S
Sawaway
Junior member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2021
- Messages
- 3
- Location
- Usa
Hey there,
I have Ehler's Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type, which means I have trouble getting numb and my jaw is EXTREMELY unstable and I experience frequent subluxations. The subluxations, if extreme, cause me to nearly lose consciousness because of anxiety associated with them.
So...I started out having a filling that needed to be replaced in my far back tooth. My dentist tried at two different appointments to get me numb to no avail. I waited because of the pandemic to see another dentist and now the tooth needs to be pulled (a bit of a long story, but not relevant to the problem).
Mind you, every visit to the dentist causes high anxiety because of my jaw issue! MAJOR guarding, inability to open wide or for a long periods. It helps to be not tilted back too much, but dentists don't like when I request that accommodation.
Sedation/general anesthesia is a not really a viable possibility because I need to be very attentive to my jaw and maintain some muscle tension to prevent subluxations and possible dislocation (God forbid!). Can't imagine what would happen otherwise!
What do I do? I JUST HAVE to be able to get numb! But even if that works out, how do I tolerate the tugging and wide opening I'll have to do for the extraction? How will it not seriously damage my delicate jaw? Is there an instrument they can use or some way to do the extraction that would require less tugging and require my mouth not to have to open so wide and for so long? I'm plagued with anxiety to the point that I feel like avoiding the whole scene!
Any advice?!
Thanks in advance!
I have Ehler's Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type, which means I have trouble getting numb and my jaw is EXTREMELY unstable and I experience frequent subluxations. The subluxations, if extreme, cause me to nearly lose consciousness because of anxiety associated with them.
So...I started out having a filling that needed to be replaced in my far back tooth. My dentist tried at two different appointments to get me numb to no avail. I waited because of the pandemic to see another dentist and now the tooth needs to be pulled (a bit of a long story, but not relevant to the problem).
Mind you, every visit to the dentist causes high anxiety because of my jaw issue! MAJOR guarding, inability to open wide or for a long periods. It helps to be not tilted back too much, but dentists don't like when I request that accommodation.
Sedation/general anesthesia is a not really a viable possibility because I need to be very attentive to my jaw and maintain some muscle tension to prevent subluxations and possible dislocation (God forbid!). Can't imagine what would happen otherwise!
What do I do? I JUST HAVE to be able to get numb! But even if that works out, how do I tolerate the tugging and wide opening I'll have to do for the extraction? How will it not seriously damage my delicate jaw? Is there an instrument they can use or some way to do the extraction that would require less tugging and require my mouth not to have to open so wide and for so long? I'm plagued with anxiety to the point that I feel like avoiding the whole scene!
Any advice?!
Thanks in advance!