the fear returns

[happydancyfeet]

My next appointment is on the 23rd and i'm already losing sleep over it! The treatment(deep scale/cleaning) will be done under sedation and she will try to fill a back tooth, but has warned me that this one may need to be extracted too. But I'm soooo scared I have two bottom front teeth that are a bit wobbly ( one moreso than the other) and one at the top due to gum disease and I worry that they will actually break off if they try to clean them, I'll be left with no front teeth over xmas etc. I cant stop thinking that i will come out of there minus front teeth. I'm having nightmares about this and not sleeping well at all unless I'm pretty drunk!! I'm to make an appointment at the docs to get a prescription for diazapem to take the night before the appointment and on the morning of. But I know i wont sleep for days before that.

 

[freakout]

Hi Happy...Boy can I relate will your fears, I have an appointment on November 30th & I think about it everyday. I get nightmares prior to my appointments too. I think I have gotten over my fears, only to see them return prior to my appointment. This site is a great way to help work through the fears, because people understand what we are going through. I have tried to discuss my fears with others who just roll there eyes in disbelief. Best of Luck to you, and remember the nightmares are only dreams, they are not real. (At least that's what I keep telling myself lol.)

 

[happydancyfeet]

Thank you so much for your reply freakout. It is a great site and does help to some extent. I dont think i would have gotten through my first appointment for extractions without it! My fears never go away.they just seem to heighten as the date draws near. As long as the diazepam works enough for me to actually attend the next appointment, I should be ok lol. I just keep telling myself, if I dont feel comfortable when i get there, I will tell them, I'm already thinking about writing my fears down and handing the paper to them when i arrive.
I know what you mean about trying to explain to people ( luckily my partner is very understanding, having seen the panic attacks I have) but others either tell you to grow up or proceed to tell you a horror story!!
Best of luck to you too.

 

[happydancyfeet]

Well folks, I hate to say it but my fear has returned big time .
I have pain but mostly swelling where i had an infected wisdom tooth extracted a couple of months ago. It was fine up untill tonight, now the gum is swollen and white. And of course, the painkillers I have taken (co-codomol) are not really working, so, I have to wait nine hours to phone the dentist . This has triggered a panic attack because I'm fearing the worst (as i always do). Why has this happened? Surely, if the infection was still present after the extraction, I would have known about it before now and it wouldnt have healed as well as it did? I have still been using corsydol toothpaste as well as euthamyl (spelling) cos i like the tast of that one!

 

[James]

 I just keep telling myself, if I dont feel comfortable when i get there, I will tell them, I'm already thinking about writing my fears down and handing the paper to them when i arrive.

Always a fantastic idea!

I have pain but mostly swelling where i had an infected wisdom tooth extracted a couple of months ago. It was fine up untill tonight, now the gum is swollen and white. And of course, the painkillers I have taken (co-codomol) are not really working, so, I have to wait nine hours to phone the dentist

Oh, no happy! Have you had a chance to phone yet? Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Hope you feel better soon!

-James

 

[happydancyfeet]

Oh and i Meant to add................this probably means that i will have to just suffer till I attend my appointment on the 23rd as that was the first appointment I could get for iv sedation and there is NO WAY i could have treatment without it. It doesnt feel too bad this morning but its still there, whatever it is! If it happens to be a fragment of bone,,,,,,,that means it will have to be cut out doesnt it . ( although the dentist did say that the tooth practically fell out due to the infection so why would there be bone fragments?)
Sorry to rant on folks.it just seems like i'm back to square one ie 2o odd years ago.I went for fillings then and had problems after,and here i am again....trying to overcome my fears and the same thing has happened

 

[freakout]

Happy-Can you see a boney fragment? I had several teeth extracted a year a half ago and have had boney fragments appear a couple just when away on there own, but two of them I had the dentist remove. Basically I was terrified, but he just numbed the area and nudged the bone out in seconds, no cutting necessary. The last fragment was under my denture and I was in pain for months hoping it would fall out on its own, but with the help of this site I finally went in and he removed it for me. (Then of course we addressed the other work I needed done, because I let my fear keep me away, but at least I was more comfortable with the boney fragment out. lol) I can't believe I was in pain for months and within seconds that nasty piece of bone was out

Best of luck to you!!!

 

[happydancyfeet]

I wondered if it was a bone fragment freakout, (i've wondered and worried all night and day) I cant see or feel anything sharp although it does feel hard. If it was bone....wouldnt it have come to the surface before the gum healed? and not four months after? Why would there be bone fragments if the infected tooth just fell out?
It seems to have eased a lot now, the swelling has nearly gone, and the side of my face is not burning,thank god. I phoned the dental clinic and left a message this morning but have not had a reply as yet.

 

[freakout]

Not sure why you might get a fragment if tooth fell out, as I am not in the dental field, however I do know that my last boney fragment occured long after I healed (9 months). Do you clench or grind your teeth? Sometimes I get pain where the back teeth were removed if I am under alot of stress, because I was clench my jaw the night before, putting pressure on the area not protected by teeth. Let us know how it goes, don't know if this info helps

 

[happydancyfeet]

Thanks for the reply freakout. I was under stress yesterday.......my partner had been to the dentist for a deep clean, and although he tried to hide it, i knew it had hurt him ( thats what my next appointment is for) so i spent the evening getting worked up! I still havent heard from my dentist, but will let you know.

 

[letsconnect]

Happy - there was a thread about bone fragments in the past (it's here: Bone fragments after extractions) - they're nothing to worry about. Let us know what your dentist says.

Even though deep cleaning can be uncomfortable if you decide to go without local anaesthesia (which your partner may have opted for),this problem wouldn't arise for you. As long as you make sure you start taking painkillers before the local wears off and any pain can set in, you'll be fine .

You did so great the last time - and you can feel 10 foot tall again !

 

[happydancyfeet]

Thanks lets.........I still havent heard from my dentist even tho the answering machine message said that all messages are collected daily . I have e-mailed in the past with no reply either...maybe this is why I dont feel 100% comfortable??? It has settled down today so maybe I'll persevere until I see her on the 23rd.
My partner did have his deep cleaning done without a local.(dont think this is an option in the military forces). I'll be under sedation anyway so hopefully it will be painfree (thats if they give me a local under sedation?) I'm just worried that , when they clean my bottom front teeth , the two wobbly ones will break off and then nothing will be done before xmas

 

[letsconnect]

Community dentists can get pretty busy (remember it's not only phobics but special needs as well - that would make up the bulk of the work). As far as I can gather (as per e-mail), your dentist is absolutely fine and there's nothing to worry about on that score .

I'll be under sedation anyway so hopefully it will be painfree (thats if they give me a local under sedation?)

It would depend on your personal preference, I suppose!

I'm just worried that , when they clean my bottom front teeth , the two wobbly ones will break off and then nothing will be done before xmas

I would think that your dentist would have told you about this if this might happen! Are you worried that you might have to spend xmas with no bottom front teeth, or more worried about them psychological impact something like that would have on you?

 

[happydancyfeet]

I do realise that they are very busy lets. The pain seems to have settled so far! I'll try and wait untill my appointment and let her know then.
I'm almost certain that the two bottom front teeth will have to be extracted but i was hoping that i could have immediates fitted when this happens instead of waiting months for a partial. I only have four teeth left at the front (top) then two missing either side, which is bad enough without having a gap at the bottom too. I guess i'm worried about both..... the psychological impact And having another gap

 

[letsconnect]

It's easy to make a flipper (a removable partial denture) within a few days - there's no need to wait for a long time. But considering that your dentist didn't mention this possibility, I'd think it is extremely unlikely that this might happen?

Good to hear the pain seems to have settled !

 

[happydancyfeet]

so far so good lets.............. the pain is still manageable! ( only having a little help from dihydrocodeine at night, which works wonders) I'm not so sure about having a flipper/partial fitted within a few days tho...... my dentist did mention it briefly but said i'd have to have that fitted at a different place after fillings etc are done (not sure where yet)? I seem to be going from pillar to post getting these treatments done lol I'll have been all over the highlands by the time i'm finished.
I hope you're right about not having to wait too long. I'd love to turn up at my parents' for New Year and be able to smile unashamedly.

 

[happydancyfeet]

Well folks, my appointment is getting closer and I can feel the tension building. I have spent the last few nights pretty drunk so that I could sleep without thinking about it Tuesday night tho, I will be taking a magic pill,(5mg diazepam) but I'm so worried that it wont work for me on wed morning........I'm only to take 2.5mg.
I'm trying to psych myself up by telling myself that if I dont feel calm enough, I'll tell my dentist, and get another appointment.
I'll probably be posting here loads before wed

 

[James]

Hi happy-

We are thinking of you and keeping our fingers crossed for you. Post as much as you need.



-James

 

[happydancyfeet]

Thank you James,'It does help tremendously knowing that I can vent my fears on here, and rant as much as I need to!!

I didnt sleep well last night as usual, and was woken this morning with a phone call from Karen, the dental nurse at the clinic,(nice lady) she was just checking that everything was ok for Wednesday, and to explain that the clinic will be very busy with more going on.....more professionals etc and that it's normal and Im not to let that worry me.
Being still half asleep, I didnt actually vent all my fears, but said I was worried that 2.5mg diazepam will not calm me enough. She explained (again) the need for me to be not too sedated as they need me to work with them, which I totally understand. Its maybe a good idea anyway, as then Ill be able to explain my fear of my teeth breaking off when they deep clean them (especially the two lower front ones)

Boy, do I wish it was Wednesday evening and it was all over

 

[freakout]

Happy-I just wanted to wish you good luck on your appointment, mine is 9 day away & I am already panicing, trying to think about it, but as you know that's not real easy to do. Hope Wednesday night comes quickly for you. As "Lets" once said to me, wouldn't it be great to have a time travel machine lol.

Good Luck!!