Terrified of sedation on monday

[fluffyjo]

Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

Next monday i have to have an extraction done under iv sedation and 2 weeks after that 5 fillings also under iv sedation. I'm already feeling extremely anxious, shaking and having difficulty sleeping. Goodness knows what i'll be like by the weekend. I have had sedation before but it was many years ago so cant really remember what it was like. Will they still numb the tooth? And will i feel any after effects of the sedation? I'm so scared.

 

[NotAloneISee]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

Having had extractions and fillings, I can say that the extractions are much easier.

In your case, they should be the same, because you will be out in both situations.

I think you will find as almost everyone here has found that the wait time is much more difficult than the procedure.

As for pain while under sedation, I doubt you will feel any.

 

[Anti-Dentite]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

I've had IV sedation twice for dental work, and let me assure you, it is wonderful. Yes, they will still numb the tooth and you won't feel any pain during the procedure. And the whole thing will be over before you know it.

As far as the after effects of the sedation, I didn't feel like I was drugged or anything like that. I was just quite sleepy, so I went home and slept for most of the afternoon.

I can honestly say that the worst part of the whole thing was all the time I spent worrying about it beforehand. And after it was over, I felt that I had really accomplished something huge by facing my fear and making it through. I'm sure you'll feel much the same way, and you'll do just fine, too

 

[molly29]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

Hi there,

I feel your fear and deeply sympathise with you. I have had treatment under IV sedation twice now and I have to say both experiences were very acceptable.

I was hysterical when I sat in the chair to be treated, my poor mum was sat having to hold me down to the chair at 21 years old to let them apply the IV, it broke her heart and I remember begging her to take me away from there...... within seconds I was floating in a happy place, I was still given local anasthetic and came round after the treatment quite dopey but in no pain! The staff at the clinic were lovely and I assure you, you will be fine!

Good luck, il be thinking of you!

 

[fluffyjo]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

Thanks for your support guys. I'll probably be spending alot of time on here over the next week.

 

[fluffyjo]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

Well i'm now even more anxious as my husband just informed me he now has to work on monday meaning i will have to take my dad with me instead. I'm not happy about this as my dad doesn't understand my fear and will not give me the moral support i need. I dont know what to do, cant believe my husband is being so selfish, i booked the appointment about 4 months ago!

 

[fionaa]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

I no excatlly what your going through. I have the dentist on Friday and I can now say that I am so scared.i have had the same dentist since I was littleand now Im so embaressed with the problem I have got. I kept getting reffered to lots of dentists in my area but I would just not let them see my teeth they kept giving me drinks with medication in it that makes you sleepy but I was really scared I was having several people around me trying to get a look in. When I was about 10 I was put to sleep completly and they removed 8 teeth,it was such an awfll experiance as i wasnt told they would be taking any ofvmy teeth out but i couldnt eat fod days on end. now I belive that is why I'm so scared I won't even sit in the chair. I'm so scared of the injections and the pain. Is there something rong with me?

If any one wants me to explain what happened when I had those teeth removed I will as it's was awfull

 

[fluffyjo]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

well theres only a few hours to go now. I'm feeling pretty anxious. Keep biting my nails and i haven't done that for years. Dont think i'm going to be getting much sleep tonight. I keep trying to tell myself you an do this you can do this, but right now i dont know how i'm going to cope.

 

[fluffyjo]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

Well i did it and it hurt I thought i wouldn't be able to remember anything but i can remember the dentist pulling the tooth and saying its coming lose but its a difficult one. The numbing had pretty much worn off 5 mins after getting in the chair so i'm thinking they probably didn't use enough anaesthetic. I'm now worried about my appointment in 2 weeks time as i have to go through this all over again to have 5 fillings this time. I hope they will use more sedation and more local anaesthetic this time, as i cant imagine sitting in the chair for that amount of time in pain. Having said all of that the gum is no longer hurting which is good. I expected much more pain after the procedure.

 

[Anti-Dentite]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

I'm sorry you didn't have a painfree experience But it doesn't have to be that way next time, so try not to be discouraged.

It sounds like you weren't properly numbed before the extraction, because it shouldn't hurt at all. Talk to your dentist before your next appointment and let him know of your concerns. That way he knows ahead of time that you might need more numbing and/or sedation.

My dentist and I have worked out a signal so that if I feel any pain or discomfort, all I have to do is raise my hand and he'll immediately stop what he's doing and make sure I'm ok before he continues. I know he's only going to do what I let him do, and I think it really helps to know that I have some control over the situation. Maybe you can work out something similar with your dentist.

Cheers on getting through your appoiontment That's quite an accomplishment for phobics like us, and something you can be very proud of!

 

[chickenjen]

Re: Still a week to go and already feeling anxious

Congrats!! I'm so sorry that your procedure wasn't COMPLETELY pain-free. My extractions in October were completely pain-free during the actual procedure.
I agree with Anti-Dentite that maybe you weren't numbed up properly and to tell your dentist what happened so he/she knows to numb you up better next time.
But you got through it and you should be very proud of yourself!!!
,
Jen

 

[fluffyjo]

After having a bad experience with my sedation last week i'm terrified of going again on monday. Last week i had a tooth extracted under sedation and i remember everything, it was also a very painful experience. On monday i have to have 5 fillings also under sedation and i am not looking foward to this atall. They obviously didn't use enough sedation or local anaesthetic. I'm going to ask them to use more anaesthetic this time, but i'm so scared. I'm seriously thinking about not going but i desperately need these fillings. I'm also afraid of the blindfold that they use. I dont like not being able to see whats happening.

 

[cupcake]

Is there any chance you could decide just to do it without sedation next time? Or to instead go to your GP for valium or similar?

Obviously check this is ok with the dentist first, but personally even though I am TERRIFIED of dental work the idea of sedation itself is worse for me than actually going along and just getting through it. It bugs the hell out of me that people suggest it as a 'solution' to my phobia which is - after all -based on a fear of losing control.

 

[NotAloneISee]

Cupcake, I agree with you 100%. When I went back to the dentist, I wanted to conquer my fears without sedation. And thankfully I did.

If your dentist, fluffyjo, does not keep the blindfold off for you, then I would suggest finding a dentist who is willing to treat you as you wanted to be treated. I know my dentist will do as I want...and if it isn't good for me, then she will tell me why she cannot do it my way. Even then I know she will do what she can to make me at ease.

I would consider doing the fillings without sedation if it was not good last time. Or if sedation, then have it done your way.

Dentists work for YOU. YOU are the one who gives them their paychecks. Their goal is to do what is best for your mouth based on their experience and education, but we also expect that they should do it the way we most feel comfortable.

While there definitely is a point where we need to trust the dentist and what he says needs to be done, HOW he does it is up to you and I.

 

[brit]

After having a bad experience with my sedation last week i'm terrified of going again on monday. Last week i had a tooth extracted under sedation and i remember everything, it was also a very painful experience.

If you felt everything...they cocked up big time BUT you are supposed to still be able to communicate - could you reschedule somewhere else with or without sedation.

Sedation which doesn't work, coupled with inadequate anaesthesia is worse than useless and fails on all counts. Personally I would not return to this practitioner as to me they don't seem very competent... a blindfold (weird) seriously impairs their ability to spot you are in pain without you telling them...did they communicate at all during with you?

Failure to provide sufficient anaesthesia is an offence in GDC terms if you are in the UK.
Have you told them you felt it at all?

 

[brit]

Re: I need help

£45 sounds very reasonable indeed - so that's great news! Congratulations for plucking up the courage to go !!

Not so reasonable when they use blindfolds and cock the sedation up though ! Way too cheap for the technicalities involved though.

 

[brit]

Seriously if I were you, I'd go back to your normal dentist (who I think you trust a bit: QUOTE OP 'I have been seeing the same dentist for a number of years and she knows that i'm terrified, she's pretty good at helping me to relax and she always stops and asks how i'm feeling while she is giving me the treatment.'), tell her what happened and get her to try doing the fillings one by one with just local plus some oral sedation if you need/want it. And lodge a formal complaint about the the referral place.

 

[fluffyjo]

The practice where i go for the sedation is the same practice that i go to for other dental treatment, just a different part of the building and a different dentist. I'm not really sure what to do as tbh i just want to get it all over and done with. I've psyched myself up to get the treatment done tomorrow. I will definitley speak to them about being able to feel the extraction and tell them to use more sedation and la this time. With regards to the blindfold i will also speak to them about that too as i'm definitley not happy about the use of the blindfold, i assume their thinking must be that if you cant see what is happening it will lessen the fear however i think for me it actually heightened the fear.

I'm going to have to leave it there as i'm getting myself into a real state about everything.

 

[brit]

Well depending what time your appointment is, you could phone up beforehand and make all those points maybe (easier to do over the phone?)....did they talk to you during the extraction to check you were comfortable? Presumably not? Or were you so panicked you could not respond?
They may be quite shocked to hear of your experience, they may think they did a great job???
Given that for whatever reason the i/v sedation failed, I would expect them to understand if you just wanted to try the local route with your usual dentist....personally I think fillings are easier than extractions..you need to be properly numb for both and it is easier to communicate your comfort level if you are only using local anaesthesia.

If you did panic such that you couldn't respond when asked if you were ok during the last procedure - if you tried to disassociate from the experience maybe, then I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to go that route again - they could have taken your panicked silence to indicate a painfree comfortable state.

By all means go back but please tell them what went wrong and reserve the right to not go ahead based on what reassurance they are able to give. You have rights as an NHS patient and they are not supposed to be hurting you during i/v sedation nor using blindfolds. Be willing to say you wish to make a formal complaint through their practice complaint process (they have to have this) and that you will follow up with GDC if they do not respond to your satisfaction.

NB Just because they are in the same building, doe not mean they are not entirely separate businesses just sharing premises...every individual dentist is responsible for their own standards of care, it's not a Group thing.

 

[fluffyjo]

My appointment is at 9am, which is when the dentist opens so phoning beforehand would not be possible.

I remember trying to tell them that i was feeling pain but cant remember them responding to this, i'm not sure if this was because the sedation had partially worked and i was slightly "out of it" or if they just didn't listen to what i was trying to tell them.

I have had fillings in the past just under local anaesthetic but got into such a panic the dntist found it difficult to actually get the fillings done, hence the reason i chose to take the sedation route.

I think i will do what you've said and relay be fears about the failure of the sedation last time and the lack of la and see what their response is. If i'm not satisfied with their explanation or their explanation of what they could change this time to make sure i'm pain free and properly sedated i will probably have to say i'm not happy to go through with the procedure and i will go back to my original dentist and have the treatment done under la.

Thankyou for all your help and support, i will come back online tomorrow if i'm feeling ok and let you know what happens. I've had a good cry and am feeling a little calmer.