Listen to my story and ANYONE.....PLEASE HELP ME

[soscared123]

listen, i am THE worst paitient, my dentist HATES me
i used drugs for 13 years(ive been clean now for 10 years) but i have a condition that is comicly called "METH MOUTH", the drugs have caused decay and teeth have literally broken in half and /or have fallen out, the latest is my top right front quad i severly infected and I AM SO SCARED to go to the dentist, i dont get numb and youd think with todays technology they would make silent drills,,anyway by the time i get done with xrays(that is if i even went to my appoitment,which is not likley,),im a crying basket case, its awful,and people think im nuts but in order for me to get to the point of going TO THE DENTIST, i have to be WELL AND WAY beyond the point of banging my head against the wall and even at that point i will take major doses of tylonol and motrin and cry myself to sleep...I just cant do it, and as far as nitrus-never had it and would probably flip out, and sedation is scarier than the whole prcess of GETTING to the dentist..I NEED HELP AND FAST, my self esteem is at the end and right about now id rather be dead and the pain level im at now is well past the point of no return......Can anyone help me

 

[aaaaahh!!]

I can related to your fears. I found a dentist who uses a laser instead of a drill. I haven't made it to that point in my treatment but he thinks I will only need to be numbed once during my 2-3 month treatment plan. Make some calls and find a better dentist. You may have to pay more but it's worth it.

 

[DrMike]

hi soscared123

What an awful time you are having, no wonder you feel so down.
You are right you do need somone to help you.

My advice is to speak to your doctor asap- they may help by giving you some antiobiotics to ease the pain if there is an infection. Let them know how you are feeling- they will help you through this and they will have contacts in your area for dentists who can help. You have felt bad for long enough with this now- take these steps and change your life around. You deserve to be and can be pain free. You deserve to and can get your smile and self esteem back too.

Remember as dentists we see complex cases every day. If you are right and your dentist does hate you then find another one! Believe me however, although i have some patients who are difficult (I don't mean because of fear- the are just difficult people generally!) I do like all my patients and just hope that I can help them.

I have successfully treated several patients with 'meth mouth'- it is possible to come out this at the other end with a healthy mouth and your smile back. What you need to do is find a dentist with whom you can talk to about how you feel and the problems you have getting numb. There are types of local anaesthetics which are stronger and may be better for you (eg articaine).

When you get a good dentist they will talk to you about all of the options, including sedation. (Sedation is very gentle these days, and may very well help you have the treatment you deserve to be ableto have comfortably.) You need to talk through all the facts and options first with your dentist, so that you are comfortable about what you want and how you want it to be done.

I have a huge amount of respect for the people I see who have great fear of dental treatment, but who tackle and beat it. I see it every day and know that you can do it too- you are probably better equiped than others to beat this- you have the resources within you and in the same way as you have overcome other things in your past- you can do it again- and be happy.

Best Wishes
Mike

 

[Okira]

Wow. What an outstanding response from an obviously caring dentist! I can't improve on that!! Just listen to Dr. Mike!
Peace,
Susan

 

[Charity]

I am now the world's biggest fan of sedation!!! I wouldn't have believed it until I experienced it for myself, but it actually is possible to BE sedated without FEELING sedated. I just felt like I was genuinely calm and relaxed inside, not all druggy and scary feeling. It's the only thing that is making it possible for me to get the work that I need.
Even if sedation isn't the "magical" answer for you personally, I hope the support of everyone here on the forum will be as big a help to you as it has been to me. Just knowing that others are going through the same fears made me feel more human-- and even a little more brave about it. We're all here for you!!
By the way-- if your dentist truly "hates" you, as you said-- listen to Dr. Mike and find a new dentist!!!!! There's no reason to suffer with a nasty one when there are lovely and gentle ones out there.

 

[Darth Erin]

First of all, congratulations on your 10 years of sobriety! That is quite an accomplishment. As you can tell by now, you are not alone with your fears and anxiety. I'm right there with you too! If you are in that much pain, please get help quickly. I'm not trying to push, I'm just concerned for your well-being. Talk to your doctor about your anxiety. Xanax is an anti-anxiety drug that works wonders for most people. I don't understand how it works, all I know is that it works for me.

If you need dental treatment, IV sedation is great. I was very fearful of "going under", but after I did it, I realized it wasn't bad at all. Of course, taking a Valium an hour before the appointment really loosened me up by the time I got there. I would've been a wreck if it weren't for the Valium.

My thoughts and prayers go out to you. Please keep us posted on how you are.

 

[mikey]

I assume you are probably familiar with weed so its basically the same feeling as nitrous if not better in my opinion and your definately not alone about the drugs..I smoke weed some and I know of a few more people on here that do the same.

 

[brit]

I assume you are probably familiar with weed so its basically the same feeling as nitrous if not better in my opinion and your definately not alone about the drugs..I smoke weed some and I know of a few more people on here that do the same.

NB...it is not Dental Fear Central's policy to encourage or condone the use of illegal drugs whatsoever.

 

[DrMike]

Hi again soscared123
I am sure that others on the forum, like me, are keen to hear how you are getting on, and if you need any further help or advice. Please do post again to tell us how things are going. We are here to listen and help.
Regards
Mike