Just looking for some support.

[waywardone13]

Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read my first post on this forum. My name is Jake I’m a 32 year old single father, I live in the US and I’m here looking for some support. I have severe decay in my top teeth and I need one bottom tooth removed as well. I have had numerous extractions in the past. I have ten top teeth left to be removed a few of which are broken off at the gum line. I have scheduled so many appointments to have the extractions done and I always seem to cancel right before it’s time for the procedure. I have anxiety about the procedure due to the amount of teeth I need removed at once. I also have fears about complications after the procedure. Any tips on how to overcome these fears and proceed with the procedure? I know about all the complications not having this done can cause such as infection and what not, I wish that alone was enough to help me go through with this. I’ve been dealing with this for so many years I’m at the end of my rope. The worst part is all of this was caused by an orthodontist leaving braces on me for way too long, any dentist I have ever seen agrees with that. Thanks in advance for your time.

Jake

 

[Enarete]

Hi Jake,

sorry to read about your struggle and at the same time glad to hear that you keep on trying. I can understand that you are anxious about having so many teeth out at once and also get the urgency of the procedure. It also sounds like your anxiety is so big that you just cannot get yourself to get it done.

The first thing necessary to get through any procedure would be a kind caring dentist, someone who understands how hard this is for you. You mentioned cancelling appointments so it sounds like you have a dentist - are you happy with him/her?

I am also wondering, under which circumstances your treatment is planned - will you get any type of sedation? Meds beforehand, nitrous, maybe even iv sedation? A bit of help of this kind can do a huge difference for urgent procedures that seem just to big to manage..

You mentioned being anxious due to the amount of teeth. Can you tell what exactly it is that scares you? It sounds like you haven't had the best dental experiences up to now - is there anything specific you are afraid might happen?

All the best wishes, keep going and let us know your thoughts

 

[waywardone13]

Enarete, I’ve had a few bad experiences during dental procedures. The last tooth I had extracted was a nightmare, I ended up with a fractured jaw and a root tip left in the socket. I have found a new dentist since that extraction. My current dentist is very well respected and he understands my anxiety about the procedure. I’ve tried the meds before and they didn’t help much, I haven’t tried any sedation or general anesthesia. Honestly, IV sedation and general anesthesia make me worry about side effects. My biggest fear at the moment is the chance of a maxillary fistula. My dentist (as well as multiple other dentists) say my front teeth and pre molars roots are very close to my sinus floor.

 

[Enarete]

Thanks for putting things into a bigger picture. What you describe as your past extraction experience sounds terrible. Even thinking of seeing a dentist again shows a huge courage after that! Glad to hear that you have a good dentist now.
If you prefer not to do IV or GA and meds didn't work then there is nitrous which might work more reliably than oral sedation and it might be a good idea to separate the procedure into few smaller appointments to make it easier for you, starting with the teeth that do not worry you too much. I don't know much about maxillary fistulas, but thinking about the modern level of dentistry in which I very strongly believe, I wonder if there are any precautions that could me made for it not to happen or to deal with it immediately for you not to suffer if it happens.

 

[Skennedy2]

Hello, Waywardone13. I completely understand your anxiety over extractions. I have had two extractions, one was last Monday and I was stressed over just the one tooth, so I imagine your stress over having all those done at once must be difficult. If your worry is having them all done at once would you be more comfortable getting them done one or two at a time?