Nightmare on dental street Part II

[GrahamDee]

I am so happy. The sun was shining, birds where singing and all was well with the world.

Until a tooth broke.

Last May, I had to endure my WORST nightmare of having a tooth out by IV sedation. The sedaton part was the easy bit...the infected dry socket afterwards wasn't a great deal of fun. Being tortured by the dentist cutting open the infection without anaesthtic and me screaming my head off in the surgery really didn't help matters. To add to it all, the dentist damaged the filling on the tooth next to the one he pulled.

So a few days ago, this tooth started to feel a bit wierd and uncomfortable to bite on. I called my dentist to have a look and its fractured and unrepairable....and it has to come out!!

AGGHHHH!!!!!

So its back down to the sedation clinic and get YET ANOTHER tooth pulled, the second this year and the third in two years....all with dry sockets, infections, screaming agony, sleepless nights, emotional truma, stress...

And some people wonder why I'm scared of extractions.

To be honest, I'm absolutly terrified.

 

[RP]

Oh noooo graham,

I would have a long chat with the oral surgeon and see if there is something they can do to stave off the dry socket. I'm not sure what, but off the top of my head is prophylactic antibiotics, suturing the hole, putting in a collagen plug- I'm not a dentist- maybe post a question there, there's got to be something with your bad luck and extractions. I'm sure you know better than the straw, the cig and the rinsing in the 1st 24 hours by now, so I'll spare you the post extraction instructions.....


rp

 

[GrahamDee]

Thanks for that RP,

I never use a straw, I don't smoke, I drink only water post extraction, I just let water drop out of my mouth instead of spitting, I even avoid cleaning my teeth for a day or two (which I hate) as I don't want to give it cause to come out.

But out it comes, and so does my quality of life

The worst thing about last time was the sedation dentist gave my wife a card to call if there any problems, which there were, but she decided not to tell me that little nugget of information when I was walking around with an inflamed head full of pus and in raging agony, not realising I was 'out of my tree' and totally sedated when I came out of surgery and remembered nothing of anything anyone said to me. Grrr!

 

[TerrifiedWoman]

Ahh Graham..that stinks. Maybe you'll have better luck this time though.

 

[Imnotbetty]

Third time is the charm!

 

[Razzle3]

Graham, I also wish you a MUCH better experience this time around.

Mona

 

[GrahamDee]

Thanks Mona, I seem to be out of dental luck right now.

So last night I was cleaning my 'pearly whites', followed by a good dose of mouthwash, and suddenly felt this rather large lump in my mouth. This tooth which had fractured, has now sheared away and broken off completely.

I am in no pain with it - it just feels really strange in my mouth with a hole where there was once tooth (there is now a stump of a tooth left), but I am eating very, very carefully. There is no sensitivity to heat or cold, so for that I'm grateful.

I should say that this tooth had a temporary filling and my dentist did warn me it may come out.

I was hoping I could put off Mr IV for at least a few weeks until I can sort out time off work, wife arrangements, money and most of all courage and nerve to undergo it all, but now I'll be on the phone first thing to get 'juiced up' at the very first appointment avaliable. I feel like I now have a ticking bomb in my head with a very big nerve about to explode.

Of course, being a veteren of two IV Sedation's, my primary worry is the dry sockets and the infections I seem to attract when I get teeth pulled.

What I really don't want is this to go bad and be forced to endure an extraction with just LA. That is the stuff of nightmares for me and the very thought of it kept we awake all last night!!

 

[GrahamDee]

Ok, quick phone call to the Sedation Clinic and 8.00 Monday Morning, I'm off with the fairies.

 

[GummyMummy17]

That's not too long to wait I guess I hope the tooth doesn't break up anymore on you before now and then.

 

[GrahamDee]

That's not too long to wait I guess I hope the tooth doesn't break up anymore on you before now and then.

OoO!! So do I

But today, I am fairly relaxed about it. I have just got my "do not drive" instructions and whatnot. Booked time off work..its just the waiting game.

I am deciding if I should kick wife out of bed and get her to make me a large pre-dental fry-up before I go nil by mouth at around 4am on Monday!

 

[GrahamDee]

OK, Here we go...

In a hour's time, its off to the sedation clinic. Last time I had this done, I was in a right mess about now. Petrified beyond all belief.

I have been fairly relaxed about it this time, I am still nervous, the pulse rate is up, adrelalin is flowing...but I can find myself thinking of other things. Its not the sedation, or even having to tooth out....its fear of the dry socket and the infection I had last time which is giving me the jitters.

All I want to do is jump in the chair, get my IV and I don't really care what happens then. Dentist can do what he likes.

 

[GummyMummy17]

I hope everything goes without a hitch today Graeme and that you don't get another dry socket.

 

[GrahamDee]

I hope everything goes without a hitch today Graeme and that you don't get another dry socket.

Thx. Its now 4 hours afterwards. I've just woke up and feeling well strange.

I was in the chair, took an xray and in went the stuff.

FOur hours later, I was waking up in my own bed. My mind is a total blank about anything whats happened since. My head si still spinning and my LA's are starting wear off and this hole is starting to throb a bit

WoW!

 

[Stress Doc]

Hi Graham

Wishing you a speedy recovery and good healing.

Blessings

 

[RP]

Have my fingers crossed for you this time graham....

rp

 

[GrahamDee]

I'm awake. Its 3.00am.

Woken up in agony.

Its happened again.

 

[secretstars]

I'm awake. Its 3.00am.

Woken up in agony.

Its happened again.

oh, damnit! that's horrible. D: i hope you can find relief soon. <3

 

[GummyMummy17]

I'm awake. Its 3.00am.

Woken up in agony.

Its happened again.

That's so not what I wanted to be reading.I'm so sorry this appears to be happening to you again.I hope you are able to get something that will ease your discomfort quickly.

 

[brit]

Graham,
Very sorry to hear that. The sooner you go back the less traumatic it will be...you left it too long last time. Don't see why you can't be numbed up if necessary...the gum tissue can be numbed easily enough just like for part 2 root canal appointment.
Best wishes

PS I think if you go early enough they will just put a sedative dressing in and you will get immediate relief.

 

[GrahamDee]

Graham,
Very sorry to hear that. The sooner you go back the less traumatic it will be...you left it too long last time. Don't see why you can't be numbed up if necessary...the gum tissue can be numbed easily enough just like for part 2 root canal appointment.
Best wishes

PS I think if you go early enough they will just put a sedative dressing in and you will get immediate relief.

Thanks Brit.

Just for an update on this. The pain subsided and almost disappeared, but then last night about the same time, I was in raging agony.

An emergency call to the dentist and he had a good look around. Despite all the symptoms, there is no infection and everything looks okay. When the tooth came out, it took some work below the gum to loosen it up and he also removed a cyst which had abcessed below the tooth. (I was unaware of anything wrong other than the tooth broke off as I had no symptoms of an abcess). But apparently he took an Xray there was one and he had to work to get it out and clean everything up. The pain is down to heavy brusing around the area, which will subside with time. Just to be on the safe side, he cleaned out and dressed the socket and gave me a course of antibiotics just to be sure.

What I didn't get was painkillers, but I have a supply of those anyway having arthritis.