Immediate lower denture fear!

[RP]

Tell him how he's making you feel and contributing to your nervousness or better yet- run. Does he not understand everytime you have an uncomfortable experience the more nervous you will get, and its a bad situation all around.. If you're not dental phobic now, you will be by the time he's done with you. You don't have to put up with him being aggravated- you're the customer. He's getting paid to treat you with kindness and respect.


I'd find a new dentist who is patient and understands your fears. Find an oral surgeon for the extractions who has the skills, training and equipment to give you sedation during extractions. I can't understand how any modern dentist would try to pull six teeth and think the patients will just sit there happy to have it done with just local. At the very least ask for something to help you relax like Valium before the appointment, if not from the dentist from your GP.


I can't speak to the dentures, I'm doing everything I can to avoid them.


good luck


rp

 

[SandySea]

Gabby, most people have no problems with lower dentures - I shouldn't speak too loudly, because I had all my lower teeth out 5 weeks ago and still can't get the damn things in, but I'm a big gagger. If you don't have a sensitive gag reflex, it should take you about 24 to 48 hours to get used to them, all you need to do is make sure you practice talking and eating as much as possible when you first get them in. Sure, you'll dribble for a few hours (dentures in your mouth tricks your saliva into thinking it's something to eat, initially) and you'll stumble over your words until your tongue gets the idea and figures out where it needs to go, but you'll soon feel as confident as if they were your own teeth.
It might be a good idea if you can take a few days off after the extractions, just to get used to having them in your mouth before facing the public.
I absolutely agree with RP regarding your dentist. Surely you can find a better one, someone who will give you sedation, be understanding. Is it possible to go private?

 

[TerrifiedWoman]

Hi Gabby! I just got immediate lower (and upper!) dentures a week ago yesterday..so understand your nerves. Yes, you will need adjustments as your gums heal and eventually a reline. In my case I've had no problems adjusting to the lower. I can pop it right in when I get up in the morning and leave it until bedtime. (I prefer to let my gums rest at night during the healing process so don't sleep in my dentures.) I admit the second day I had them I gagged a few times..but it was more due to the excess saliva than the actual dentures. I quickly learned if I ALWAYS have a cold drink nearby I can take a sip as soon as I feel the saliva flowing and it really, really helps! Now at the one week point the saliva problem is startng to get a lot better..thank goodness.
I had to start using Fixident the day after my extractions. The dentist is the one who first put it on for me when I went in to have things checked out the day after surgery. Without it my dentures (particularly the upper) simply would not stay in place. I've been back to him twice in the past week for adjustments and that helps..for a couple of days until my gums once more shrink. The Fixident hasn't hurt a thing..my gums are healing wonderfully. The dentist said having the dentures firmly stuck was better for my gums than having the dentures moving and rubbing.

If you can possibly afford to take a few vacation days..by all means do it. You will be exhausted from the extractions and will be more comfortable having a couple of days to practice talking..and swallowing that saliva!

And if you can possibly find a more compassionate dentist....that would certainly help as well.

Good luck!!

 

[TerrifiedWoman]

gabby, some people bruise..some don't. In my case I ended up with a huge bruise on the left side of my chin and a smaller one on the right side. If you check the before and after pictures up in the 'Share Your Success Story" area you'll see a picture. It's on the last page of the topic. It actually got a lot worse than it was when those pictures were taken. Everywhere I go people look at me like they think somebody slugged me. Thank goodness it's starting to fade a bit today.

 

[SandySea]

Gabby, I DIDN'T bruise, at all - but I put that down to taking arnica for a week before and a week after extractions. It's an anti-bruising homeopathic remedy and you can get it in your health food store. You can either get pillules which you just dissolve under your tongue a few times a day, or liquid drops. I also found an arnica spray that I used for imediately after surgery and for the first 24 hours when I wanted nothing at all in my mouth. I can't guarantee that's what prevented any bruising for me, but it will certainly help.