M
mhking
Junior member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2007
- Messages
- 16
- Location
- Atlanta
My story -- at least my recent story -- isn't far from others here.
I'm in my mid-40s and have been terrified of the notion of going to the dentist for years. Mind you, both my older kids had root canals -- one in their pre-teens, the other was even younger. My daughter's was because she had fallen and broken a tooth. She was around 5 or 6 at the time. My son was 11, and needed to have his done to get things in order for his braces. And yes, both of them had braces. And finally, (back to my daughter) she had oral surgery to have her wisdom teeth removed (she's a sophomore in college now).
Despite all of that, I would refuse to go. Before this year, I had only been able to even sit in the chair twice in the past 25+ years. In the early 90s, my wife got me to go to a doctor who did a precursory exam, then began talking about a root canal. Needless to say, I hopped outta the chair and didn't look back.
Then, about seven or eight years ago, my kids' dentist got me to sit down long enough for her to look in my mouth. She said I needed root planing -- which scared me again. Mind you, while sitting in the chair that time in the kids' doctor's office, I had the sweats, and trembled like a leaf.
Fast forward to this past spring. My younger brother had suffered a massive stroke over the winter, which forced me to reevaulate my life and my health. That also got me to go ahead and make an appointment to go to the dentist.
Dr. Rhodes was very gentile in her examination, first using an orbital x-ray machine on me -- which being a techie, was fascinating to me. Then her hygenist used a probe to go between each tooth, which was more than a bit unnerving (my knuckles were white from gripping the chair), but bearable. After her exam, she told me that I needed some significant work done, and referred me to a periodontist.
Dr. Russell (the periodontist) was very patient and gentile. She did the same sort of probe exam that Dr. Rhodes did, but noted my shaking. She asked me if I had issues, and of course I replied in the affirmative.
She scheduled my appointment, and explained to me what would happen. She prescribed valium and adavant (I think that was the right spelling) to be taken the night before and morning of the procedure. When I came in that morning and sat in the chair, I did not drift off. My eyes were glued to Dr. Russell aside the reclined chair. After awhile (and after plenty of gas over my nose), when she saw I wasn't driting off, she decided she couldn't wait too much longer and that she had to dive in.
She had me to close my eyes. Things got pretty much blurry after that -- at least as far as I can remember. My wife (who sat in the lobby through this) said I shrieked bloody murder throughout the entire procedure -- to the point that at least two other clients got up and left the office. The doctor and her staff could not believe I was crying like that (mind you, I'm a big guy -- not quite gridiron-sized, but big enough - 6'4" and on the high side of 280 pounds), and told my wife that she was certain I was numb. Dr. Russell asked if she could scale both sides, fearing that I wouldn't want to come back, given my inexplicable reaction.
Talking to my sister later revealed the real source of my phobia and my reaction: when I was 4, I had my tonsils out. Not a major thing. But I had complications afterward that had me hospitalized for a few days. At one point, the doctor needed to get to my tonsils, or my throat or something. In any event, he had my mom to hold my head, and my dad to hold my legs while he went to work.
I have no recollection of that in any way, shape or form (heck! it was 40 years ago!) But it obviously lends itself to my fears regarding my mouth and of the dental experience overall.
Dr. Russell said that she found that I needed full-fledged oral surgery, including bone grafting. The description has terrified me to the n'th degree. The first of two surgeries will be in early December, the second in January (I'm doing it that way to spread the work across the two benefit years for our insurance).
I spoke to the doctor's assistant yesterday. She said they are going to prescribe the adavant and valium for me for prior to the surgery, plus pain medication and antibiotics for the post-surgery. They are going to have an IV in my arm and completely sedate me (as much for their peace of mind as mine, I'm sure). But in any event, I'm still as skittish as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
I can certainly use some reassurance.
I'm in my mid-40s and have been terrified of the notion of going to the dentist for years. Mind you, both my older kids had root canals -- one in their pre-teens, the other was even younger. My daughter's was because she had fallen and broken a tooth. She was around 5 or 6 at the time. My son was 11, and needed to have his done to get things in order for his braces. And yes, both of them had braces. And finally, (back to my daughter) she had oral surgery to have her wisdom teeth removed (she's a sophomore in college now).
Despite all of that, I would refuse to go. Before this year, I had only been able to even sit in the chair twice in the past 25+ years. In the early 90s, my wife got me to go to a doctor who did a precursory exam, then began talking about a root canal. Needless to say, I hopped outta the chair and didn't look back.
Then, about seven or eight years ago, my kids' dentist got me to sit down long enough for her to look in my mouth. She said I needed root planing -- which scared me again. Mind you, while sitting in the chair that time in the kids' doctor's office, I had the sweats, and trembled like a leaf.
Fast forward to this past spring. My younger brother had suffered a massive stroke over the winter, which forced me to reevaulate my life and my health. That also got me to go ahead and make an appointment to go to the dentist.
Dr. Rhodes was very gentile in her examination, first using an orbital x-ray machine on me -- which being a techie, was fascinating to me. Then her hygenist used a probe to go between each tooth, which was more than a bit unnerving (my knuckles were white from gripping the chair), but bearable. After her exam, she told me that I needed some significant work done, and referred me to a periodontist.
Dr. Russell (the periodontist) was very patient and gentile. She did the same sort of probe exam that Dr. Rhodes did, but noted my shaking. She asked me if I had issues, and of course I replied in the affirmative.
She scheduled my appointment, and explained to me what would happen. She prescribed valium and adavant (I think that was the right spelling) to be taken the night before and morning of the procedure. When I came in that morning and sat in the chair, I did not drift off. My eyes were glued to Dr. Russell aside the reclined chair. After awhile (and after plenty of gas over my nose), when she saw I wasn't driting off, she decided she couldn't wait too much longer and that she had to dive in.
She had me to close my eyes. Things got pretty much blurry after that -- at least as far as I can remember. My wife (who sat in the lobby through this) said I shrieked bloody murder throughout the entire procedure -- to the point that at least two other clients got up and left the office. The doctor and her staff could not believe I was crying like that (mind you, I'm a big guy -- not quite gridiron-sized, but big enough - 6'4" and on the high side of 280 pounds), and told my wife that she was certain I was numb. Dr. Russell asked if she could scale both sides, fearing that I wouldn't want to come back, given my inexplicable reaction.
Talking to my sister later revealed the real source of my phobia and my reaction: when I was 4, I had my tonsils out. Not a major thing. But I had complications afterward that had me hospitalized for a few days. At one point, the doctor needed to get to my tonsils, or my throat or something. In any event, he had my mom to hold my head, and my dad to hold my legs while he went to work.
I have no recollection of that in any way, shape or form (heck! it was 40 years ago!) But it obviously lends itself to my fears regarding my mouth and of the dental experience overall.
Dr. Russell said that she found that I needed full-fledged oral surgery, including bone grafting. The description has terrified me to the n'th degree. The first of two surgeries will be in early December, the second in January (I'm doing it that way to spread the work across the two benefit years for our insurance).
I spoke to the doctor's assistant yesterday. She said they are going to prescribe the adavant and valium for me for prior to the surgery, plus pain medication and antibiotics for the post-surgery. They are going to have an IV in my arm and completely sedate me (as much for their peace of mind as mine, I'm sure). But in any event, I'm still as skittish as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
I can certainly use some reassurance.