New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Thanks fraidy and oliviacs!!

Ah first extraction done!

Didn't do too well today, could hardly breath walking to the surgery when I got there he was running late which gave me time to freak out some more. Started to cry as soon as I went in his room but he was very reassuring and sat down and talked to me for a bit. The injections were more difficult, cos its so far back I guess but still they were just twinges. He started on the fillings first but I had to have more injections cos I could feel it. Then, he gets this thing and says I'm just going to feel about THEN only starts to take the tooth out!!! I was stamping my feet on the chair cos I was angry he hadn't warned me! Anyway told me to rinse and I was shocked because there was blood there. He had already taken part of it out and I didn't even know! What a b****r he is! Haha! I don't really mind cos I think he knows that just doing it is probably easier for me cos it doesn't give me chance to freak. He found out I had an abcess under there he hadn't realised about, so he doesn't want me to put gauze on as he wants the pus to drain....nice huh! I am still soooo numb I really hate it! Have taken a couple of painkillers just in case it hurts as it wears off.

So now I start my recovery and fingers crossed it will heal ok. I have the last (apart from hygeinist) appointment of my treatment plan in around 6 weeks, gosh I really can't believe that! So far have kept off the cigs too, am getting the odd pang but I think it would actually be too hard to smoke with my mouth being soooo numb!

Thanks guys for all your support, it really does make a difference!

 

[brummie_tom]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Hey fatcat Congrats on braving your first extraction!

Speaking as a fellow smoker i can say it is impossible to smoke even if you wanted too while your face is numb. Its actually quite funny just trying and i quickly gave up.

It would be quite a good way of giving up actually but you would have to be quite fond of needles.
I'm not advising going against the dentists instructions by the way!

Congrats again, you've done just great!

Tom

 

[londonscot]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Great news fatcat I knew you'd be just fine! Don't smoke but I would assume what Tom says is true....I know how odd it feels drinking (not alcohol!!).

Well done! I hope there is no pain when the numbness wears off and you can relax for a few days!!

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Hey Tom and London!

Thanks for your replies.

Tom, I can normally manage it with the sorta numbness you have after a filling, this numbness was totally different! I haven't even been that bothered by it yet to be honest. Maybe I can give up afterall! How long did you wait before you had a smoke?

London, the pain has been awful....really bad, even my tongue hurts on that side. I think I have pretty much got it controlled by taking some stronger painkillers, they make me really drowsy - glad I have a week off work.

I am assuming that it is too early to be dry socket seeing as it has only been a few hours..
Fingers crossed that it will die down after a nights sleep.

 

[brummie_tom]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Hey I'll be honest fatcat, i had my first smoke either 2 hours after my work being done or 24 hours after. I'm just covering my back in case my dentist reads this but as a smoker i am sure you can guess which one .

Oh i feel so bad for not being able to abstain!

Honestly if i could do without for 24 hours then i would just quit. Sounds like you're thinking about doing just that. After what you went through to get your extraction done then you definately have the willpower, so i'm sure you can manage to quit smoking too.

Tom

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Haha! That soon?? Wow I am too scared to....I guess thats the good side of being a worrier! I am starting to feel it now though. Just managed to eat half a bowl of soup and thought ahhh I'll have a nice smoke now....OH no you won't!! I am thinking about packing in and I think this time I could do it but I enjoy it, its like my little escape from the world plus my bloke smokes too which makes it nearly impossible!

The good thing is that the pain is only slight now, painkillers are keeping it under control....hopefully it will be gone tomorrow.

 

[brummie_tom]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Oh to have half your willpower!!

Glad to see that i'm not the only one on the soup diet this evening. I think maybe i should have bought shares in Heinz before i started this

Bananas and custard for dessert, i feel like i'm 8 again!!

Tom

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Know what you mean about feeling 8 again Tom, I have been eating ReadyBrek for the first time since I was little, really made me remember my youth!

Back with an update....
Went back to the dentist yesterday as the filling on the tooth next to the extraction which was done on Mon was too high and really annoying and I had a weird throbbing in my gums (not really a pain just a throb). She sanded the filling down and said she thought I might have the start of a dry socket! Agh! You all know that was one of my biggest worries!! She changed her mind when I said I didn't really have pain and said that some food in the site was irritating it and making it a bit inflamed. She washed the socket out and I went home. Throbbing did get better last night.

Woke up this morning with a strange feeling in my jaw....It was flipping swollen a couple of teeth down from the extraction! Unsure of whether to go back yet again and worried about taking an appointment from someone else I tried using some ice on it...didn't do much. Had a niggling feeling about it so I called the dentist again and explained the situation....made it clear that I only wanted to come in if they thought it was necessary as felt bad about taking their appointments up (I am a massive worrier and was well aware that it could of just been me being paranoid!) They said they thought they should see me again. So apparently I have an infection which is tracking (hence the swelling a few teeth down), slight dry socket (not bad enough to pack or cause pain, she couldn't see bone but is quite deep). So she has given me antibiotics for a week which should clear things up and help to heal.

The moral of this story is don't feel like you are being a pain or a bother by going back....trust your instincts!!

I hope the next extraction is a more simple one!!

 

[olivacs]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Good decision on heading back to the dentist. Better safe than sorry. Those antibiotics shuld clear things right up. I remember right after my extractions, they automatically put me on antibiotics just to prevent any problems. So thankful for that since I never had a dry socket.
Congrats on your extraction and best wishes on your next one as well!!

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Thanks Olivacs! I wish they had done that with me as well. You would think after finding an abcess they would have done but hey ho its all (nearly) in the past!

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

The dental saga of fatcat continues!!!

Had to go back today cos the swelling in my jaw had returned...the antibiotics got rid for a week but now it is back (not as bad as last time but back none the less). So, he took an xray and has put some of that horrible dressing in the socket in the hope that that is the source of the infection and it will clear up and start to heal a bit better. It tastes AWFUL! How long will this taste last? It is putting me off food!!

He did say that it might be coming from the tooth next to the extraction and I may need a root canal on it . I have to go back next week to see how it is getting on and consider the options, I told him I didn't want a root canal but he said the other option is having it out....I want to keep it really.
So what can I expect to happen in a root canal treatment? I know it takes longer than a filling but what happens, how long etc etc? Also will it last years or will I end up having to have it out anyway??

I am really down about it all, I had thought I only had 1 treatment appointment and a couple of hygeinist appointments left til my mouth was healthy again and now this happens... am feeling unsure and sad, would appreciate any support and hearing other peoples experiences.

Thanks for "listening" guys.

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

So I went back today and he is pleased with how the infection and swelling is going down!! It must have been coming from the extraction site after all. No need for root canal!! I am sooooo pleased!!! Now to get the final extraction and last few fillings out of the way and I am nearly there!!

 

[Cielo]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Yay!
You must be VERY relieved at the news!

Thanks for the update!

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Yes! So relieved. Had been getting horror stories about rc from "friends" all week so very pleased!

 

[mcorgan]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Fatcat,

Your story was very touching, you sound a lot like me I am sorry your extraction didn't go so well but I'm glad it's feeling better. I'm getting an extraction done tomorrow and I am so scared. Mostly scared of the outcome, possible swelling and infection but after reading this I'll ask my surgeon if he can prescribe antibiotics. I'm just wondering how he'll be able to take this tooth out. And the huge hole it will leave. I wonder if I'll need stitching

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Hi Mcorgan

Thank you! I started writing this thread as I used to spend ages reading the other threads and found them to be sooo helpful and lovely that there is so much support around for when you are feeling scared and unsure. I am glad you have found it useful! I have replied to your thread but you shouldn't have problems with infection, I only did because there was infection already under the tooth he took out and it didn't heal as well as he hoped by itself. I didn't need stitches but I don't know about your particular case....yes you will have a gap but the gum starts filling in pretty quickly so you won't be left with a big crater! Just make sure you do your salt rinses after 24 hrs, it will help to keep things clean and help it to heal. It is scary, I guess for me the worst part was just not knowing what to expect but as I said in your thread, it's not awful, just not the best thing in the world but we wouldn't have the fear if it was huh. Hope it goes well for you!

 

[mcorgan]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Thank you FAtcat for your support it means a lot to me. I was so scared yesterday. I did end up needing stitches because this particular tooth was located at a weird place. It was actually behind one of the front tooth. Really weird in fact this damn tooth was the reason why I refused to see the dentist for soo long and now it's gone. So happy about that! And I'll be more happy when I'm done with my ortho treatment and can actually smile with confidence

 

[DistantStar]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

I'm not sure how I missed your updates on this thread, but well done! I'm sorry it didn't go smoothly for you right away, but it is such a relief once it's all over and done with.

I feel soooo much better not having to worry about that tooth. I do have a couple of fillings that probably need to be re-done, but I can take a bit of time and save up for those.

 

[fatcat]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

Its easy to miss things on here.

Yeah it is a relief! Only a few more things left on my list and I will be done!

I feel so much better too, had spent so much time worrying and being paranoid over them, its still not a walk in the park for me to go to the dentist but now I wonder why I left it so long. Will I be saying that when the next appointment approaches I wonder?!?!

Glad you don't have anything too urgent now.

 

[DistantStar]

Re: New, worried, some questions, wanted to share my experience..Sorry bit long!

At this point my main reason for not going is $$$; I want to get anything sorted that needs it, but until I take care of a few other bills, it'll have to wait. I am not going to ask my parents for help concerning my teeth again if I can help it! Not that they weren't awesome about it, since it was a rather urgent situation, but it still felt awkward.

I seem to have gone from near-phobic to highly nervous. Hopefully a few more good experiences (such as with those fillings) and I will be down to "normal" nervous levels. I've only known one person who isn't at least a little nervous about dental work; in fact, he's so calm about it that he falls asleep while they're working on him. How is that even possible?