M
mcgyver74
Junior member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2012
- Messages
- 4
- Location
- New Jersey
Ok sorry for the long post as a start, but here goes....
I've been terrified of the Dentist for as long as I can remember, I have a MAJOR phobia of Needles to begin with and that just didn't make it any easier for Dentists, but the thought of being poked and probed was just more then I can stand....I have bad memories of that light they use etc....
The last time I was at a Dentist was when I was 17 years old and that was to have Braces removed (I had them for WAY to long since my parents couldn't afford to have the Orthodontist take them off) and that was scary enough, I remember having to be driven to the appt and shaking all the way through, they actually had to give me nitrous to remove the braces and clean my teeth, thankfully no Cavities.
Since then I have not been able to bring myself to go, every time I tried to say "Ok I need to go" I'd find every excuse not to. Over time my teeth started to get sensitive, and would hurt, but I'd just suck it up and deal with it. When one of my rear teeth cracked, I just stopped chewing on that side and dealt with it.... Calling the Dentist wasn't even an option in my book. It has been 20 years since I last saw a Dentist....
2 weeks ago, I started to get intense shooting pain in my teeth, started taking HEAVY doses of Advil which didn't do anything, the pain would come and go and when it was there it almost floored me (and I have a high pain threshold to begin with)
So, I reluctantly made an appt with a Dentist that was recommended to me by a good friend, this Doctor apparently specializes in Phobics. I took Wed off from work to go, and even with the pain I almost wasn't going to go, kept saying to myself "I can live with this, I can't do the chair etc..." until a shooting pain hit me so hard I almost lost control of my car while en route, I had to have my mother drive me the rest of the way to the appt.
This guy was very nice, they did X-rays and examined me while telling me the whole time exactly what he was doing and that he wasn't going to hurt me and if I got uncomfortable to raise a hand and he would immediately stop (which he did) No needles, but he told me my top 2 Wisdom teeth were broken and one of them was pretty badly decayed and infected which was causing the pain (this was the side i could no longer chew on for the last few years) He was referring me to an Oral Surgeon to have them taken out (He said that was the far less painful route to go and the wisdom teeth were useless anyway) He said if I can, it's best to remove all 4 but at the very least have the top 2 removed. He said once that was done, we could fix the rest of my teeth (6 fillings and a deep cleaning) with one sedation visit, he said that for me the Sedation should be effective and that I won't really remember (or care) what was going on....
Here is where the story really gets bad (For me) the Dentist called a few Surgeons and found one willing to take me same day, he gave me some Valium to try to calm me down (Didn't help) and I went to the Surgeon. The Surgeon too more X-rays and then told me he couldn't do the surgery since I had eaten 5 hours prior, I asked if we could do later in the day and he really didn't want to, so he scheduled me for Friday. He prescribed some antibiotics and gave me a script for some Vicodin for the pain.
All Thursday I was a wreck, terrified of the procedure, the Surgeon gave me Valium to take the night before and before heading to his office, I drove up to my parents Friday morning, and took the Valium when I got there, the surgery was scheduled for 11am, at 9:30 I get a call on my cell from the Surgeon's office that they were rescheduling for this coming Tuesday since the surgeon has the flu, I asked whom else can do it today as cannot take another day off from work and the receptionist told me she couldn't help me with that.
So I called my Dentist (he even gave me his home and cell number) and we tried different surgeons until we found one who could fit me in (The whole time I'm thinking that this was a sign that I should just live with the pain) He asked if I had X-rays and I told him the original surgeon did take them, he asked if I could have them emailed over to save me some $. I called the original surgeon who said "well we can't do that since your ins hasn't paid for them yet" I really went berserk then, and finally they agreed to email the x-rays (I cannot believe how unprofessional and incompetent they were)
I get to the new Surgeon's office and his staff was VERY helpful and understanding that I was terrified, they managed to get all 4 teeth out very easily (I don't remember a thing after the IV) and I am healing nicely (No more pain)
but now I have to go back to my main dentist for the fillings, and even though he reassured me that Sedation visits are very easy I am still scared..
So I was wondering if anyone can relate their experiences with Sedation Dentistry (I think he prescribes Halcion) I'm hoping if enough people have good expirences with it, it may help calm me down....
Again sorry for the long rant, it's been a long bad week...but at least I'm not in pain anymore
Thanks again!
I've been terrified of the Dentist for as long as I can remember, I have a MAJOR phobia of Needles to begin with and that just didn't make it any easier for Dentists, but the thought of being poked and probed was just more then I can stand....I have bad memories of that light they use etc....
The last time I was at a Dentist was when I was 17 years old and that was to have Braces removed (I had them for WAY to long since my parents couldn't afford to have the Orthodontist take them off) and that was scary enough, I remember having to be driven to the appt and shaking all the way through, they actually had to give me nitrous to remove the braces and clean my teeth, thankfully no Cavities.
Since then I have not been able to bring myself to go, every time I tried to say "Ok I need to go" I'd find every excuse not to. Over time my teeth started to get sensitive, and would hurt, but I'd just suck it up and deal with it. When one of my rear teeth cracked, I just stopped chewing on that side and dealt with it.... Calling the Dentist wasn't even an option in my book. It has been 20 years since I last saw a Dentist....
2 weeks ago, I started to get intense shooting pain in my teeth, started taking HEAVY doses of Advil which didn't do anything, the pain would come and go and when it was there it almost floored me (and I have a high pain threshold to begin with)
So, I reluctantly made an appt with a Dentist that was recommended to me by a good friend, this Doctor apparently specializes in Phobics. I took Wed off from work to go, and even with the pain I almost wasn't going to go, kept saying to myself "I can live with this, I can't do the chair etc..." until a shooting pain hit me so hard I almost lost control of my car while en route, I had to have my mother drive me the rest of the way to the appt.
This guy was very nice, they did X-rays and examined me while telling me the whole time exactly what he was doing and that he wasn't going to hurt me and if I got uncomfortable to raise a hand and he would immediately stop (which he did) No needles, but he told me my top 2 Wisdom teeth were broken and one of them was pretty badly decayed and infected which was causing the pain (this was the side i could no longer chew on for the last few years) He was referring me to an Oral Surgeon to have them taken out (He said that was the far less painful route to go and the wisdom teeth were useless anyway) He said if I can, it's best to remove all 4 but at the very least have the top 2 removed. He said once that was done, we could fix the rest of my teeth (6 fillings and a deep cleaning) with one sedation visit, he said that for me the Sedation should be effective and that I won't really remember (or care) what was going on....
Here is where the story really gets bad (For me) the Dentist called a few Surgeons and found one willing to take me same day, he gave me some Valium to try to calm me down (Didn't help) and I went to the Surgeon. The Surgeon too more X-rays and then told me he couldn't do the surgery since I had eaten 5 hours prior, I asked if we could do later in the day and he really didn't want to, so he scheduled me for Friday. He prescribed some antibiotics and gave me a script for some Vicodin for the pain.
All Thursday I was a wreck, terrified of the procedure, the Surgeon gave me Valium to take the night before and before heading to his office, I drove up to my parents Friday morning, and took the Valium when I got there, the surgery was scheduled for 11am, at 9:30 I get a call on my cell from the Surgeon's office that they were rescheduling for this coming Tuesday since the surgeon has the flu, I asked whom else can do it today as cannot take another day off from work and the receptionist told me she couldn't help me with that.
So I called my Dentist (he even gave me his home and cell number) and we tried different surgeons until we found one who could fit me in (The whole time I'm thinking that this was a sign that I should just live with the pain) He asked if I had X-rays and I told him the original surgeon did take them, he asked if I could have them emailed over to save me some $. I called the original surgeon who said "well we can't do that since your ins hasn't paid for them yet" I really went berserk then, and finally they agreed to email the x-rays (I cannot believe how unprofessional and incompetent they were)
I get to the new Surgeon's office and his staff was VERY helpful and understanding that I was terrified, they managed to get all 4 teeth out very easily (I don't remember a thing after the IV) and I am healing nicely (No more pain)
but now I have to go back to my main dentist for the fillings, and even though he reassured me that Sedation visits are very easy I am still scared..
So I was wondering if anyone can relate their experiences with Sedation Dentistry (I think he prescribes Halcion) I'm hoping if enough people have good expirences with it, it may help calm me down....
Again sorry for the long rant, it's been a long bad week...but at least I'm not in pain anymore
Thanks again!
