Never been to a dentist before - 26 years old

[Thephilsblogbar]

You mention about breaking things up to little pieces, instead of biting into certain food items, I do this as well,

 

[Animalhouse]

Hi everyone

Sorry I haven’t provided any update in this thread. I know from my browsing through others how frustrating it can be looking for reassurance to find someone with similar stories to yours hasn’t updated!

My first IV sedation appointment is on Tuesday. I’m honestly going from completely flat out panicked to “it’s going to be okay” every five minutes or so. I’m not exceptionally great with needles but have really gotten better in recent years and try to donate blood regularly to keep my fear at bay. Maybe makes me sound a bit like a masochist but I find doing some of the things that make me nervous somewhat regularly keeps me reminded that it’s not as bad as I think. If I go a long time without having any injections or needles I tend to find my imagination runs wild and I’m back to thinking it might kill me again.

I’ve never ever been unwell beyond a common cold so haven’t had any need for actual medical treatment. I think this is what’s making me more nervous is I’ve no experience of any sedation, anaesthetic, recovery or anything at all.

I’m also still so worried that the bottom front teeth which have a really horrific amount of tartar build up are going to just drop out when that’s removed. Sometimes I feel two of them sort of click or move? I found another thread which discussed this and everyone sort of said it’s a common feeling but nobody really knows why or what it is. I also still sometimes feel that weird pressure around two of the top front ones. It was very often for a while but the last few weeks it has been hardly ever. It’s not painful, just feels like they’re pushing together or something? Then it goes away like they’ve moved apart.

I’m really scared about talking strangely afterwards. Because I’ve had so much buildup I feel like I will take time to get used to where my tongue goes when talking and people are going to think “why is she struggling with those letters it was just a cleaning”

I don’t want to cancel the appointment or not go, but I’m struggling to see how I can get myself in the chair and let them put the IV in when I’m this anxious before I’m even there. Sigh.

Try not to worry about the tartar. I avoided the dentist for far too long because I too thought my front bottom teeth would just fall out of my mouth once they started to poke around. My deep cleaning took over 4 hours (sedation) because there was just so much build up. Imagine my surprise when they were done and there were some pretty normal looking teeth under all of that. I used to feel what I thought was movement but I think it was just loose pieces of tartar shifting around under my gums. As far as talking, there was no change there. The only thing that really felt different was when I felt my front bottom teeth with my tongue. It took a few days to get used to feeling my teeth being a little crooked like they always have been, but there was so much tartar before that it felt like they were straight. That night, I ate a cheeseburger and fries with no pain. The next day, I went to an amusement park and spent the day riding on roller coasters. A cleaning under sedation will feel like a breeze once it is over and you will be SO proud of yourself once it is done! Good luck!

 

[Scaredygap]

Thanks for the reassurance!

I’ve kept it hidden from family and friends so without showing them how bad it’s got they’ve no idea why I’m so convinced a cleaning is going to cause teeth to fall out and be loose and make me talk weird.

I know there are two “pieces” of tartar that are loose but I hadn’t thought maybe there are loose bits underneath that i can’t see but I’m thinking are my teeth moving.

I’m trying to remind myself it’s going to be okay. I know someone who works with terminally ill patients in palliative care and they tell me about some life stories (no names disclosed to me of course) and I feel like if I could look at things rationally I’d know I’m really very fortunate. I’m not poorly, I have a healthy dog, parents, grandparents and friends. Financially things are okay. I have a home and food etc. Maybe I’m being too harsh on myself but I feel like I shouldn’t be so crippled by something as superficial as a gap in my teeth.

But then in the same breath, all I’m hoping for is soon to be able to have straight gapless teeth. I’m not striving for perfect because it doesn’t exist, just something nicer to see in the mirror. Something that could give me the confidence to actually smile. Hoping things find their way in my head soon.

Try not to worry about the tartar. I avoided the dentist for far too long because I too thought my front bottom teeth would just fall out of my mouth once they started to poke around. My deep cleaning took over 4 hours (sedation) because there was just so much build up. Imagine my surprise when they were done and there were some pretty normal looking teeth under all of that. I used to feel what I thought was movement but I think it was just loose pieces of tartar shifting around under my gums. As far as talking, there was no change there. The only thing that really felt different was when I felt my front bottom teeth with my tongue. It took a few days to get used to feeling my teeth being a little crooked like they always have been, but there was so much tartar before that it felt like they were straight. That night, I ate a cheeseburger and fries with no pain. The next day, I went to an amusement park and spent the day riding on roller coasters. A cleaning under sedation will feel like a breeze once it is over and you will be SO proud of yourself once it is done! Good luck!

 

[Animalhouse]

Thanks for the reassurance!

I’ve kept it hidden from family and friends so without showing them how bad it’s got they’ve no idea why I’m so convinced a cleaning is going to cause teeth to fall out and be loose and make me talk weird.

I know there are two “pieces” of tartar that are loose but I hadn’t thought maybe there are loose bits underneath that i can’t see but I’m thinking are my teeth moving.

I’m trying to remind myself it’s going to be okay. I know someone who works with terminally ill patients in palliative care and they tell me about some life stories (no names disclosed to me of course) and I feel like if I could look at things rationally I’d know I’m really very fortunate. I’m not poorly, I have a healthy dog, parents, grandparents and friends. Financially things are okay. I have a home and food etc. Maybe I’m being too harsh on myself but I feel like I shouldn’t be so crippled by something as superficial as a gap in my teeth.

But then in the same breath, all I’m hoping for is soon to be able to have straight gapless teeth. I’m not striving for perfect because it doesn’t exist, just something nicer to see in the mirror. Something that could give me the confidence to actually smile. Hoping things find their way in my head soon.

I think it's pretty common to be critical of ourselves. Even when making positive changes to myself like losing weight, I'm still never happy with what I see in the mirror. Or when I go through all of this dental work and my teeth are still not straight or bright white like everyone else's (or so it seems). My husband has a small gap in his teeth now that he is self conscious about...but I look at him and think "what are you even self conscious about?" When I look at him or anyone else, all I see is a pretty normal looking set of teeth.

I also know that self confidence is so important in life and if having straight teeth is what you want and what you can afford, you should totally go for it. I wish you the best of luck

 

[Scaredygap]

Thank you Animalhouse

If you don’t mind me asking did you see a difference in how firm your teeth were after such extensive cleaning? I’m worried about how loose they’re going to feel afterwards and how I’m going to manage to brush them that night/next morning.

I know I’m going to embarrass myself when I go in and make a fuss about letting them put the needle in my hand. I know I’ll be so angry with myself if I don’t do it though so I’m trying to remember how horrible it feels going home having not had anything done.

I think it's pretty common to be critical of ourselves. Even when making positive changes to myself like losing weight, I'm still never happy with what I see in the mirror. Or when I go through all of this dental work and my teeth are still not straight or bright white like everyone else's (or so it seems). My husband has a small gap in his teeth now that he is self conscious about...but I look at him and think "what are you even self conscious about?" When I look at him or anyone else, all I see is a pretty normal looking set of teeth.

I also know that self confidence is so important in life and if having straight teeth is what you want and what you can afford, you should totally go for it. I wish you the best of luck

 

[Enarete]

I know I’m going to embarrass myself when I go in and make a fuss about letting them put the needle in my hand.

Rest assured that you won't embarrass yourself at all. Come on, it's not that unusual not to feel comfortable at the thought of having to get a needle and you do not even have to be dental phobic for that. The most of the people hate needles (and just by the way, the most of them wouldn't donate blood voluntarily to overcome this fear, so you're still a champ). I bet at least a half of your dental team is scared of needles and the other half is scared of dentist (this is the ratio at my practice as I found out lately, to my surprise).

You will be doing great tomorrow, I can't wait for the success story

 

[Animalhouse]

Thank you Animalhouse

If you don’t mind me asking did you see a difference in how firm your teeth were after such extensive cleaning? I’m worried about how loose they’re going to feel afterwards and how I’m going to manage to brush them that night/next morning.

I know I’m going to embarrass myself when I go in and make a fuss about letting them put the needle in my hand. I know I’ll be so angry with myself if I don’t do it though so I’m trying to remember how horrible it feels going home having not had anything done.

I didn't notice any feeling of movement after my cleaning, no loose teeth or anything which surprised me. Under the conscious sedation I remember feeling a decent amount of pressure when they scraped the front teeth and I even thought to myself "they can't survive this" but I didn't care too much about it at the time thanks to the meds lol. But sure enough, when they handed me a mirror after, they were still there. I do think they have shifted very slightly, probably due to the fact that my gums were quite swollen before. The biggest annoyance was that my gums felt loose, not the teeth. It took quite a while for the swelling to go down for me but there wasn't any pain. It is just really important to maintain good hygiene during the first few weeks of healing (well, forever actually). I highly recommend getting a water foster if you can and an electric toothbrush. Warm salt water rinses were helpful as well. I think I used a manual toothbrush for the first day or so, but after that i switched to my electric one without any issues. They didn't tell me I had to use the manual one, it's just what I felt comfortable with at the time. I hope this helps and if you have any other questions I would be happy to share my experience!

By the way, don't worry too much about being embarrassed. I've cried at the dentist before. They have tissues in the exam room for a reason! I even remember being treated like a baby a little bit while I was under sedation. I remember seeing one of the cute assistants wiping drool off of my face with a paper towel lol. I'm pretty sure they have seen it all and once you have the needle in, you will be cool as a cucumber

 

[Scaredygap]

So.

First appointment complete.

I have to be honest the sedation didn’t feel exactly as I’d been expecting. Not in a bad way, but I remember quite a lot of the appointment I think.

I went in and burst into tears immediately, and the dentist and assistant took it in their stride. They didn’t crowd and make a fuss nor did they act like I was being silly. They kept on preparing their trays and just asked me to take a seat and just concentrate on breathing.

The assistant asked me if she could take my blood pressure and once I managed to splitter out a yes she put the cuff on my arm and the clip bit on my opposite finger. She sat down on the chair next to my knees and very gently said I need to really focus on breathing deeply in through my nose. They waited a few minutes (I’m guessing until my heart rate etc lowered a bit) then the dentist asked to have a look at my vein in my arm.

She ran her finger over the crook of my elbow and did some tapping then asked the assistant to hold the top of my arm just to create a sort of tourniquet. She said she wasn’t doing anything right now just getting a good look at the vein. She then asked me to take a deep breath and I’d feel a scratch. Right enough there was a very slight scratch (genuinely less painful than a cat scratch or paper cut). She let me know that I’d start to feel a little woozy in the next few seconds and reclined the chair back.

I wouldn’t say I felt woozy as such, but clearly the effect was such that I was willing and able for treatment to proceed.

The details are a little fuzzy, but today she did cleaning, fillings and one extraction on my right hand side. I felt pressure and heard some noises of tools, felt water being sprayed and the suction tool.
Once the fillings were done the assistant had a light she shone to set them, I remember then asking if it’s like getting nails done with a lamp. The dentist said yes just like that, it’s just hardening the filling.

Towards the end the dentist said she was just removing some stains as they had some extra time but if I was ready to stop just to signal. I thought about this for a few minutes (I think) then signalled to stop. I think I had just reached a point where I was ready to be finished for today and was feeling a bit restless.

She then said she was going to get my Mum, and I started describing her before she laughed and said it’s okay the assistant had went to get my jacket and put it over me earlier as I’d said I was cold. I don’t remember this to be honest haha!

I’m feeling okay today/tonight, taking paracetamol every 4 hours just to keep any pain at bay. There’s a very large gap between my two from bottom teeth where all the tartar has been removed. This one is now actually bigger than the one between the top two which I’ve been so bothered by ?? Never mind, they’re clean and on the road to being healthy!

So far I’m not feeling any looseness in the bottom front ones, but I do feel a sort of tightness in the top right hand side teeth that have been filled. I’m guessing this is normal? It’s almost like they’re pushing against eachother a bit. My two back molars at that side also feel weird because they meet first when I bite now but she said they should sort themselves out or she can do something if it’s annoying I think.

All in all a success, thank you all so much for all your kind words and reassurance over the last months. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m now looking forward to next week’s appointment but certainly I’m less terrified. Fingers crossed this continues

 

[Scaredygap]

Hi again

Things are looking good around the extraction site, the hole definitely feels much smaller with my tongue than it was yesterday and I can see it’s going pale and pink where it was very inflamed yesterday which is good. I’ve been very lucky in the past that any cut and bruises etc have always healed really quickly so hoping I’m fortunate in my mouth too!

My only worry is my back two molars on that side that have been filled are constantly banging together. From posts on here I think this is what’s known as being filled too high. When I close my mouth those two teeth meet and none of the others touch, which is making eating very difficult. Will I be okay to wait until next Tuesday to ask her to file these down or whatever? I can eat yoghurt and smooth soup reasonably fine.

Getting myself quite down about the gap in the bottom front two but I know it’s better then the alternative of keeping all that bacteria in my mouth even longer. Hopefully once everything is done to get my mouth healthy I can start thinking about getting braces.

Any advice on how long I should expect to feel the jaw ache for also gratefully received!

 

[kclady36]

Overall since I started going to dentists they been professional. Had no rudeness yet as an adult. I went 23 years w/o a visit since childhood

 

[Animalhouse]

Hi again

Things are looking good around the extraction site, the hole definitely feels much smaller with my tongue than it was yesterday and I can see it’s going pale and pink where it was very inflamed yesterday which is good. I’ve been very lucky in the past that any cut and bruises etc have always healed really quickly so hoping I’m fortunate in my mouth too!

My only worry is my back two molars on that side that have been filled are constantly banging together. From posts on here I think this is what’s known as being filled too high. When I close my mouth those two teeth meet and none of the others touch, which is making eating very difficult. Will I be okay to wait until next Tuesday to ask her to file these down or whatever? I can eat yoghurt and smooth soup reasonably fine.

Getting myself quite down about the gap in the bottom front two but I know it’s better then the alternative of keeping all that bacteria in my mouth even longer. Hopefully once everything is done to get my mouth healthy I can start thinking about getting braces.

Any advice on how long I should expect to feel the jaw ache for also gratefully received!

Glad to hear you are doing okay today. I just had a root canal on each side yesterday and I am joining you in the "yogurt and soup" club lol. Your jaw shouldn't ache for too long. It's most likely just from having it open for so long and also the injections. I think after my cleaning, it felt better after a few days. The second day was the worst for me and then it gradually faded day by day. Some light stretching of your jaw by opening and closing is helpful along with ice packs and ibuprofen if you can take it. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Scaredygap]

Okay so this morning I’m worried.

The hole where the tooth has been removed has sort of sunk? I haven’t prodded at it too much but there’s a definitely deep hole now where before it was just a slight dent. Nothing has come out that I’m aware of so as far as I can tell the clot should still be there?

Terrified that I’m now developing dry socket!

 

[Animalhouse]

Okay so this morning I’m worried.

The hole where the tooth has been removed has sort of sunk? I haven’t prodded at it too much but there’s a definitely deep hole now where before it was just a slight dent. Nothing has come out that I’m aware of so as far as I can tell the clot should still be there?

Terrified that I’m now developing dry socket!

From what I have read, dry sockets are immensely painful and if you aren't experiencing pain, it probably isnt that. It is most likely your gums shrinking/changing from the missing tooth and it can take a while for it to fill in with new tissue.