Aurora10
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
- Messages
- 324
- Location
- Canada
Hi. I am nearly finished with my treatment plan to go from having a smile that I've been unhappy about for the last 23 years. I have been wanting to have my crowns on my front teeth replaced for all that time. I had 3 of my front teeth crowned when I was 14 and I loved how good my smile looked. After 15 years though, I hated the way metal showed through at the gumline and had them replaced. Unfortunately the new crowns were not the right colour but my dentist fitted them anyway and I accepted it-What was wrong with me?!
From that time on, I didn't like my smile, my teeth were so brown looking and as the years went by, they started moving and hurting. Having a young family, I could never justify the expense of having them replaced again so I just got on with life, never smiling in photos, always self-conscious. In the past year, I found a dentist who was good at what he did in cosmetic cases, he was kind and understanding about my concerns and also empathetic, because I currently suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and I sometimes have panic attacks. I was anxious at the dentist when I was a child after getting slapped and verbally abused by a dentist who didn't give local anaesthetic to children as he thought they couldn't feel pain when having fillings etc ?. By the time I got in my teens I found a really nice dentist who made me feel safe and then had my crowns to correct my crooked teeth. I had no problem going to the dentist after that for years, in fact I even worked for a while as a dental assistant. Then I had a root canal done and I wouldn't numb up. The dentist kept giving me more local until, unbelievably, my eye started watering and I lost the sight in my eye for a few minutes. I was ok at the time and actually carried on with the root canal but afterwards i felt pretty shaken up. After that I went to get check ups and treatment ok but always felt a bit nervous. So now I've explained a bit about the background, I can talk about the present. In September after months of getting to know my new dentist, I signed up for having my crowns replaced. I was told that either implants or a bridge would work. However when I had xrays, my dentist could see that I didn't have enough bone in the front because of bone loss from having the crowns done years previously. So then it was a choice of either bone graft and implants or bridge. I understand that implants are the gold standard for replacing missing teeth but I just couldn't afford the $20,000 it would cost and I didn't want to go into debt either so I went for the bridge option.
In September last year, the big day arrived and I went to the dentists feeling actually very excited to start the whole thing off with three extractions which were the three teeth with crowns. It was so easy, over in minutes. I even allowed him to use epinephrine shots which I hadn't had for years because they'd made my heart race in the past and my previous dentist suggested non epi shots. My dentist advised using epinephrine because he said it would be more effective. I was a bit anxious but everything went fine and I felt so empowered! I had to be without teeth that night too which I was horrified at thought of-especially as it was the day of my wedding anniversary! My dentist said the bleeding would stain my temporary bridge so it wouldnt be a good look! I had to go back the next day to have 3 teeth at the front prepped for crowns. That took nearly 4 hours in the chair and I kept having to be given local because it kept wearing off-this was epinephrine again. After about an hour and a half, I felt paniniky and my heart was racing every time I had the shots. So until the end if treatment I was fighting off a panic attack. When the time came for me to have my temp bridge on, it didn't fit! So they put one of the in office one's on which was really not so nice, the teeth were too white and it was crooked looking but never mind-I got through it and the worst was over. Strangely though, in the days and weeks after I'd had the work done, I became really anxious and really lost my nerve to go forward. Which was inconvenient because I had to go back 3 weeks later to have the in office bridge replaced with the one that had now been adjusted and was ready to be inserted. Boy, did I feel nervous about going back in the chair! I got myself really worked up about it and could hardly think about anything else. On the day, I told the dentist I didn't think I could do this but he was really good and reassuring and patient and I got into the chair! It went fine, a lot better than I thought it would, apart from I was hard to numb up again, but this time he used non epi shots so there were no palpitations or racing heart. I was done in about half an hour and I came out really proud of myself and happy with my beautiful temp bridge. ?
Then there were 3 months of healing to get through. It was tough sometimes, I had quite a lot of pain in the teeth I'd had prepped for crowns which got me down sometimes, I even told my husband that if it carried on I would just have the teeth extracted and have a partial denture. I also had inflamed gums a and then my jaw started to have problems, it felt as though it was being pulled. It was a weird feeling. My dentist says that my bite is lost right now. I have a missing tooth right next to the front teeth that will have the bridge, and my dentist told me to go to physio and have an implant placed after my permanent bridge placed. So it has been quite the journey! As well as physical pain, I have also had anxiety about the whole thing and it got really bad at one point.
Well, almost 3 weeks ago, 8th January, the healing period was over and I went to my appointment to have my bridge removed and a final impression made. I was determined not to let my Christmas with my family be ruined by anxious thoughts about the appointment and I did pretty well. I kept thinking that hey; I'm nearly done and it will all be worth it. Well, the appointment went well at first. My dentist warned me that it was likely that my temp bridge would snap when he pulled it off the teeth but it didn't! I was glad about that as I didn't want another in office temp. It actually came off neatly and without much difficulty but then he had to start cleaning up my prepped teeth in order for him to take the final impression. And guess what? My numbing disappeared and even though the dentist put more and more in the gums, nothing numbed up. So I just asked him to please put my temp bridge back on and I would come back for IV sedation. Is honestly had enough at this point and could feel myself shaking and getting panicky. He was fine about that and as we discussed it, he told me I hadn't numbed up due to me burning up the local, because I was nervous. I was disappointed because I had been through that and had got nowhere but on the upside there was very little pain and bleeding and I was feeling a sense of relief that I would be having IV, because I won't now have to get all worried about having to stay calm through the dental work. I had been advised to have it with my super long appointment but I felt sure I could get through it with local alone. I've read a lot of posts on this forum about how great sedation was for their anxiety and how it was over so quickly with no memory of the treatment and honestly, I'm ready for that now.
So, I have to make an appointment with my dentist to have an assessment done and to make an appointment for sedation. I actually have 2 appointments, one to take the temp off and have impressions done and one to insert the permanent bridge. So I'm nearly there. I can't pretend I'm not having thoughts sometimes about the things that can go wrong during sedation, the worst is the thought that I won't survive, which sounds ridiculous to some people I know, but that's the anxiety talking I think. I'm also worried about knowing what's going on, (I don't want to), having a panic attack before or after the sedation, whether I will make a fool of myself by saying something inappropriate while I'm under or, worse, having an allergic or paradoxical reaction. My imagination sometimes works overtime! But I have to get this done! My son is getting married in August and I am focusing my thoughts on the happiness and joy I will feel at being able to smile in those wedding photos! I feel like I've probably bored people to death with all that I've written, I just hope I can help someone out there with my journal. Even when things don't go exactly as planned, it can still work out just fine in the end and that's what I'm hoping will be what any readers see when I've all done. The important thing is not to let fear determine the direction you take in life. I am nervous and I know I will be very anxious nearer the appointments, but I have to do this-I've come this far ?
From that time on, I didn't like my smile, my teeth were so brown looking and as the years went by, they started moving and hurting. Having a young family, I could never justify the expense of having them replaced again so I just got on with life, never smiling in photos, always self-conscious. In the past year, I found a dentist who was good at what he did in cosmetic cases, he was kind and understanding about my concerns and also empathetic, because I currently suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and I sometimes have panic attacks. I was anxious at the dentist when I was a child after getting slapped and verbally abused by a dentist who didn't give local anaesthetic to children as he thought they couldn't feel pain when having fillings etc ?. By the time I got in my teens I found a really nice dentist who made me feel safe and then had my crowns to correct my crooked teeth. I had no problem going to the dentist after that for years, in fact I even worked for a while as a dental assistant. Then I had a root canal done and I wouldn't numb up. The dentist kept giving me more local until, unbelievably, my eye started watering and I lost the sight in my eye for a few minutes. I was ok at the time and actually carried on with the root canal but afterwards i felt pretty shaken up. After that I went to get check ups and treatment ok but always felt a bit nervous. So now I've explained a bit about the background, I can talk about the present. In September after months of getting to know my new dentist, I signed up for having my crowns replaced. I was told that either implants or a bridge would work. However when I had xrays, my dentist could see that I didn't have enough bone in the front because of bone loss from having the crowns done years previously. So then it was a choice of either bone graft and implants or bridge. I understand that implants are the gold standard for replacing missing teeth but I just couldn't afford the $20,000 it would cost and I didn't want to go into debt either so I went for the bridge option.
In September last year, the big day arrived and I went to the dentists feeling actually very excited to start the whole thing off with three extractions which were the three teeth with crowns. It was so easy, over in minutes. I even allowed him to use epinephrine shots which I hadn't had for years because they'd made my heart race in the past and my previous dentist suggested non epi shots. My dentist advised using epinephrine because he said it would be more effective. I was a bit anxious but everything went fine and I felt so empowered! I had to be without teeth that night too which I was horrified at thought of-especially as it was the day of my wedding anniversary! My dentist said the bleeding would stain my temporary bridge so it wouldnt be a good look! I had to go back the next day to have 3 teeth at the front prepped for crowns. That took nearly 4 hours in the chair and I kept having to be given local because it kept wearing off-this was epinephrine again. After about an hour and a half, I felt paniniky and my heart was racing every time I had the shots. So until the end if treatment I was fighting off a panic attack. When the time came for me to have my temp bridge on, it didn't fit! So they put one of the in office one's on which was really not so nice, the teeth were too white and it was crooked looking but never mind-I got through it and the worst was over. Strangely though, in the days and weeks after I'd had the work done, I became really anxious and really lost my nerve to go forward. Which was inconvenient because I had to go back 3 weeks later to have the in office bridge replaced with the one that had now been adjusted and was ready to be inserted. Boy, did I feel nervous about going back in the chair! I got myself really worked up about it and could hardly think about anything else. On the day, I told the dentist I didn't think I could do this but he was really good and reassuring and patient and I got into the chair! It went fine, a lot better than I thought it would, apart from I was hard to numb up again, but this time he used non epi shots so there were no palpitations or racing heart. I was done in about half an hour and I came out really proud of myself and happy with my beautiful temp bridge. ?
Then there were 3 months of healing to get through. It was tough sometimes, I had quite a lot of pain in the teeth I'd had prepped for crowns which got me down sometimes, I even told my husband that if it carried on I would just have the teeth extracted and have a partial denture. I also had inflamed gums a and then my jaw started to have problems, it felt as though it was being pulled. It was a weird feeling. My dentist says that my bite is lost right now. I have a missing tooth right next to the front teeth that will have the bridge, and my dentist told me to go to physio and have an implant placed after my permanent bridge placed. So it has been quite the journey! As well as physical pain, I have also had anxiety about the whole thing and it got really bad at one point.
Well, almost 3 weeks ago, 8th January, the healing period was over and I went to my appointment to have my bridge removed and a final impression made. I was determined not to let my Christmas with my family be ruined by anxious thoughts about the appointment and I did pretty well. I kept thinking that hey; I'm nearly done and it will all be worth it. Well, the appointment went well at first. My dentist warned me that it was likely that my temp bridge would snap when he pulled it off the teeth but it didn't! I was glad about that as I didn't want another in office temp. It actually came off neatly and without much difficulty but then he had to start cleaning up my prepped teeth in order for him to take the final impression. And guess what? My numbing disappeared and even though the dentist put more and more in the gums, nothing numbed up. So I just asked him to please put my temp bridge back on and I would come back for IV sedation. Is honestly had enough at this point and could feel myself shaking and getting panicky. He was fine about that and as we discussed it, he told me I hadn't numbed up due to me burning up the local, because I was nervous. I was disappointed because I had been through that and had got nowhere but on the upside there was very little pain and bleeding and I was feeling a sense of relief that I would be having IV, because I won't now have to get all worried about having to stay calm through the dental work. I had been advised to have it with my super long appointment but I felt sure I could get through it with local alone. I've read a lot of posts on this forum about how great sedation was for their anxiety and how it was over so quickly with no memory of the treatment and honestly, I'm ready for that now.
So, I have to make an appointment with my dentist to have an assessment done and to make an appointment for sedation. I actually have 2 appointments, one to take the temp off and have impressions done and one to insert the permanent bridge. So I'm nearly there. I can't pretend I'm not having thoughts sometimes about the things that can go wrong during sedation, the worst is the thought that I won't survive, which sounds ridiculous to some people I know, but that's the anxiety talking I think. I'm also worried about knowing what's going on, (I don't want to), having a panic attack before or after the sedation, whether I will make a fool of myself by saying something inappropriate while I'm under or, worse, having an allergic or paradoxical reaction. My imagination sometimes works overtime! But I have to get this done! My son is getting married in August and I am focusing my thoughts on the happiness and joy I will feel at being able to smile in those wedding photos! I feel like I've probably bored people to death with all that I've written, I just hope I can help someone out there with my journal. Even when things don't go exactly as planned, it can still work out just fine in the end and that's what I'm hoping will be what any readers see when I've all done. The important thing is not to let fear determine the direction you take in life. I am nervous and I know I will be very anxious nearer the appointments, but I have to do this-I've come this far ?
. I'm really glad you're getting through this now and can't thank you enough for sharing this. It helps knowing that we aren't alone.
