I'm a total wreck and am freaking out...need advice badly

[scaredycat69]

I have a dental appointment Wednesday with a general dentist that I have never been to it is a woman that has 3 years experience and I have 11 teeth that really need work badly I have 1 wizzy broken on bottom left side a tooth right next to it broken as well with a huge hole in the side all 11 are bad and along with those some are broken I finish my clindamycin 150mg tomorrow...I am so petrified cause we have no insurance and I basically have to go to the dental clinic but here are some things bothering me that maybe someone can help me with

1)can I die from getting an infected tooth pulled
2)can I get sepsis from getting teeth pulled
3)what about my dentist 3 year experience should I be concerned
4)they use regular x rays no digital ones they are trying to get digital machines but how good are the old ones
5)I know I have to go how can I keep calm during procedure they have no sedation there just local

can someone please help me before I go nuts here I have literally balled my eyes out and have been up and down the internet highway which has caused more fear I am so phobic of dentist I'd appreciate any and all advice

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Hi,
Sorry to read about your tough situation. This waiting period before the treatment must be a tough one, so it very good you are seeking for support and advise in this wonderful forum. I will do my best to answer your concerns. As you said it yourself, please don't google too much, most of the information there is not necessarily relevant for you and will only make you more scared.

Regarding the fear of sepsis: A tooth infection can grow and spread in the body. Even if it does spread to other tissues, it takes a couple of weeks/months for it to spread around enough to danger the patient's life, and during that time there will be signs of a spread out sickness: fever, malaise and so forth. In the western world there are about 5 cases a year (out of the entire developed countries together) of a tooth related abscess, so we are dealing here with very extreme and rare cases.
During a tooth extraction there is a chance that the infection will spread a bit to the neighboring tissues, but this can be easily prevented by a course of antibiotics (if indeed indicated).

The good old analog X-ray has actually better resolution than the digital one, however a modern dental clinic is expected to have a digital one because of many reasons like less radiation for the patient, no need for chemical film development (better for the environment) and it is easier to play with and send far away the digital images. So if a dental practice is using an old X-ray it tells (at least to me) that the clinic is not up to dated technologically-wise but that does not mean that the dental treatment should be inferior.

I treat many dental phobic patients and I never use tranquilizers of sedation (I do use laughing gas from time to time). This approach does not help to lessen the dental anxiety. The best thing is to find a dentist who you can trust in, and develop a trustful relationship with. No drug is an alternative to human touch.
It was not clear from your thread, how come you never met the treating dentist and still you have a detailed treatment plan? Who checked you first?

all the best

 

[carole]

I had an infected tooth removed and it didn't spread and obviously I didn't die either from it, I also had a tooth next to the extracted one rct'd and that had infection too, and still no nasty side effects to deal with that was over a year ago.
The infection cleared up and I have had no trouble since.

When I first started seeing my dentist, a woman with three years experience I felt like you do, but she is really good and is better than some older dentists I have had at times.

At the moment I am seeing a post grad student for a rct re treatment and they have the old style x rays in that dept which have been fine. I found the fact that the dentist told me what to expect and kept asking me if I was okay and told me if I needed a rest they would stop. My first couple of appointments I shook so bad but the apps after have been much better and I no longer shake or stress before the appointments.

You should be fine, they are very good at dealing with nervous/phobic patients and they put patient comfort first.

All the best try not to get too worked up, I know it is very hard but I find the wait is the worst.

 

[scaredycat69]

Hi,
Sorry to read about your tough situation. This waiting period before the treatment must be a tough one, so it very good you are seeking for support and advise in this wonderful forum. I will do my best to answer your concerns. As you said it yourself, please don't google too much, most of the information there is not necessarily relevant for you and will only make you more scared.

Regarding the fear of sepsis: A tooth infection can grow and spread in the body. Even if it does spread to other tissues, it takes a couple of weeks/months for it to spread around enough to danger the patient's life, and during that time there will be signs of a spread out sickness: fever, malaise and so forth. In the western world there are about 5 cases a year (out of the entire developed countries together) of a tooth related abscess, so we are dealing here with very extreme and rare cases.
During a tooth extraction there is a chance that the infection will spread a bit to the neighboring tissues, but this can be easily prevented by a course of antibiotics (if indeed indicated).

The good old analog X-ray has actually better resolution than the digital one, however a modern dental clinic is expected to have a digital one because of many reasons like less radiation for the patient, no need for chemical film development (better for the environment) and it is easier to play with and send far away the digital images. So if a dental practice is using an old X-ray it tells (at least to me) that the clinic is not up to dated technologically-wise but that does not mean that the dental treatment should be inferior.

I treat many dental phobic patients and I never use tranquilizers of sedation (I do use laughing gas from time to time). This approach does not help to lessen the dental anxiety. The best thing is to find a dentist who you can trust in, and develop a trustful relationship with. No drug is an alternative to human touch.
It was not clear from your thread, how come you never met the treating dentist and still you have a detailed treatment plan? Who checked you first?

all the best

Thank you so much Dr.Daniel for responding to my post it has helped even though as time grows closer to my appointment so does my fear and or fears.I had been to this dental clinic before but had a rude dentist there that had checked me out and told me what I needed done but he had NO people skills and I received anti biotics and pain meds and left.There are a total of 3 dentist at this dental clinic a husband and wife and the dental director which was the rude one to me.Also I had been to another dental facility that had took full mouth x rays and told me that 11 out of the 19 teeth I have left has to come out so that's where I came up with the treatment plan.I plan on keeping my appointment with this dentist and hopefully shes nice and good with people with dental phobia and or fear as I told my wife I might just go and do the full mouth xrays cause I haven't had any xrays in over a year and things do change over time and meet her and come up with a dental plan and go back the next week to have work done I don't know if this is a smart thing or not but I'd like to take baby steps and get to know and trust my dentist before work.Also the one experience I had with the rude dentist at this clinic I had actually seen before and because I was 5 dollars short he wouldn't work on me and then when I went to this clinic and seen him yet again cause I went in for dental emergency he couldn't remember me but I remembered him the thought of not feeling important scared me away before and when I told him that I was afraid that if he pulled my infected tooth that I was afraid that I'd die from it his comment was I cant grant you immortality,I thought the sarcasm could of been left out to it just seemed with him it was money that drove him....

 

[carole]

You could have the work done a bit at a time, starting with the small stuff and working up to the bigger jobs. Don't try and do too much too soon as this will have you running for the hills again.

I find if I have a dentist that can take their time and not rush me I do very good with them, the ones that rush and are rude have me shaking and considering not going.

Good luck let us know how you get on.