and his injection was very painful. And down I went. I'm hoping to never repeat that experience and heard that eating and getting a good night of sleep would help. Now sleep too will be difficult because I just don't sleep well before the dentist.

Good luck for today! Remember, if you're a mess, you're doing everything right I am sure your dentist will look after you really well.

Reading about your past experience, it looks like things back then have nothing in common with the context now. You will be fine.

A small piece of advice: try to get settled before you start with the procedure. The lower your stress before you start, the easier things will be. Allow yourself to arrive in the chair, have a chat, ask some questions and if you see that you're getting too worked up, give yourself a minute to calm down a tiny little bit. Also, keep in mind, that even a shot can be stopped at any time. Ask your dentist about it and ask whether you could use the stop sign if you get too panicky or if anything is uncomfortable. My dentist did that and we did the shot in stages (I got numbed up twice voluntarily, without treatment, because I was having panic attacks and wanted to get used to the numbing).

Thinking of you and sending good vibes, let us know how it went! And remember that few weeks back you didn't even consider seeing a dentist without sedation and now look how far you came?

 

[la_vie_en_rose]

I did not sleep very well. I woke up several times and then just laid there wide awake for a while, hoping to fall asleep again while thinking of drills and fainting during horribly painful shots. Fun. When I got up in the morning I made myself a chai tea because that was all I could force down.

The receptionist was a bit...I don't know, you couldn't quite say rude but...I guess the way I am used to from dental staff. Rushed and...when I asked if I would have to be alone in the room waiting for the dentist at some point as some dentists do this and being alone with my thoughts, in the chair, with the bib on gets me worked up like nothing else. She said that I should have brought someone with me then and to go in the waiting room to wait. I seriously considered just saying "Alright, I was here, charge me but I can't do this. I'm going to look for more sedation dentists". Thankfully, I had to wait only about five minutes. The assistant was the one I had during my first emergency appointment and she did NOT leave me alone and had no problem with me standing rather than getting in the chair. The dentist came in super quickly and I was like "Oh heck no, this is actually happening unless you run out of the room and let them send you the bill".

I didn't have to ask for a stop sign as my dentist offered me one right away. I was SO worried about that shot. The assistant offered me her hand and I squeezed it maybe a little too hard before I realised that it was really fine. A pinprick as the needle went in (he injected at several spots around the tooth), then nothing at all. He left the room for a while after injecting which no dentist ever did. They always did the shot then gathered their stuff and wanted to get started. The assistant stayed with me and started talking to me. We eventually ended up talking about my passion and favourite thing in the world--languages. I'm so glad that she stayed with me because waiting alone would have just gotten me worked up because I would have sat there thinking of what was about to happen to me.

I don't know how long it took the dentist to come back in but none of them waited this long before. Maybe no wonder that it always seemed to hurt less than without the shot but still hurt before with other dentists.

It was loud and it's never fun to have so much stuff in your mouth but it didn't hurt. My dentist explained everything and showed me everything without making me feel stupid or like a child (which, I know that it is difficult to get the balance right). I originally wanted to listen to music but ended up not turning it on.

It ended up being just a white filling, no root canal needed. He said that it could be a little sore and/or sensitive to the cold for a few weeks but it hasn't really bothered me other than that one time I yawned. I am eating normally already.

Now I have to go back on the 25th of January to fix two small cavities, then I'd be "done".

 

[Enarete]

Wow... la_vie_en_rose.. I don't even know what to say... you did such a beautiful job and it is a joy to read that. Wow, just wow... My heart sank for a moment as I read about the receptionist's behavior. That remark was very insensitive and I see how that made you doubt the whole thing. I was so glad to read that things turned out this beautifully after all. Well done Seeing you, going from absolute hopelessness and seeing sedation as a non-negotiable for any treatment, to getting a cleaning and a filling done, without sedation and without medication, "just" with the help of a dentist who listens to your and treats you kindly... it's just wonderful. ?

 

[letsconnect]

That's awesome news ? - well done!!! He sounds like a ginormous improvement on the previous dentists, and the assistant sounds great as well?! Really glad to hear everything went so smoothly - I hope you'll be able to relax a bit now and enjoy xmas?

 

[la_vie_en_rose]

Enarete, you have been so supportive and you and the other lovely people on this forum, like letsconnect and a fellow French person I am talking to via pm (because we write to each other in French) have helped me so much as well. I don't know if I wouldn't have given up without the encouragement I got from you guys.

Yeah, I was not impressed with the receptionist. Thankfully, everything after that worked out "just right". I honestly think that I would have walked out otherwise. But there is no way I will leave this dentist over her. Not when I can check everything on my dentist wish list apart from "must have sedation". I told the assistant that I want her again next time (she sounded so happy about it, too!) so I hope I will have her again because she knows that having to wait alone gets me too worked up.

My tooth already feels 100% normal now. Before it was fixed, chewing a certain way hurt. Now nothing hurts, I could even chew gum on that side no problem. Strangely enough, the numbness after didn't bother me as much as it usually did.

I noticed the very first time that my dentist just seemed different. He has a calm aura and never seems rehearsed like many of the dentist that advertise as "working with very anxious patients". I was so disheartened when he told me that he had no sedation options. Going to these two sedation dentists (and coming home crying and feeling like I was beyond being treated even with sedation) I really noticed that difference again. Both of the sedation dentists seemed very rehearsed and I could feel that they were really annoyed with me even when acting "friendly". The second one with the gas straight up said that I just came in and was making a bunch of demands and that I would have to deal with things I didn't like or want. It all sounded as if he was doing me a favour rather than me paying him for a service.

I have started taking anxiety/mild antidepressant medication (not SSRIs or anything like that. The doctor said that I could simply stop taking them at any time) prescribed by my doctor in the middle of this, but that was a long time coming because of covid and the isolation as well. I often felt like just staying in bed all day even before the dentist thing started. I'm sure it helped, but it wasn't anything that would be classified as oral sedation. I remember everything completely and was still freaking out and couldn't sleep before.

I didn't think that I would want to know everything that was happening as I always just wanted to be sedated and completely unaware, but it actually helped and was a much better experience than the one under nitrous with a shot that almost made me jump out of the chair and being semi-there and just ignored. But who could have known?

I want to continue my journal now so I can get to what I think is really a happy ending. I hope that I won't freak out so much next time. Right now I'm still fine (though my sleep pattern has been a bit messed up due to my not really sleeping before the appointment).

 

[la_vie_en_rose]

My next dentist appointment is next week and it is getting to me again. I have no idea why. Covid and the constantly changing rules doesn't help matters either. Ugh.

 

[MumOfBoys1985]

Everything you're feeling is normal, its the anticipation and feeling like you dont know what will happen or what to expect. For me, its usually the fear of bad news that makes me worse.

What is it you're having done? Think how well you did last Time, it wasn't as bad as you expected and you did great. You were safe with your dentist and you know they will stop when you need them to.