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Lavender Oil

R

Rufus The Red

Junior member
Joined
Sep 13, 2021
Messages
19
Location
UK
Hello there, Joined yesterday as I'm a real dental scaredy cat. Racing heart, gagging, can't breathe for fear. Thought of something to try out - buy a nose warmer (seen them on ebay & etsy), fill it with tissue or cotton wool with a few drops of lavender oil - inhale. Also use an eye mask, or just keep your eyes closed. Something for gagging - use an anaesthetic throat spray before dental impressions. Hopefully these tips will help you and I wish you well.
 
Hi - they are good tips. I am also a terribly anxious, nervous patient. I had to had a full set of Xrays taken yesterday and I was so scared as I have an extremely pronounced gag reflex - but I managed to get through the back ones by breathing very heavily and noisily through my nose - even though I did sound like a horse!!
 
What a great idea for a thread - if people want to add their ideas here, we could link to this thread from our Dental Phobia Tips page for even more suggestions?
 
Hello JellyBaby, Well done you - getting your x-rays done. Sounding like a horse? Who cares as long as it worked for you. Some people hum to help the ordeal. Hope you didn't need too much doing after that.
 
Thanks for this thread - I have a history of gagging at the dentist and have gagged the last two times so I have told myself I will definitely gag at my hygienist appointment on Wednesday next week. The idea of the nose warmer sounds good for me, having something nice to smell will stop my brain creating nauseous thoughts like it is trying to MAKE me gag! I think I may feel a bit of an idiot wearing a nose warmer in the chair though :( but gagging makes me feel even more stupid!
 
Hello AndBreathe

It won't matter at all what you look like so long as you are comfortable. I am sure with the lavender and breathing through your nose, these things will get you through. Just hoping that I'll survive any future treatment and that it won't be too invasive such as a root canal. Prepare myself with Diazepam if so, as I'm due to go in 5 weeks time. Hope your appointment goes OK for you.
 
Hello, Appointment getting closer, upper molar getting worse. There's some brown stain?? near the gum now and the tooth throbs at night. Using sea salt rinses which help the pain and keep it clean and disinfected. Enormous amalgam fillings in the 2 adjacent teeth which look blue and unsightly. Also one molar other side the same. Thinking of some options - root canal with crown; Maryland Bridge; partial denture. As it's NHS there will be a time limit and so may just renew the cracked filling which is painful. Make good which is better than nothing to ease the pain.
 
Just remembered a much simpler solution for the throbbing molar - extraction. Could get away with losing it as it's the third tooth from the upper back, so a gap won't show much if at all. The other teeth will shift over in time but that shouldn't be too much of a problem jaw wise. Have quite a small mouth so my teeth aren't that noticeable. Even the blue fillings are hardly seen, but seem OK as yet and are functional so could leave them alone at the moment. All down to what the x rays show up and what the dentist wants to do. An extraction would be easier all round I reckon with the support of my trusty lavender oil kit.
 
I've used one of those Olbas Oil inhaler sticks right before going into the dentist's, after reading a tip about it somewhere - and found that worked, as well. It's just different essential oils to lavender so it may be that any strong EO smell is enough to confound the gag reflex?
 
Hello Poodleoo, Never thought about Olbas Oil, but why shouldn't that work too? Also Vicks, Tiger Balm and the like; anything to block the burning tooth smell - that's awful. I used to hold my breath and almost suffocate. An anaesthetic throat spray should stop the gagging during dental impressions. Breathing through the nose I believe helps too, along with whichever EO you use.
 
Hello All, As well as my experiments with lavender oil and nose warmer, I have ordered some impression trays. Sounds weird I know but want to get used to the feel of them in my mouth. A bit like the tongue brushing trick and how far back can you go before gagging. Sitting upright and leaning foward slightly makes sense too; not like the pictures of people laying almost flat - that would spook me big time. Anyhow I'll keep you posted on that outcome.
 
Hello Folks, It's me again. This morning whilst chewing my breakfast granola, tooth no. 14? broke in half. There is no pain apart from a twinge near the gum line and no smell which is a good sign. The tooth was mostly amalgam and had been built up in about 2003 from an original large filling which had cracked. Near enough 18 years ago, so it's done well. Check up day soon, so hope nothing too invasive needs to be done.

Tried the impression trays and did OK, breathing through my nose. Of course there was no putty in them, but at least got an idea of how they feel in my mouth.
 
Tried the impression trays and did OK, breathing through my nose. Of course there was no putty in them, but at least got an idea of how they feel in my mouth.

Congratulations, sounds like you're making great strides ?!

Fingers crossed that there won't be any pain until your check-up (I suppose you could always ring and ask if there have been any cancellations?) ?
 
Hello letsconnect

Thanks for your kind message. Did think about an emergency appointment but I've only a couple of weeks to wait. In the meantime I'll keep using sea salt and brushing carefully around the broken tooth.

I go NHS, so due to the time factor, am hoping the dentist will take it out. Tbh there isn't much tooth left to work on for a root canal or post and crown. Plus an extraction would take one other (emergency?) appointment after the initial check up, rather than 2, 3 or more for the other procedures.

Also my sanity may be suspect if I have the more invasive treatment, lavender, olbas oil or not, over a few appointments (and doubtless my dentist's as well).
 
Hello, Been lurking around some old footage on here from 2010 on extracting tooth "stumps" where there is a small amount of tooth left which is black inside (old amalgam?),the rest broken off near the gum.

The response from the dentist was reassuring in that "bitty" teeth are much easier to remove with no gum cutting involved. Phew! Hope that's the case with me though mine's a molar and they have longer roots.

Sorry for being a pest - just trying to prepare myself thinking of the options, though the above sounds ideal. No gizmos in my mouth for ages hurting my jaws, but I'll still keep the lavender oil handy to use whatever.
 
Hello, Been lurking around some old footage on here from 2010 on extracting tooth "stumps" where there is a small amount of tooth left which is black inside (old amalgam?),the rest broken off near the gum.
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Here is something you may find helpful :) :

 
Hello Enarete,

As it happens I did actually view these comments earlier and learnt from them how quick and easy an extraction of this type would be. Just me thinking the worst and needing assurance which you have very kindly given.

Got the impression the person replying seemed to be repeating himself. Understandable as the forum must cover practically every dental procedure under Heaven. Fear and worry make you ask and ask again - I know it well.
 
I didn’t buy a nose warmer in the end for my hygienist appointment but I tried using Happinose balm - a eucalyptus Vaseline-type ointment for unblocking noses due to colds - it did nothing because I still gagged awfully at the start of the appointment just as she put the instruments in my mouth. After I had calmed down though, I got through the rest of the appointment with no gagging. It’s purely anxiety for me the anticipation, but once I’m underway I seem to be ok. I’ve got a regular check up in two days and the anxiety is starting to build…
 
Hello AndBreathe, Sorry to hear your appointment didn't go well for you. I do understand your dilema because I am the same.

It's OK spouting on the forum when you are comfortable at home - in the electric (moving up and down) chair seeing metal instruments looming towards your mouth, well that's a different story.

Here's an alternative to a nose warmer, use a piece of elastic with a folded ladies handkerchief pinned or sewn on to use with essential oil (lavender, Vicks Vapour Rub or Olbas). Having something to cover your nose acts as a barrier, together with an eye mask to block seeing anything which would upset you. Nose breathe too and enjoy the scent of whichever product you use.

Do hope this helps - I've just under 2 weeks to go before my check up is due, so the butterflies are gradually coming out of hibernation.

All the very best to you.
 
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