Z
zrr713
Junior member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2018
- Messages
- 2
- Location
- Ohio
Hello everyone! I’ve been lurking around here for a while after having decided to embark on the not-so-fun adventure of getting my oral health back on track. Needless to say, there are a few reasons I’m -here- instead of anywhere else. My apologies in advance for the length of this one!
The last time I’ve really been to a dentist was 8 years ago or so when I thought a filling had fallen out. They cleaned me up and it turned out the tooth had actually decayed enough that part of it popped off, and I needed a root canal on the quick. That went well aside from the panic attack when they injected me six times... I even fell asleep (comfortably) during the procedure. Before that I hadn’t gone in nearly 5 years, at which time they told me I didn’t have any cavities (though some were starting to form), and since I was such a nervous wreck I’d probably need to be numbed for the next cleaning. Which obviously never happened!
Over those years, I wasn’t horrible to my teeth but I could have been better. During college and the first years of work, I didn’t have much in terms of savings or insurance, so dental work fell to the side. I brushed too rough for too many years with electric toothbrushes, so I tore my gums up and bled a lot. They were also inflamed pretty much all the time.
While my dentist is a pretty decent guy and does excellent work, I don’t really like some of his methods (he tends to not be very forthcoming and talks under his breath to his assistants a lot) and like his hygienists even less — they’re the whole reason I haven’t been in so long and where my fear comes from in the first place. First visit back, which I was very clear about being just a consultation exam and that I was very, very terrified to be there, he took a look around my mouth, probed a few places, and was reluctant even to take an x-ray until I insisted. There were definitely some areas of concern (some whopper cavities), but he didn’t feel that anything was emergent — just concerning. We’d discuss it when I came back for a cleaning, and could also discuss a long-term treatment plan then.
Fast-forward to the next day and that’s when things get weirder. I’m too much of a baby to make it through the cleaning with just topical gel, and the hygienist recommends that I go for the full-blown scaling and root planing... though at that point she hadn’t measured my pocket depths or recession at all. We try to get started with that (numbing me with more topical but no novacaine), and I don’t handle it any better. Too nervous, and they don’t do sedation, so I was referred to a periodontist that does. I got very bad vibes from the hygienist overall, though initially it seemed like she’d be able to handle my anxieties (she had no idea what to do). She scared me pretty good when talking about the potential pocket depths, saying she thought “yours are more like a 6 or worse, with significant bone loss.” On the way out, she kinda half-joked that after the scaling and root planing I’d come back in six weeks to talk about “how many teeth you get to keep.” Yikes! They also failed to send my x-rays and referral paperwork to the periodontist.
The visit to the periodontist was actually very pleasant beyond the expected levels of nervousness. She was concerned about the cavities (which I explained couldn’t be dealt with until after the cleanings), but was very kind and gentle overall. I had some 2s and 3s, a heap of 4s, and a couple 5s. She also didn’t express any concern about bone loss... yet. And so, the real fun is set to begin tomorrow afternoon, when I go in for the first half of my mouth (don’t need quadrants so I guess that’s a plus?). I can’t take oral sedatives but I’ll have gas, so that should be alright. I also can’t take oral painkillers, so the first couple days afterwards should be a real blast. I’ll have to follow up on this one tomorrow evening!
But back to the dentist himself. Between the initial visit and a couple weeks ago, I bit into a nice big almond and thought I may have chipped a tooth. I phoned the dentist, but the receptionist refused (!) to schedule anything, stating that it’s most likely sensitive due to my gum disease and adjusting to a Sonicare toothbrush. Fair, but she never actually talked to the dentist. It’s kinda off-and-on sensitive, and I mostly avoid it and have to chew a bit oddly (circumstances don’t make it easy to just chew on the other side), which has made my jaw and cheekbone area somewhat sore. There have also been a few instances where I randomly bleed for a couple spits for no apparent reason. Needless to say, given my history at that office triggering enough phobias to keep me away this long coupled with recent experiences, I won’t be going back. My mother still goes there, but she has similar thoughts about them... and that just makes my decision easier. I’ve set up an appointment at an office closer to home that does sedation, and I’ll doing all my follow-up work there.
Which brings me to tomorrow. And the aftermath. I feel like I’m less concerned about the overall scaling and root planing than the healing process. I have major dry mouth issues at night and can’t take Xylitol tablets, so I’m a little worried how that’s all going to go. Especially if I wake up full of blood for a few days... I know that’s going to drive my anxiety crazy. Not being able to take painkillers will not be fun (assuming I need them), but ice and Orajel should get the job done. The thing that has been driving me more batty than anything else is thinking... why didn’t the dentist talk to me? Did he plan to pull them all out after the cleaning? Am I looking at months and months of painful procedures (root canals, extractions, lots and lots of fillings)? I have a few teeth that are definitely pretty bad (abrasions that became larger holes, discoloration, etc). Financially I should be able to handle it all, barring full dentures or something. I’m just hoping it’s not as bad as my mind is making it out to be.
I know there are plenty of folks out there who have “been there” and made it through to the other side. It certainly helps airing this all right now... and any words of encouragement would be more appreciated than you can know!
The last time I’ve really been to a dentist was 8 years ago or so when I thought a filling had fallen out. They cleaned me up and it turned out the tooth had actually decayed enough that part of it popped off, and I needed a root canal on the quick. That went well aside from the panic attack when they injected me six times... I even fell asleep (comfortably) during the procedure. Before that I hadn’t gone in nearly 5 years, at which time they told me I didn’t have any cavities (though some were starting to form), and since I was such a nervous wreck I’d probably need to be numbed for the next cleaning. Which obviously never happened!
Over those years, I wasn’t horrible to my teeth but I could have been better. During college and the first years of work, I didn’t have much in terms of savings or insurance, so dental work fell to the side. I brushed too rough for too many years with electric toothbrushes, so I tore my gums up and bled a lot. They were also inflamed pretty much all the time.
While my dentist is a pretty decent guy and does excellent work, I don’t really like some of his methods (he tends to not be very forthcoming and talks under his breath to his assistants a lot) and like his hygienists even less — they’re the whole reason I haven’t been in so long and where my fear comes from in the first place. First visit back, which I was very clear about being just a consultation exam and that I was very, very terrified to be there, he took a look around my mouth, probed a few places, and was reluctant even to take an x-ray until I insisted. There were definitely some areas of concern (some whopper cavities), but he didn’t feel that anything was emergent — just concerning. We’d discuss it when I came back for a cleaning, and could also discuss a long-term treatment plan then.
Fast-forward to the next day and that’s when things get weirder. I’m too much of a baby to make it through the cleaning with just topical gel, and the hygienist recommends that I go for the full-blown scaling and root planing... though at that point she hadn’t measured my pocket depths or recession at all. We try to get started with that (numbing me with more topical but no novacaine), and I don’t handle it any better. Too nervous, and they don’t do sedation, so I was referred to a periodontist that does. I got very bad vibes from the hygienist overall, though initially it seemed like she’d be able to handle my anxieties (she had no idea what to do). She scared me pretty good when talking about the potential pocket depths, saying she thought “yours are more like a 6 or worse, with significant bone loss.” On the way out, she kinda half-joked that after the scaling and root planing I’d come back in six weeks to talk about “how many teeth you get to keep.” Yikes! They also failed to send my x-rays and referral paperwork to the periodontist.
The visit to the periodontist was actually very pleasant beyond the expected levels of nervousness. She was concerned about the cavities (which I explained couldn’t be dealt with until after the cleanings), but was very kind and gentle overall. I had some 2s and 3s, a heap of 4s, and a couple 5s. She also didn’t express any concern about bone loss... yet. And so, the real fun is set to begin tomorrow afternoon, when I go in for the first half of my mouth (don’t need quadrants so I guess that’s a plus?). I can’t take oral sedatives but I’ll have gas, so that should be alright. I also can’t take oral painkillers, so the first couple days afterwards should be a real blast. I’ll have to follow up on this one tomorrow evening!
But back to the dentist himself. Between the initial visit and a couple weeks ago, I bit into a nice big almond and thought I may have chipped a tooth. I phoned the dentist, but the receptionist refused (!) to schedule anything, stating that it’s most likely sensitive due to my gum disease and adjusting to a Sonicare toothbrush. Fair, but she never actually talked to the dentist. It’s kinda off-and-on sensitive, and I mostly avoid it and have to chew a bit oddly (circumstances don’t make it easy to just chew on the other side), which has made my jaw and cheekbone area somewhat sore. There have also been a few instances where I randomly bleed for a couple spits for no apparent reason. Needless to say, given my history at that office triggering enough phobias to keep me away this long coupled with recent experiences, I won’t be going back. My mother still goes there, but she has similar thoughts about them... and that just makes my decision easier. I’ve set up an appointment at an office closer to home that does sedation, and I’ll doing all my follow-up work there.
Which brings me to tomorrow. And the aftermath. I feel like I’m less concerned about the overall scaling and root planing than the healing process. I have major dry mouth issues at night and can’t take Xylitol tablets, so I’m a little worried how that’s all going to go. Especially if I wake up full of blood for a few days... I know that’s going to drive my anxiety crazy. Not being able to take painkillers will not be fun (assuming I need them), but ice and Orajel should get the job done. The thing that has been driving me more batty than anything else is thinking... why didn’t the dentist talk to me? Did he plan to pull them all out after the cleaning? Am I looking at months and months of painful procedures (root canals, extractions, lots and lots of fillings)? I have a few teeth that are definitely pretty bad (abrasions that became larger holes, discoloration, etc). Financially I should be able to handle it all, barring full dentures or something. I’m just hoping it’s not as bad as my mind is making it out to be.
I know there are plenty of folks out there who have “been there” and made it through to the other side. It certainly helps airing this all right now... and any words of encouragement would be more appreciated than you can know!
