Regular Cleaning

[pauldavid77]

I will give you all a little bit of background first.

I have been to the dentist 4 times total in my life. A month ago i felt something weird on one of my teeth and realized that the tooth was broke. I went to a dentist turns out it needed a crown. I have been through those visits all ready and have a permanent crown on the tooth now.

Now I have to go in for a regular cleaning and all around exam and I am really freaked. I havent had my teeth cleaned in about 10 years and there is obvious build up on them.

I'm really worried this is going to hurt. Can anyone tell me their experiences with regular cleanings?

 

[chickenjen]

Hi, and!!
Cleanings are really not bad, especially if you have at least been keeping up with your oral care at home. Up until 2008, I never had a professional cleaning!! Now I'm going twice a year.
My hygienist is very gentle, very patient and has a sixth sense about when I need a break.
My hygienist uses a Water-Pik (which is great) first, then she'll use that scraper...which isn't too bad because most of the cleaning has been done by the Water-Pik.
I do have a few deep pockets which can get a little uncomfortable while cleaning, so I have the option of asking for nitrous oxide if it gets too bad.....so far I have been able to go without the nitrous.
Hope that helps!

 

[fearfulslp]

I just got my teeth cleaned today and it has been about 15 years for me. Honestly it didn't hurt a bit. The noise of the scraping is what bothered me most but it was tolerable. With that said, I don't have any gingivitis or gum problems. I had plaque/tartar buildup but my hygentist was able to remove it from the problem areas. I guess you can say I'm pretty lucky in that regard. My husband has stage III periodontal disease and has to have some intense treatment to stop it. He just had his teeth cleaned too and the hygentist applied topical anesthetic so he wouldn't feel pain during the cleaning process. He will also be under oral sedation when he goes in for his deep cleaning. Hope this helps! Good luck!

 

[pauldavid77]

Thanks, I don't know why I am so freaked out.

I am scheduled to go on Tuesday and it's all I can think about it. I got through the crown prep just fine, but had major anxiety leading up to that also.

I don't know why I have this fear. But I am petrified going to the dentist I sit in the chair and shake. This dentist I have found is really nice and I have no reason to be frightened but I am.

 

[cakehead]

You sound sort of like me. I'm scared just to go and I don't know why. I've never experienced any kind of pain aside from minor discomfort at the dentist's, but I still get panic attacks even thinking about it. It might be loss of control or something. I can't even seem to go for x-rays without xanax! I put off three consultations because I'm just afraid to sit there and be stuck while they do things. Perhaps you could talk to your dentist, doctor or a psychiatrist to get something to relax you enough for dental appointments?

Oh btw I'm going to the oral surgeon's next Thursday for a wisdom teeth consultation. Haven't even seen a dentist in 11 years so I can't even think about anything else and I'm afraid of what else he'll find. I was never scared of anything dental until my wisdoms came in and I realized I had to have my first "surgery".

 

[brit]

pauldavid77, if it is lack of control, read this:

Feeling Powerless (Loss of Control)

Feelings of helplessness and lack of control are very common when visiting the dentist. Find out how you and your dentist can put you in control.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Try to relax.....you can't be anxious and relaxed at the same time, it's physically impossible. I haven't ever had a crown prep yet but in the dental scheme of things, a cleaning should be way easier.
Take back a bit of control, request whatever comforts you want or find you need (LA or gel or not?), have a stop signal etc etc and hopefully chalk up a positive experience so it becomes easier and easier.

 

[chickenjen]

I totally agree with Brit....the more positive dental experiences you have in general, the less anxious you'll be even about a new dental procedure!
That being said, I know it's hard not to think about your upcoming dental visits. I have a little trick (which I have told other members of this forum). I try to reward myself with a little something AFTER the dental visit....something inexpensive like a magazine I don't normally buy just to have SOMETHING to look forward after the dental visit.....I don't do this much lately because my fear has gone WAY DOWN. It helps take the focus off the visit and on to the little treat for AFTERWARDS.
Hope that helps!!!
It will go fine and YOU WILL BE FINE!!!!!

 

[kitkat]

Hi Pauldavid77,
Given what you have already experienced, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how easy the cleaning is and will be really pleased with how your teeth look and feel afterward. I have only experienced very slight discomfort on occasion with scaling to remove build up from around the gums but not for longer than a second and was more of a tooth sensitivity than actual pain. I have a prearranged stop signal with my dentist but I have never felt the need to use it during a cleaning appointment. For me the worst part is the scraping sound if any manual scraping is done but my dentist uses an ultrasonic tool that vibrates very fast and sprays water and all I can feel is the water spraying and hear is the tool running which can be rather loud similar to a water pik.

Brit makes a good point about trying to relax. I have a natural tendency to tense up in the dental chair and next thing I know I'm a bundle of nerves! I have a great dental assistant though who picked up on my tension and made me aware of it and then would periodically cue me to release the tension and relax again. It's simple but it did wonders to help put my mind at ease. You cannot be relaxed and tense at the same time so if you can't relax the mind first, work backwards and relax your body and the mind will calm down some. The mind-body connection is very useful sometimes. The assistant pointed out that my tension actually starts in my face which kinda makes sense and then travels down and I'm not even aware of it. Usually starts with my cheeks, jaw, and lips and then I think it travels down my neck and next thing I know my arms and ankles are tightly crossed and I'm stiff as a board while my mind starts racing. But if I am able to catch it early and relax I stay relatively calm throughout. It's a slippery slope.