seeking advice for making an appointment

[robertsonic]

@Enarete
personal space is very critical. tilting the chair back or doing this very slowly helps. sitting at the side instead of immediately in front is helpful and teaching patients to relax with slow deep breaths helps ( practice this before attending)

 

[flowerya]

@flowerya

sorry for the late update ive had some crazy stuff going on still here still anxiously getting through the days between appointments

okay so for my cleaning:

• i learned that gums aren’t connected to teeth up until a certain point on the tooth. idk if that phrasing makes sense but that’s how i can explain it and that was so crazy to learn and freaked me out
• the hygienist that cleaned my teeth wasn’t the same one as my first visit even tho she said she would be :/ i didn’t ask why she wasn’t i just assumed the woman who cleaned my teeth might also be good with autistic patients (and she was!)
• i explained that flossing freaks me out and that the taste of blood also freaks me out
• she used a tool that uses water to clean teeth which is something i didn’t know existed and it actually only kind of hurt because of my cavities and wasn’t anything she did
• i clarified with her about a stop signal and she was in agreement with me about having one
• she was so kind and i was nervous because at my first visit i was told they would need the full hour to clean my teeth but she only took around 25-30 minutes and i asked if i was done and she said yes and that i didn’t have much build up (pretty sure this is bc of my hour long flossing endeavor the night prior and how ive been using my electric toothbrush three times a day for at least 5-10 minutes every day for the past couple weeks bc i knew they were going to have to do it on my sore teeth/gums so i figured that i would rather do it myself first)
• i have started flossing my teeth every night and using a fluoride toothpaste that they gave me (mostly doing this bcecause they will know if i havent lol)
• made an appointment for two fillings on my back molars and i’m nervous

i’m nervous because of the shots. i remember having my arms held down the last time so i’m very nervous about the pain and reflexively lifting my arms and being held down again. not sure what to do about that and the fact that i know it will hurt is stressing me out. i don’t know if i can talk to them about taking something beforehand or not but i also think it’s too late to ask because my appointment is in two days.

 

[flowerya]

@Enarete
thank you so much for telling me about the ultrasonic scraper! i think that’s what she ended up using! it was only water i didn’t feel anything metal

i also made an appointment in a few months for another cleaning

i like your advice about the different ways of stopping. she was very good about moving onto different teeth when i would react to any pain. i posted an update finally!

 

[flowerya]

@Lioness Hi Lioness, I had a somewhat similar experience to you. i’m sorry you know what it’s like as well. and thank you for your support!! it means a lot! and good luck to you with your next appointments as well!

 

[Enarete]

Hey @flowerya, very well done! you did amazingly and I am impressed how well you managed to advocate for yourself and explain the things that scare you. Glad the hygienist was good. I think I would be pretty disappointed and scared if I got someone else to treat me than the person I was ready to see. It sounds like all went well though.

When it comes to the shots, please do talk to your dentist. Most people are super scared of shots anyway so your dentist will be used to having that conversation. If you feel you'd like to try something to calm down beforehand, contacting the practice is a good idea. Better late than not at all.
It may also be good to explain your past experience to them and prepare them for your raising hands unexpectedly. You may also want to have a conversation about what they can do to make the shots comfortable (there are many techniques that can be used) and also to agree on a stop sign (believe or not, even a shot can be interrupted and continued later). In some parts of the mouth, it is possible to have the shots entirely painlessly. Where are the two teeth placed?
I also highly recommend to ask them not to show you the syringe and not to look at it yourself. It has a strange form and looks way more scary than it is. I always make sure to look as much up as I can so I can't see what is happening in the mouth.

If you like some reading on what can be done with shots, take a look here:

Painful Injections and Needle Phobia

Are you terrified of dental injections? Find out why shots may be painful, how to make them comfortable, and what to do if you have needle phobia.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

There are no scary pictures in the article, just explanations and tips on what can be done.

Good luck and fingers crossed! I am sure you will be fine, your practice looks like they really care.