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Surviving an Apicoectomy

I

irmemac

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2013
Messages
235
Location
Scotland
I want to tell of my experience undergoing apicoectomies in case it might be of help to anyone facing this treatment. I was recently scheduled for two apicoectomies on adjacent teeth. I was terrified! Kept dreaming about the procedure, couldn't eat, getting tearful as the day approached etc. Had the actual procedure two days ago, and it was doable. I had an excellent dentist whom I trust, which was essential. She gave me lots of numbing, and topped it up during the process too. I can honestly say I felt no pain whatsoever during the surgery, and managed with only the local anaesthetic, no sedation. Afterwards I felt a bit wobbly, but that was from the emotional build up I felt beforehand, and the relief it was over.

i was prepared for lots of pain over the weekend, but I did not get it. Yes, I was a little uncomfortable when the anaesthetic wore off, but nothing that wasn't helped by OTC painkillers. The same afternoon I went for a countryside drive and a cup of tea. My mouth got a little sore in the early evening that day and the next, but again painkillers did the trick. I also felt very tired both evenings. It is now around 60 hours since I left the dental surgery, and today I have taken painkillers only twice all day. I am back to about 95% of my normal energy levels, and feeling good. I was given dissolvable stitches but they are causing no problems beyond making it a little tricky to brush :(. I have had no problems getting to sleep at night and have stayed asleep all night. No pain on waking in the mornings either.

if you are facing the same treatment, I have some advice that worked for me.
Buy a baby toothbrush beforehand for brushing the affected area for a few days until the gum heals.
Lay in some soft food, as the bruising to the gum can make opening the mouth uncomfortable for a day or two.
Give yourself a couple of days of rest and taking it easy after the treatment.
Plan nice treats to look forward to e.g. a DVD you have been looking forward to, a good book etc.
Consider whether to take headphones and music to the treatment with you. There should not be any pain, but some of the noises and sensations are less than pleasant, so music may help.
i asked the dentist not to tell me every little thing she was doing (think I would have run away!) but instead to tell me how long each part would last. She was great and did that, which made it easier to cope with lying in the chair.
DO NOT LOOK IT UP ON GOOGLE!!! You will mainly hear the bad stories, and that will not help you.
And, a valuable piece of advice, which a dear friend from this forum gave me.... Just focus on turning up. The dentist will do the rest.

No matter how scared you are of the dentist, I am too. This sounds trite, but if I can get through it so can you. It is nothing like as bad as I thought it would be, and it is definitely, definitely doable. All the best :).
 
Thank you for sharing your experience Irmemac and well done! :jump: We get a lot of questions regarding apicoectomies and I'm sure this will help to put others at ease. :)
 
Thank you. This forum was the first thing I thought of afterwards! It has been a great support to me, and people are so kind that it has given me courage to face things better. I knew I would want to hear that it had been entirely manageable, and I would have posted the same day I had my treatment, but I wanted to wait to make sure things didn't get worse. They didn't, and I'm feeling very good today. Haven't taken any painkillers and have got a busy day ahead too :)
 
Yesterday was yet another day of improvement. Less periods of discomfort, and only took painkillers three times all day. I'm using Corsodyl mouthwash morning and night, and rinsing with a saline solution after every meal. Today my chin and gum area feel less swollen and my mouth feels much more normal. I'm able to bite on the other side and chew fairly soft food. No salad yet for me.
Have not taken any painkillers today at all and planning another busy day. The only issue at all is that I have had a couple of times during the day when I have felt really tired, which isn't normal. I think this is probably because my mouth is healing at a very fast rate, and I was so anxious beforehand that the emotional exhaustion is still hanging about! If you are facing this surgery it is definitely not as bad as it sounds and definitely bearable.
 
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