Just came home from the dentist...

[kiki2]

Well, I finally got up enough nerve to go to the dentist and start dealing with the problems in there :'! I had i root canal done along with root extractions from teeth that had broken and were beyond repair(she took out what was left of the roots of my 2 bootom left molars).I really had no problem with the root canal, I never do. The problem was the extractions. I don't know if anyone else feels the same way, but that pressure in my mouth reminds me of some sort of medieval torture practice!!!! It drives me crazy. I lose it completely! I also have TMJ, so trying to keep my mouth open while the pulling's going on is really rough!Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seemed that having the roots removed as opposed to an entire tooth was harder-no tooth to latch on to, I guess. I'd love the input if anyone has any.Anyway, it was kinda rough having all of that done in only one session, but at least that part of my mouth is finished. I have what's left of 1 tooth on the other side to go, but after tonight, I really don't know when I'm going to get up the nerve to do it again. The numbness is wearing off, I don't know how much this is going to hurt.The rotten thing is that truly strong pain killers(eg. anything with codeine in it) is forbidden in Greece , and I have to fight this off with ibuprofen at best!

Sylvia

 

[takingflight]

First off, well done for going!      You should be very proud of yourself for getting through it.  

You mentioned the numbness wearing off but said it was a rough session, did you have pain?  I certainly hope not but if you did feel something other than the pressure it sounds as though more anesthetic was needed.  If you did feel pain perhaps you should mention that during your next appt. so that they can be sure to have you properly numb.  Your next visit should be much shorter and easier if all that is necessary is one extraction.  You've come so far...you can do it!!!  

After all my dental work they gave me something comparable to tylenol and ibuprofen and the best advice I can give is to stay on top it.  If you take it at regular intervals you will keep most of the discomfort at bay.   Once you are in pain, it's harder to get rid of.  (I hated getting up in the middle of the night but it paid off!)

Once again, Congrats!!  

Best wishes for your next visit,

Pam

 

[shub2974]

good peice of advice Pam ill be sure and take that advice after my extractions Friday. My dentist gives the "good" stuff Lortabs

 

[Nell]

Hi Kiki

Just read your post and I have had a similar experience last week. Two extractions at once and I too felt it in the second tooth. Just like yours mine were roots aswell and it was like the dentist split them and took them out bit by bit - horrific!

I told him it was painful in the second tooth and he gave me more LA which didn't work so I grinned and bore it for the few moments it took to get the last bit out. I kept control of myself until I left the surgery.. and then broke down. It was an awful experience but worth it - they've gone and my treatment is finished - thank goodness!!

Hope the rest of your treatment isn't too bad - take care.

Nell x

 

[kiki2]

Here's a question...

Hi everyone!!!

This query has been going thru my head ever since I started going back to the dentist just over a month ago, and I need some input and/or advice.Back in the days when I wasn't afraid of the dentist, I remember always going to my dentists app'ts. alone. Now, as a result of a motorcycle accident I had last year (ended up breaking my knee and foot ), someone(usually one of my teenage daughters, neither one has inherited my phobia!) escorts me to and from the dentist(I still can't climb steps without help). It occured to me that when someone else is with me, I tend to get a lot more jittery! When whoever is with me tries to console me and tell me that everything's going to be ok, blah blah blah... it just makes me more panicky! Does anyone else feel this way?A friend of mine who happens to be a doctor suggested that my new found dentists panic is simply a psychological reaction to the accident... a fear of being injured again.In a way, he has a point, I used to look at dental work as something necessary and "good for me", now while in the chair, I feel like I'm being exposed to sheer torture!!!

PS. I have 4 more roots that have to be extracted, and I can't seem to get up enough nerve to go and get it over with, although I've had a root canal since the extractions. Help!!!

Sylvia

 

[brit]

Hi Sylvia
Yes, your doctor friend's explanation for the phobia sounds plausible to me...also you said you were in Greece, have you always been there? Or was the treatment with a dentist who was new to you? Personally I find dental anxiousness is directly related to how much I like and trust the dentist, so with a new one it will be higher...especially when in a foreign country which I have also experienced.

As to your nerves being worse when your daughters are with you, it varies from person to person....one of our moderators always says she absolutely could not ever bear to have someone accompany her to appointments, another thought she'd be less likely to break down without support from a relative but in the end found it helped to have them there because it meant it was ok to shed a few tears, and me personally...I always go alone because I'm not that afraid anyway....but in medical situations especially around pregnancy related stuff etc, I have always made my husband come with me and found it a great comfort to have someone around to distract me in the hospital cafe etc etc.

Maybe it's worse for you at the moment because you have no choice in the matter, you need the physical assistance...they don't have to stay with you during treatment I wouldn't have thought (do they just wait for you?)

Maybe it would help to ask your daughters not to make reassuring comments ...and to just be there for you physically. We usually say on here though that if you do feel afraid it is worse to try to hold it in and better to just acknowledge how you feel and share it especially with the dentist. Do you like this dentist or do you just put up with them?....given the change in your circumstances, you maybe need someone who has a calming effect (not easy to obtain in some countries though or where language barriers are involved)
Good luck with getting your treatment finished...once it's done, you'll only have checkups to do deal with so that's bound to be less of an ordeal.

PS Gordon (our resident dentist) always says root only extractions are easier than whole tooth ones contrary to what you might think based on the idea that the crown gets in the way....the patient needs to be properly numb though obviously, referring back to  an earlier post in this thread.
I agree with you though about the extraction process being unpleasant - don't suppose there's any nitrous oxide around in Greece to take your mind off it?...not much in the UK either (probably because of its association with the old-style laughing gas GA which is no longer allowed).