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kemmie777
Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2006
- Messages
- 63
Well.. I have decided to start this online journal in order to record all my feelings, fears, frustrations, successes and thoughts surrounding my this recent long and frightening period in my life. I think it will be good for me to have this outlet to help me get through all this and continue to persevere and be brave. Knowing someone somewhere will read this and can say "Me too." makes everything a bit more bearable..and not so lonely.
I guess I should start at the beginning. I have already posted in the forum about this so below is a bit of background taken from my earlier posts.:
The past four months have probably been the most frustrating and anxioty ridden months in my life. I have never liked going to the dentist since I was a little girl. I once ran into a major roadway just to get away from the dentist..that's how scared I was. In addition, my parents weren't very good at scheduling reg dental check-ups so the only times I went to the dentist was if something was wrong. My first memory is having a baby tooth pulled because it just wouldn't fall out. As a teenager, I had to get a few fillings and one root canal that did not go as smoothly as everyone hoped. (The first part was finished and I was scheduled for the completion two weeks later, but I guess not all the nerve was removed or flared up-worse pain I have ever experienced-and needed an emergency appointment) That tooth (last molar on the upper left side )ended up being removed because it slowly broke apart and there was not enough tooth left for a crown.
I also had braces as a teenager (16-17 years old). I guess the experience was routine as far as braces go. I wanted the clear kind but the orthodontist said I couldn't get them because my teeth were crooked in a certain way which which would cause the brackets to be constantly breaking. I would have still have problems with the metal ones according to him. Good news, no teeth needed to extracted and also I was blessed with not having wisdom teeth at all. I did have one very bad experience with the orthodontist though. He was replacing the bottom wire and while he was tightening aroung one of the brackets, the bracket snapped off. I though my tooth broke in half. However, instead of snipping the new wire off and glueing the new bracket on the tooth and then putting on a new wire (5 minutes of work) he decided to shove the bracket between the wire and the tooth by pulling the wire, still attached to my teeth, forward and keeping my head back. My nail marks are probably still in that chair. After that, I don't think I talked to him for the remainder of my treatment. I just talked to the receptionist. I also had to get a frenectomy (sp?) becuase of space between my two front teeth as recommended by the ortho. The oral surgeon was very old. I had the choice of being awake or under sedation. I remember not wanting the sedation and crying a bit becuase I though I wouldn't wake up. I had never had any type of surgery before. The surgeon did ask what my fear was and I told him straight out. The dentist reassured me that it would okay (he hadn't lost anyone in 40 years so it was unlikely I would be the first) and it would be less tramatic for me since he would be working my two front teeth with a bit of tugging and blood. It was in my best interest. I went for the sedation. It was pleasant...actually the best rest I have probably ever had. They gave me the gas and then the IV but had trouble finding a vein. I remember the dental assistant (very cute young guy) trying in one arm and hand and then moving to the next and apologizing to me. Then I was out for the next 25 minutes. I remember being woken up and talked to by the nurse saying everything was done and were were walking to a recovery room (dark room with a doctor's table in it) until I was less dizzy and more awake. No more gap in my front teeth.
The next incident was when I had a horrible toothache and needed an emergency appointment several years later with a different dentist. No one wanted to see me. I had started my current job and picket out the dentist for my insurance plan but that office said that they were not part of the plan even though they were listed. No other dentist could see me under my insurance becuase I wasn't on their patient list under that insurance and I needed to wait a month for it to be updated. My current dentist was the only exception. I was scared but everything went okay. I needed a root canal and after a check up found that I had a few cavitities and needed another root canal. After all this work I thought I found myself in a good space with my fears. Everything had gone well and painless.
Jump 5 years later and one of the teeth that had a root canal and crown completed has been bothering me (achyness and sensitivity to heat and feels like it's enlarged) I went to the dentist immediately (I hadn't gone for about two years because it was too easy to forget to make an appointment along with some residual anxiety. ) Dentist doesn't believe it's the treated tooth but from a cavity from the adjacent tooth. She fills it and she also replaces the filling from the tooth on the other side because it was very old (15 years). Well, my tooth still ached and was sensitive to heat plus now it hurt to bite down on food. I went back and she adjusted the bite.No help. I was then referred to an Endodontist. It appears that the filling that was replaced was huge and I needed a root canal in that tooth. That was done and there was some mild discomfort for a week. However, the original tooth I had gone in with complaning still hurts in the same way. I now have an appointment with the Endo again this week. Both my dentist and Endo said that it couldn't be that tooth because the Xray looks good and the root canal was 5 years ago and there have been no problems. This has all been going on since May. My dentist is busy and has limited office hours and there were several appointments that she cancelled because of other commitments she had. I scared to death about what they will find and what will happen. I also just found a cavity near the gum line of a different tooth (the last molar on the bottom left side -no tooth above it b/c it had been extracted). I called to make an appointment but have to wait two weeks. For me it's not just easier to wait for an appointment that may happen in two weeks. While I am happy with the dentist, she has a tendency to cancel my appointments. I have to push for an emergency appointment, which they discourage. Last time I had a toothache, her office cancelled two times in a row, so i was living with a toothache and surviving on pain meds for a month. (First appointment June 6th, 2nd appointment July 5th- (as an emergency-becuase I couldn't take it anymore and became hysterical) I don't think I should have to get to the point of being hysterical from pain and delay before being "fit in" especially if I call and make an appointment when the problem appears.
Continued....
I guess I should start at the beginning. I have already posted in the forum about this so below is a bit of background taken from my earlier posts.:
The past four months have probably been the most frustrating and anxioty ridden months in my life. I have never liked going to the dentist since I was a little girl. I once ran into a major roadway just to get away from the dentist..that's how scared I was. In addition, my parents weren't very good at scheduling reg dental check-ups so the only times I went to the dentist was if something was wrong. My first memory is having a baby tooth pulled because it just wouldn't fall out. As a teenager, I had to get a few fillings and one root canal that did not go as smoothly as everyone hoped. (The first part was finished and I was scheduled for the completion two weeks later, but I guess not all the nerve was removed or flared up-worse pain I have ever experienced-and needed an emergency appointment) That tooth (last molar on the upper left side )ended up being removed because it slowly broke apart and there was not enough tooth left for a crown.
I also had braces as a teenager (16-17 years old). I guess the experience was routine as far as braces go. I wanted the clear kind but the orthodontist said I couldn't get them because my teeth were crooked in a certain way which which would cause the brackets to be constantly breaking. I would have still have problems with the metal ones according to him. Good news, no teeth needed to extracted and also I was blessed with not having wisdom teeth at all. I did have one very bad experience with the orthodontist though. He was replacing the bottom wire and while he was tightening aroung one of the brackets, the bracket snapped off. I though my tooth broke in half. However, instead of snipping the new wire off and glueing the new bracket on the tooth and then putting on a new wire (5 minutes of work) he decided to shove the bracket between the wire and the tooth by pulling the wire, still attached to my teeth, forward and keeping my head back. My nail marks are probably still in that chair. After that, I don't think I talked to him for the remainder of my treatment. I just talked to the receptionist. I also had to get a frenectomy (sp?) becuase of space between my two front teeth as recommended by the ortho. The oral surgeon was very old. I had the choice of being awake or under sedation. I remember not wanting the sedation and crying a bit becuase I though I wouldn't wake up. I had never had any type of surgery before. The surgeon did ask what my fear was and I told him straight out. The dentist reassured me that it would okay (he hadn't lost anyone in 40 years so it was unlikely I would be the first) and it would be less tramatic for me since he would be working my two front teeth with a bit of tugging and blood. It was in my best interest. I went for the sedation. It was pleasant...actually the best rest I have probably ever had. They gave me the gas and then the IV but had trouble finding a vein. I remember the dental assistant (very cute young guy) trying in one arm and hand and then moving to the next and apologizing to me. Then I was out for the next 25 minutes. I remember being woken up and talked to by the nurse saying everything was done and were were walking to a recovery room (dark room with a doctor's table in it) until I was less dizzy and more awake. No more gap in my front teeth.
The next incident was when I had a horrible toothache and needed an emergency appointment several years later with a different dentist. No one wanted to see me. I had started my current job and picket out the dentist for my insurance plan but that office said that they were not part of the plan even though they were listed. No other dentist could see me under my insurance becuase I wasn't on their patient list under that insurance and I needed to wait a month for it to be updated. My current dentist was the only exception. I was scared but everything went okay. I needed a root canal and after a check up found that I had a few cavitities and needed another root canal. After all this work I thought I found myself in a good space with my fears. Everything had gone well and painless.
Jump 5 years later and one of the teeth that had a root canal and crown completed has been bothering me (achyness and sensitivity to heat and feels like it's enlarged) I went to the dentist immediately (I hadn't gone for about two years because it was too easy to forget to make an appointment along with some residual anxiety. ) Dentist doesn't believe it's the treated tooth but from a cavity from the adjacent tooth. She fills it and she also replaces the filling from the tooth on the other side because it was very old (15 years). Well, my tooth still ached and was sensitive to heat plus now it hurt to bite down on food. I went back and she adjusted the bite.No help. I was then referred to an Endodontist. It appears that the filling that was replaced was huge and I needed a root canal in that tooth. That was done and there was some mild discomfort for a week. However, the original tooth I had gone in with complaning still hurts in the same way. I now have an appointment with the Endo again this week. Both my dentist and Endo said that it couldn't be that tooth because the Xray looks good and the root canal was 5 years ago and there have been no problems. This has all been going on since May. My dentist is busy and has limited office hours and there were several appointments that she cancelled because of other commitments she had. I scared to death about what they will find and what will happen. I also just found a cavity near the gum line of a different tooth (the last molar on the bottom left side -no tooth above it b/c it had been extracted). I called to make an appointment but have to wait two weeks. For me it's not just easier to wait for an appointment that may happen in two weeks. While I am happy with the dentist, she has a tendency to cancel my appointments. I have to push for an emergency appointment, which they discourage. Last time I had a toothache, her office cancelled two times in a row, so i was living with a toothache and surviving on pain meds for a month. (First appointment June 6th, 2nd appointment July 5th- (as an emergency-becuase I couldn't take it anymore and became hysterical) I don't think I should have to get to the point of being hysterical from pain and delay before being "fit in" especially if I call and make an appointment when the problem appears.
Continued....