• Dental Phobia Support

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My strange and unusual dental journey (root canal, wisdom tooth, filling and more)

Two days past surgery. I am super swollen and glad it is over. My bottom jaw is twice its size. My upper lip looks like I had collagen injections, and my nose and the right side of my face are super puffy. Everything feels tight. The pain is much less today, though. I have just taken tylenol today. Nothing stronger.
It is still unreal to have the tooth out. I took out the flipper yesterday for the first time and almost cried. It feels so strange and looks awful, but it is temporary. I am getting better about taking it out but am still wearing it at night, since the swelling is so bad. The surgeon said to leave it in day and night until the swelling goes down, so that it won't swell too much and make it hard to put back in.
Honestly, as much as I hate the flipper, it isn't too uncomfortable and I dread the thought of sleeping without it, because the space feels so weird.
 
Two days past surgery. I am super swollen and glad it is over. My bottom jaw is twice its size. My upper lip looks like I had collagen injections, and my nose and the right side of my face are super puffy. Everything feels tight. The pain is much less today, though. I have just taken tylenol today. Nothing stronger.
It is still unreal to have the tooth out. I took out the flipper yesterday for the first time and almost cried. It feels so strange and looks awful, but it is temporary. I am getting better about taking it out but am still wearing it at night, since the swelling is so bad. The surgeon said to leave it in day and night until the swelling goes down, so that it won't swell too much and make it hard to put back in.
Honestly, as much as I hate the flipper, it isn't too uncomfortable and I dread the thought of sleeping without it, because the space feels so weird.


I have just finished reading your story and I must tell you how brave you are! You are a heroine and I can't imagine how I'd cope in your situation. I hope everything settles down for you and things get 100pc better..
 
I have just finished reading your story and I must tell you how brave you are! You are a heroine and I can't imagine how I'd cope in your situation. I hope everything settles down for you and things get 100pc better..

Thank you! I don't know that I am that brave...I am a nervous mess still every time I enter the dentist office! I am just getting used to it, I guess...my new normal unfortunately.
 
Oh no. After all you have been through. I can’t offer any advice, accept to say that any time my implants have felt like they were throbbing it was a gum problem. I am so hoping that this is true for you.❤️
 
Oh no. After all you have been through. I can’t offer any advice, accept to say that any time my implants have felt like they were throbbing it was a gum problem. I am so hoping that this is true for you.❤

That gives me hope! Thank you.
 
Thank you! I don't know that I am that brave...I am a nervous mess still every time I enter the dentist office! I am just getting used to it, I guess...my new normal unfortunately.

But the fact that you haven't given up makes you heroic! It all passes by in the end, this is just a phase and won't last forever. You're a really resilient person and you really should be proud of yourself ?
 
But the fact that you haven't given up makes you heroic! It all passes by in the end, this is just a phase and won't last forever. You're a really resilient person and you really should be proud of yourself ?

Thank you! One year ago I would have said there was no way I would ever make it through all this.
 
Thank you! One year ago I would have said there was no way I would ever make it through all this.

I know exactly what you mean! And yet here you are killing it with your courageous attitude. I was reading your posts and I just though I wish I could just have all the teeth that are bothering me at the moment, extracted! I'm just tired of root canal's, IV sedation, pain etc.
Sounds irrational I know...
 
I know exactly what you mean! And yet here you are killing it with your courageous attitude. I was reading your posts and I just though I wish I could just have all the teeth that are bothering me at the moment, extracted! I'm just tired of root canal's, IV sedation, pain etc.
Sounds irrational I know...

Not irrational at all. After two failed root canals, and two failed apicos, I will choose extraction every time now.
 
Not irrational at all. After two failed root canals, and two failed apicos, I will choose extraction every time now.

I honestly don't blame you one bit. There's few things worse than dental pain and the money it takes to do all these procedures is ridiculous..
 
It is now a little over a week past surgery (10 days). I did go to the oral surgeon last week, since the implant was throbbing. He said it didn't look infected, but was more swollen that he liked to see. He upped my antibiotics to 4x a day, and extended my prescription.

Over the weekend the swelling started to recede. Now it is Friday, 10 days past, and I am feeling good. My upper lip is still swollen a bit, and still quite numb, but it was like that after the apico as well. Hopefully the feeling will come back, but there was some nerve damage after the apico, so who knows? However it is a small price to pay for having the infection gone! I have more energy than I have in years!
The flipper is getting to where is isn't very comfortable again. I see the oral surgeon on Tuesday, so I am going to see if he can take a look.

Hoping everything just continues to get better!
 
It has been 5 weeks after my surgery. I was a little nervous last week, because I was having the same pain alongside my nose as before, but I think it was actually due to sinus pressure this time, because it shifted from the side the surgery was on to the other side, which has never hurt before.
Then the past three days, my other front tooth has been hurting...kind of a sensitive type pain, like when it gets something cold on it, but more achy. Again, I panicked but reminded myself that tooth has never had work or a cavity so very unlikely has an issue. Easy to say, but I was very happy that it hasn't hurt today.
Today is the first day that the flipper isn't uncomfortable, which is great!
 
Yesterday I got a really bad head cold. Ugh. It is making my front tooth extraction site ache off and on, along with the neighbouring teeth. I tried to gently blow my nose and right above the extraction site, where the bone wrap/grafting was done started hurting. I am really trying to not stress over it. I know it is the head cold amplifying everything.

On a positive note, I am weaning off the antidepressants that I started on last year. My doctor recommended them because I was so depressed after all the issues with my teeth hit. After getting the infection out, I have been feeling so much better, so I am going off them.
 
Yesterday I got a really bad head cold. Ugh. It is making my front tooth extraction site ache off and on, along with the neighbouring teeth. I tried to gently blow my nose and right above the extraction site, where the bone wrap/grafting was done started hurting. I am really trying to not stress over it. I know it is the head cold amplifying everything.

On a positive note, I am weaning off the antidepressants that I started on last year. My doctor recommended them because I was so depressed after all the issues with my teeth hit. After getting the infection out, I have been feeling so much better, so I am going off them.

Poor you, that is frustrating for you. Try not to worry.
I'm so glad you are feeling well.enough to come off the antidepressants, that's a big step and just shows how far you have come!
 
Looks like I am not done yet, unfortunately. My left lower jaw has still been aching, but now the first molar has actually started hurting. It zinged a few times yesterday when eating a baked potato, which wasn't even that warm, but the heat got it. It has started having a dull pain in the tooth.

Given my history, I am not ready to go back to the dentist. I know it will end up coming out in the end. I just have to decide if I go straight to extraction or if I try and do something else first in the hopes that it works this time. I just can't afford to throw money at it if it ends up like the others. I also have no molars on the other side and no front tooth right now, so when this one comes out, I won't be chewing at all.
 
Mountain Mama - I am so sorry. I know so well how hard all of this is and how it can totally wear on you. Just know that I will be thinking about you and wishing you the best. I am still eating on one side of my mouth - going on six months now and still reasonably soft foods - we should share recipes :) It will end at some point even though it doesnt feel like that right now.
 
I am 3 months past extraction of front tooth and implants in front tooth and lower right first molar.

Pain is pretty much gone with those areas. I still get some jaw and tooth pain on the lower left side.
Weird thing is that right behind the front tooth extraction site, in the gums, there is a sensitivity. It isn’t painful as much as strange feeling when pressure is applied, even just a light brush of food over it. It feels like a bruise but also a tingling sensation almost like when you hit your elbow and get the funny one. It must be nerve related and I hope it doesn’t impact the implant when the crown goes in
 
I had the implants for my front tooth and bottom molar uncovered today and tested. They both passed the torque test! Healing caps were put on. I had nitrous throughout the appointment. They must have had the nitrous up higher than usual because most of the appointment was a blur. I remember the shots and when the surgeon came in, but most of it was like a dream, like I knew I was dreaming but couldn’t quite pull myself out of. At one point I remembered that I could breathe through my mouth to lose the nitrous effect so I did that and then immediately realized I didn’t really want to be aware and closed my eyes again. Luckily the nitrous took away the anxiety so it was more of a “hmm, this isn’t pleasant...think I will go back to a nap” feeling. After that, I just kept my eyes closed but was following the oral surgeon and his assistant’s conversation.
I called the dentist and they scheduled me for January 28th for impressions. I may have my new teeth by end of February!
 
I am so happy for you! I am a few months behind you for my impact for my failed RC so I am happy that things are going well.
 
So glad everything is OK and you are on the path for your final crowns.
 
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