need to be put asleep for work ,some1 pls help

[jammie]

i have been sat here readin this forum for the last couple of hours and it really has helped me just readind everyone elses problems alone but it still doesent change the fact that i need 3 teeth pulled asap and fillings and god knows wat else ive been so scared of the dentist since when i was young and he pulled 5 teeth of mine in one day when i was young.i really am not trying to cut a shortcut here but there is no other way i can get dental treatment unless they can put me asleep ,i dont mind were i go for the work even if its abroad and i dont mind if i have t go private but would be a almost miracle if anyone could help me. thanks for reading this

 

[takingflight]

Hi Jammie,  
 
First off, congratulations on taking the first step to get dental care!  
I'm in the same boat as you.  I didn't see the dentist for 17 years other than for an emergency extraction and finally went yesterday.  I knew the only way I could go is if there was a chance for me to have some type of sedation.  Between my anxiety, gag reflex and fear of pain I knew that a local anesthetic wouldn't cut it.  I was scared to death of what the dentist would tell me but after talking with me a bit I was told that the best course of action with my fear level would be for me to be put completely under.  I have another consultation to find out the full course of action but it will involve a bunch of fillings, crowns and a root canal or two.  Of course I'm nervous of the thought of being put to sleep but everyone assures me that it will be the best thing I could do - get it all done in one or two visits and no pain, gagging or fear.  I'm in the US and from my research there appears to be no shortage of sedation dentists but I'm afraid I do not know much about general anesthesia being performed abroad.  (IV & oral sedation are an option.)  There are so many wonderful posters on here who have found their perfect dentist that I'm sure someone will be able to help.

If I can offer any support or additional information please let me know.



   

 

[brit]

If you are in the UK, general anaesthesia is only available in hospitals. You can however get i/v sedation or oral sedation, and /or nitrous oxide at many general dental practices in the UK. You just have to ask if they offer it.
As nearly all the accounts on here testify, i/v sedation is just as good for adults and much safer than general. Many years ago, I had my wisdom teeth out under GA in hospital - if I were to be in this position again, I think I would choose i/v sedation instead. It is small but there is always a risk with GA of not coming round as we all know.
In the USA it seems you can get pretty much anything you can afford to pay for in a dental practice including GA in some places.

The reality is that you feel you need to be asleep for work - with i/v sedation to you it will probably seem like you are asleep (although technically you won't be) in that you are unlikely to remember much and won't care at the time what is happening.

Most people remember virtually nothing and can get lots of work done in one appointment lasting several hours if necessary as to the patient the time seems really short. This is another advantage over GA, there is a limit to how long you can work on someone safely under GA and for technicalreasons some procedures - complex restorations are difficult/impossible to do under it. Gordon has covered this under 'dentistry questions answered' before.

Maybe you just need to browse on the site a bit longer to realise there is a halfway house which could suit you; and which is readily available to you.

Good luck

 

[Nat]

Hi Jammie, I just wanted to add that I felt the very same when I first started my dental journey, I spoke to my Doctor and asked if there was any way I could be refered to a hospital and get my teeth sorted while I was asleep, unfortunately here in the UK the waiting lists for teeth extraction in hospitals is very long and you are not always eligible (sp) to have it done that way. procedures such as fillings, root canals and crowns are not performed in a hospital as its a very easy process and GA, as we all know is not 100% safe. However, like Brit said being sedated is another option you could look at, it feels like you just dont care whats happening to you and after the procedures you dont really remember anything thats happened, although you completely awake and able to communicate to your dentist you just feel so relaxed about your surroundings. I would suggest doing a bit of research here and look into some different options, I never thought I would be able to cope with having my extractions unless I was put to sleep but I soon found a dentist who would sedate me and its a fantastic way of getting complicated procedures done. There is a lot of information here about different options you could take so have a look about and see if you can find whats right for you.