I'm back..trying to book that appointment!

[Penny]

well, I made it back alive, need 2 fillings one new, one replacement, having them on wednesday at 12. He was nice to me today, bright and friendly and more confident. Remembered not to prod me with that hook thing. Paid already, to try to focus my mind on going back, at least wednesday isn't too long to torture myself. he did say my oral hygine was 100% and I had no plaque or tartar build up and I was doing everything right, feel i can't be if I need a new filling, must be doing something wrong, but looking on the bright side i don't have to have a cleaning or worry about gums. They have told me to try to eat before the next appointment or it makes the annestetic harder if you have an empty stomache and you could go light headed, is that true? I find it hard to eat as I feel so sick. BUT I went on the strengh of a few headache tablets today, no rescue remedy or anything. I was offered vallium for the next appointment, but i said no, going to try to do it without, save the £50. Check up's are the pits, with the fear of the unknown and all that poking about. By the time you get back Lets, it should be all over. Exhausted now, going to have a large vodka tonight. a Very large one! x

 

[mikey]

I definately think you should eat before your next appointment because around three months ago I passed out in the dentist office because of it.

 

[rabidstoat]

Congrats on getting it done, and without valium even. That's really super! And needing a new filling can be for a lot of reasons. Some people's teeth are just a lot more prone to decay than others, it's bad luck of the genetic draw. Or it could have been sort of lingering from before, if you hadn't been in for a while.

I would try to eat something before you go but just a little bit if you have queasy flip-flopping stomach. Maybe something mild like some rice or porridge or something, just to have something in your stomach.

I like hearing about other people's successes, since I have a few appointments I need to make over the next few months.

 

[brit]

well, I made it back alive, need 2 fillings one new, one replacement, having them on wednesday at 12. He was nice to me today, bright and friendly and more confident. Remembered not to prod me with that hook thing. Paid already,.........he did say my oral hygine was 100% and I had no plaque or tartar build up and I was doing everything right, feel i can't be if I need a new filling, must be doing something wrong,

Hi Penny
Congratulations.....I remember your earlier posts and there is a definite pattern with you where you worry a lot beforehand and then cope splendidly when you get there.....not even any valium this time either.....glad he was nice to you....he has been so before, but you always seem to forget between appointments..
You are now in the enviable position of being less worried about treatment than about a checkup...this is real progress......don't get the pink water comment....they don't seem to have it anymore....but I remember it used to be there all the time so it didn't signal anything was at an end in my case...also you often have to rinse mid-procedure.

On good oral hygiene yet still getting cavities, this has happened to me before although not very often...all you can do is your best and if you now floss daily when you didn't before then you have made strides indeed...we can't control everything about our lives healthwise however hard we try.

Good luck next week but I know you will be fine when it comes to it. Hugs (no smiley?) Brit

 

[Anna1]

They have told me to try to eat before the next appointment or it makes the annestetic harder if you have an empty stomache and you could go light headed, is that true?

My good old standby before dental treatment are Jaffa Cakes My dentist has always told me to eat something sweet to keep my blood sugar up, and help the anesthetic to work. I find it hard to eat anything too 'solid' like bread, cereal or digestive biscuits, but Jaffa cakes slip down a treat! They are fairly light, low in fat and easy to chew and swallow, but do the trick of lining your stomach and keeping the blood sugar up.

Good luck - you will be fine

Anna

 

[Penny]

Thank you, I think I am doing much better than I was. I last went 6 months ago, but I think this has been lingering since i was 17, which is a long time ago. For all my phobia I don't get much wrong, until I started at this dentist anyway. The dentist across the road has put a note up saying they are taking new NHS people, so I am sending my husband on Monday to join up, My friend goes there and raves about her, I have never had a female dentist before, I will see what my husband thinks, then I may go and check her out. The counciling has really helped I think, I would say I am 70% better than I was, worth you thinking about. Going to the dentist is unpleasent, it is reasonable not to look forward to it, there would be something wrong with someone who wanted to have fillings and things. try not to be too hard on yourselves, that is what i have mainly learned, I can't stop obsessing, so i am trying to accept that. If i catch myself i try to distact and do something else, ANYTHING else and i try to focus on the outcome, if i catch myself thinking about the horror of walking in, I TRY to change it to an image of myself walking out, after it is all over. I have also been learning to actually breathe, holding my breath just makes the heart beat faster and increases the panic. A dentist appointment should spoil a day, not a lifetime. I will try to eat something. I haven't passed out at the dentist since the day the phobia started, don't want to start that again THANK you for the support, it really helps. Good luck with your appointments too x

 

[Penny]

Me again, been thinking about what you said, and I am lucky in that once i get there, I prefer to just get it over with. It is the getting there and staying in the waiting room I have problems with!! If I can walk and sit in the chair i usually just put up with it until it is over. As a child we had this mean dentist, an army one, he used to drill our teeth with no injection, he never stopped until the end however hard you screamed. It used to be such a relief to get the pink water, as you knew it was done. First time I got an injection, half way through the filling was such a relief, I have NEVER been afraid of them, in fact i panic like crazy if someone thinks something will be painless and desides to try to drill something without an injection. Sometimes he used to squirt so much fluid you would be screaming and choking and still it didn't stop. He had this big german nurse who used to help hold you down and he used to run his hand up and down your leg to 'sooth' you. Even now I am 40, i get to the dentist and feel six all over again. I try to remember though, that I am the one in control, and at ANY time I feel the need i can make it stop and leave. We are not children any more, and fortunately, in these days of law suites, this kind of treatment of children is getting rare, thank god. On a brighter note, I do have some jaffa cakes, going to give that a try, so thanks for the tip. I have also managed to email him today to make sure I know exactly what teeth are being filled, as I was stressed and can't remember what he told me. He wanted me to look and see them on the screen but I just couldn't, the sight of my own cavity would have freeked me out BIG time!! On a tv they look massive. But you are right, for me, the actual getting there is by far and away the worst bit, making myself actually walk in and sit down, moving from waiting room to surgery, etc. I HATE the treatment, obviously, but it is for my own good so it has to be put up with. The suport here helps me actually make it through the door!! x

 

[brit]

The dentist across the road has put a note up saying they are taking new NHS people, so I am sending my husband on Monday to join up, My friend goes there and raves about her, I have never had a female dentist before, I will see what my husband thinks, then I may go and check her out.

It's great that your friend really likes her....just one word of caution, if she is just an Associate dentist at the practice, she could be 'here today, gone tomorrow'....I had 20 odd years on an Associates list at an NHS practice and finally 'went private' to get some continuity. I used to get a different dentist every year roughly, so every two visits....the longest one stayed was 3 years.

I would hate you to move, have her promptly leave and then you feel you can't go back to the 'not so bad devil you know'.

If she is the principal dentist (owner) of the practice then this is much less of a risk.
Also you know the standard of work of your current dentist is good as he has done successful root canals etc for you. Has your friend had much treatment?

From your other post it sounded like cost was a major factor as well so it probably would make sense for your husband at least to switch.

All the best with your decision whatever it is.

A dentist appointment should spoil a day, not a lifetime.

What a wonderful phrase....why not put it on your 'signature tag' before someone else does?

 

[brit]

Sorry Penny, I have only just seen this bit of your reply......

As a child we had this mean dentist, an army one, he used to drill our teeth with no injection, he never stopped until the end however hard you screamed.He had this big german nurse who used to help hold you down and he used to run his hand up and down your leg to 'sooth' you.

I have had a similar experience with a South African trained dentist......no restraint or physical contact as such but he was definitely enjoying unnecessarily inflicting the pain ......parents please note..it is best to stay within earshot when your child is having invasive dental treatment.

Injections.... I have NEVER been afraid of them, in fact i panic like crazy if someone thinks something will be painless and desides to try to drill something without an injection.

Join the club on being a fan of local anaesthetic (very normal reaction if you have had it denied in the past) .....I do like the LA to be delivered comfortably though and in fact it always has been...even with my old NHS dentists lol.

If you changed dentist, would you feel the need to share some of this background again? Another reason against changing I suppose.

No wonder you loved the pink water...what a sicko you had the misfortune to meet.

 

[Penny]

Hi......... well I got an email back from the devil I know, he is very good at that. It is two new fillings, the two old filling he was leaving for next time obviously are still good to be left, I don't get that, going to have to try to point out again that I will worry all 6 months if i think something is being left. I pay them £10 a month which gives me 2 check ups, 2 trips to the hyjeanist and 20% off any treatment. Well, I haven't needed a hygeanist for over 10 years, when we went sonic and started propper flossing. I am wondering if i should pay his £10 or switch to one of the public private scemes that pay £300-£400 towards actual treatment instead? Then I could stay with the devil I am getting to know, and wouldn't have the trauma of looking for someone else? 2 new fillings, I am gutted, I try so hard to keep my mouth healthy. He said that tiny specks from your teenage years of neglect can become significant when you hit 40 however clean you stay. 2 new fillings, one on each side. Trying to resist the earge to get the mirror out and keep looking, will just make me feel sick and won't change anything, do others do that?? magnalights and small mirrors, trying to convince ourselves we can see 12 cavities? It is just crazy isn't it?? x

 

[liberated]

Trying to resist the earge to get the mirror out and keep looking, will just make me feel sick and won't change anything, do others do that?? magnalights and small mirrors, trying to convince ourselves we can see 12 cavities? It is just crazy isn't it?? x

Before I started going to my current dentist I sometimes looked at my teeth with a mirror and I was convinced that I have a cavity on almost every tooth. Which made me even more terrified (because I also had a dentist who din't use LA for drilling) and led to further postponing seeing a dentist. What a nice surprise when after years I finally decided to face it, went to see my current dentist and found out that it's not as bad at all. I needed a couple of fillings, but some of them were replacing old ones, only two new. Since that time I try not to make any diagnose myself.

I currently have braces so I spend pretty much time looking at my teeth, because I need to look at the mirror while brushing and flossing. So I am aware of every tiny change on my teeth and gums. Especially at the beginning of a treatment I was glad that I am seeing some professional every couple of weeks and I can allways ask and have a peace of mind. Otherwise I would be probably thinking of it all the time. So you're not alone.

As a result that my dentist, hygienist or orthodontist always explained me everything I am quite relaxed about my teeth now. I just do my best and my dental team does the rest.

 

[brit]

I pay them £10 a month which gives me 2 check ups, 2 trips to the hygienist and 20% off any treatment. Well, I haven't needed a hygienist for over 10 years, when we went sonic and started proper flossing. I am wondering if i should pay his £10 or switch to one of the public private schemes that pay £300-£400 towards actual treatment instead? Then I could stay with the devil I am getting to know, and wouldn't have the trauma of looking for someone else?

So you are paying £120 per year for two check ups and you are not using the hygienist at all....at my last UK private dentist, I was paying slightly more than that for 6 monthly check-ups and cleans under 'pay as you go'. All treatment was on top.
A Denplan type scheme would have been false economy for me as I would have had to pay around £50 per month to have everything covered when in reality my 'pay as you go' was far less. It depends whether you can afford to pay for the treatment when it arises or if you prefer to kiss goodbye to £x per month just in case.
It sounds like you are talking about one of the cash benefit plans (HSA? was it?) and if you do the sums maybe that will work out better for you.
I know under Denplan type schemes people sometimes complain of undertreatment/neglect because the monthly figure is already paid.

Glad you got a response to your email. On the cavities, as I said before..it happens....actually I'm at the other extreme of being happy to just leave it all to the dentist to find (it's their job) ....last time I needed treatment, I was asked if I'd noticed any symptoms and I hadn't...hey not my job to notice unless it hurts !
Try to relax your way through your appointment. Maybe the old fillings really don't need re-doing urgently and you could leave them for a couple of years...who knows? Definitely remid him that you don't want to hear about future stuff though. At least he's remembered some of your preferences.
Hugs again! really want that smiley back!

 

[Penny]

Hi....... yes i was thinking of one of those HSA type things to help with the costs, I am not getting value for money out of the one I am paying. I am very low today, be glad when it is all over. I did email hime again and got a nice response. I hate this phobia, really hate it. He said in the email that he is looking forward to seeing me tomorrow, HA can't imagine why, be glad to see the back of me I expect, I can't be easy. By this time tomorrow it will be over and we are going to the cinema straight after. Thank you once again!! x

 

[brit]

You'll be fine.....

Funny, we say 'look forward to seeing you' without thinking what it actually means.. I'm sure he's pleased with your progress.....it must be satisfying to see patients get used to stuff and gradually overcome their (originally justified) fears. You will be fine......I actually quite enjoyed my last treatment appt a few months ago...now I must be weird! All the best...film arranged as well...you really do handle it very impressively.

 

[Penny]

Thank you!!! I have to have something to look forward to!! I like going to the cinema, plan on seeing something funny. Be glad when it is all over!! Not long now! x

 

[brit]

Let us know how it goes and which film you see!

 

[Penny]

I will, I have been up for hours, so I took the dog out and I have washed my hair. Just trying to keep busy, had the runs so I haven't tried to eat yet, I feel so sick, I feel so stupid, stupid stupid stupid.. It is half an hour and it has such control over me. Not long to wait now. Thanks brit. It will be ok, I've done it before and the only really tough bit is walking in, after that events take care of themselves, then freedom for at least 6 months and a nice trip to the cinema! GOOD luck to all the other posters who are biting the bullet today, making those calles, going along for treatment, what ever stage, GOOD luck to you all x

 

[scaredstiff]

Penny, a dentalappointment need not spoil even a day - in fact look at it like just an hour or two or maybe three of slight discomfort and then the rest of the day a feeling of euphoria that it's all over with.

 

[brit]

Yes but it does dominate the day somewhat..

Penny, a dentalappointment need not spoil even a day - in fact look at it like just an hour or two or maybe three of slight discomfort and then the rest of the day a feeling of euphoria that it's all over with.

You are right of course Scaredstiff but I know what Penny means. I quite like going thesedays and yet nevertheless find it dominates my whole day up until that point rather than spoils it.....it's things like remembering to have a toothbrush in my handbag, making sure I get there and parked on time so I don't have to rush, and in these days of pre-senile dementia...if I didn't keep it in the forefront of my mind, I probably would forget!

 

[Penny]

managed it!

Well, it is all over, I managed it, walked in and this time even managed to tell him one of the injections hadn't taken, I normally wouldn't have been able and just had to suffer. Couldn't tell you what film we went to see. and I had a sleepwalking insident in the night and now have a black eye! but I am at least compelete with 2 new fillings, and to be honest, now they have been done I realise how much they had been bothering me, and I had been ignoring it. I emailed him to thank him for helping me, and no hurting me, got a nice email back, now just got to find a way of staying with him as he is expensive. BUT I have six months to worry about that!!! Thanks for all your suport!! x