So panicked I can't even breathe!

[turtlelove]

I've been panicked for days. Over the last year I have come so far! Teeth cleaning fillings crown. Now I need an extraction #3. It's broken to the gum hollow and has a hard painful lump. God I wish I could pick up the phone to call the surgeon! I keep hyperventilating and crying. Every time I have had a tooth removed I have wound up in so much pain after. The pain killers made me so sick I didn't move for 3 days. I'm so terrified of going through that again. I feel like it's going to be another panic filled sleepless night. Don't know how many of these I can take.

 

[Sevena]

I'm sorry you're going through that! Extractions are scary, especially if you've had bad experiences with the recovery! However, it might not be that bad this time. I had teeth removed that were broken down to the gum and had only tenderness afterwards. Try not to dwell on the what-ifs, though I know it's near impossible when you're worried and scared.

Maybe if you talk to the surgeon about how you're feeling, they can help calm your fears. If you had a reaction to the last pain meds, maybe you can try different ones? You can do this! Where there's a will, there's a way. It might not be at all enjoyable, but think about how good it would feel to get the extraction over and done with, and then you won't need to worry over that tooth again!

Anyway, I'm sending you massive e-hugs. Best of luck!

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Hi,
There are ways to lessen the post-operative pain tremendously.
1) Your description of your tooth sounds suitable for antibiotics. This way it will lower the inflammation and help prevent post operative infection. What I do with my patient is to give a week long course of antibiotics (mostly penicillins which is given in the Netherlands for 5 days, but in these cases I give a longer course) and extract the tooth on the forth-fifths day.
2) I always have in my office some NSAID like Ibuprofen. The NSAID has to reach therapeutic levels in the blood during the extraction, meaning it should be taken about an hour before.
3) careful technique during the extraction. Whether the dentist is opening the gums (a flap) or not, during the extraction the tooth has to be extracted patiently without applying much force.
4) after the extraction I give another injection with a long lasting analgesic solution like (like Articaine with no Adrenaline). This solution might kill the pain for more than 12 hours.
5) post operative instructions like cold compressors and or pain killers.
6) it really helps when the dentist calls to check on the patient the following day.

 

[turtlelove]

Thank you for your reply. It helps to know what's going to happen. Do you think ibueprofen would be enough to handle the pain after? Normally they have given me Vicodin or Percocet. And those give me a migraine when they wear off. And how long will I need off work I get Tuesdays and Wednesday every week will that be enough time to heal. I work as a manager at a store so there is a lot of talking with customers.

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Do you think ibueprofen would be enough to handle the pain after? Normally they have given me Vicodin or Percocet.

I would stick to Ibuprofen because its side effects are not as strong as the others and it is an effective pain killer.