Scale and polish and laser filling - so scared!!

[Toothbrush83]

Right, so I went to the dentist before Christmas (first time in 2 years) and was told that I need a scale and polish and a filling. Was told that the filling wasn't urgent so should have the scale and polish first. I was ill over Christmas so have had an excuse not to make the appointment but now I'm better I have no excuse. I'm really worried about the scale and polish, I've not had it done before (I have a needle phobia so numbing using a needle really isn't an option for me) - does anyone have any tips on how to cope?

On another note, I think I'm going to go for laser rather than a drill for my filling, apparently the laser is pain free - it seals any nerves that are hit - have any of you had the laser?

 

[robotguy]

Hi there, I've not had a laser filling but I have had a de-scale and polish so I can help with that.

I have a big dislike/fear of having metal picks and probes in my mouth, years ago as a child the hard scale was scraped off my teeth with those tools and I hated it. But oh how times have changed. Now the descale is done with an ultrasonic tool. Its basically a tool with a small ball that vibrates very fast on the tip, when touched on the scale, it just falls off. There is also a water spray from the ball tip so the the water and scale is sucked away with a small suction tube. Don't panic about swallowing any of the water and scale, it won't hurt you, the scale has been in your mouth for ages without harming you and water is just water. The vibrations are so fast you don't feel them, there is no pain at all. There is a high-pitched buzz from the tool, and if it goes in a gap between two teeth it can appear quite loud, but thats all.

My dentist showed me the ultrasonic tool before she used it on me for the first time. I even put my finger on the tip and felt that it wasn't sharp. I couldn't even feel it vibrating either.

Polishing is no more than cleaning with an electric toothbrush, its just weird having it done to you rather than doing it yourself. Again, yyou should not expect any pain or discomfort from having it done.

Try to keep calm and you will be fine.

 

[italiannyc17]

Hi there, I've not had a laser filling but I have had a de-scale and polish so I can help with that.

I have a big dislike/fear of having metal picks and probes in my mouth, years ago as a child the hard scale was scraped off my teeth with those tools and I hated it. But oh how times have changed. Now the descale is done with an ultrasonic tool. Its basically a tool with a small ball that vibrates very fast on the tip, when touched on the scale, it just falls off. There is also a water spray from the ball tip so the the water and scale is sucked away with a small suction tube. Don't panic about swallowing any of the water and scale, it won't hurt you, the scale has been in your mouth for ages without harming you and water is just water. The vibrations are so fast you don't feel them, there is no pain at all. There is a high-pitched buzz from the tool, and if it goes in a gap between two teeth it can appear quite loud, but thats all.

My dentist showed me the ultrasonic tool before she used it on me for the first time. I even put my finger on the tip and felt that it wasn't sharp. I couldn't even feel it vibrating either.

Polishing is no more than cleaning with an electric toothbrush, its just weird having it done to you rather than doing it yourself. Again, yyou should not expect any pain or discomfort from having it done.

Try to keep calm and you will be fine.

Is this the same as a deep clean? Cuz i need that done

 

[brit]

Is this the same as a deep clean? Cuz i need that done

Not quite:

Deep Cleaning

Is deep cleaning painful? This article describes what happens during scaling and root planing, and what it feels like.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

What happens during a dental cleaning (scale and polish)?

Dental cleanings involve removing plaque (soft, sticky, bacteria infested film) and tartar (calculus) deposits that have built up on the teeth over time. Your teeth are continually bathed in saliva. Your saliva contains calcium and other substances which help strengthen and protect the teeth...

www.dentalfearcentral.org