tooth glue

[Guest]

Good idea trying to find a counsellor with a "tame dentist" (like the expression) on her/his books - again, the language factor poses a problem, so it may not be a runner. Then again, it might - I'm wondering if there are any English-speaking counsellors who also do dental phobias in the Toulouse region? At the end of the day, it's really a case of trying to work out a solution with what's available.

Actually - here's another idea: if you decided to contact the British Embassy about English-speaking dentists in your area, you could also enquire about English-speaking counsellors in your region. If there are any, you could then contact them and find out if they deal with dental phobias and if they have "tame" dentists they can refer people to. Another long shot - but you never know!

I also found a website called "Americans in Toulouse". It's not only for Americans, but any English-speaking ex-pats (website: americansintoulous.com). Obviously, I don't know if they can help, but it may well be worth a try. They have a contact email and phone number on their website.

 

[Guest]

That is the problem! language language language! now you might say why live somewhere if you don't speak the language, but I'm leaning (fast) but I think even fast finding the nuance of language could take eons. In the mean time i'm walking around (or not because I look so crap) so you sort of said it gordon this won't be fixed overnight and all I have been looking for for now is a tempory solution that will allow me to have a life and find a long term solution.

An update on my post on the french board it's very busy but i've had a couple of replies but all people suggest is looking in the yellow pages etc. I get the feeling that 'phobia' isn't really recognised here it's a case of pull your socks up and get to the dentist I also have read on expat boards things that make me even more scared with regard to french dentistry.

Now then Gordon don't suppose you'd like a working holiday in sunny southern france would you? I quite like your down to earth attitude although I'm not a hundred percent convinced I could get in the chair there is a lovely spot by my local river where you could practice

 

[Guest]

That's a very kind offer, although realise that my Glaswegian accent is likely to be at least as great a barrier to communication as French is

I've made dentures in a lady's back garden in the past, so working on a riverbank would be a doddle.

 

[Guest]

An update on my post on the french board it's very busy but i've had a couple of replies but all people suggest is looking in the yellow pages etc. I get the feeling that 'phobia' isn't really recognised here it's a case of pull your socks up and get to the dentist I also have read on expat boards things that make me even more scared with regard to french dentistry.

Not getting many responses or being fobbed off can be disheartening, but bear in mind that message boards can be a hit-and-miss affair. There are some things on expat boards that can sound scary - I had a look as well - but you also get a lot of people saying that they're very happy with their dentist in France, much more so than with dentists in the UK. The same as anywhere, I suppose - there's good ones and bad ones.

Have you given the embassy idea or "Americans in Toulouse" a try? They may have run into the same problem in the past and found someone. Worth a shot, anyway! I did come across an English counsellor in the mid-Pyrenees who deals with phobias, but he wouldn't know a dentist in the area. If you'd like his contact details anyway, I can pass them on to you. Sorry I haven't been able to come up with more

 

[Guest]

Come on then Gordon, pack the drill the pliers and anyother instruments of torture you have lying around. I'll handle the glaswegian if you can cope with the south east london tinged with french words because I've forgotton them in English. I'll start on the wine now and should be just about calm by the time you get here

On a more serious note. I'm not getting any joy from the french site I posted on which is a bit depressing. I may well try the embassy and americans in toulouse but it does seem from my experience that so many people think that fear of the dentist is something you can overcome if you are brave enough (and maybe you can but I'm not if you see what I mean) I've had dentists recommended as kind and good with fearful patients before and left their surguries feeling much more of a hopeless untreatable case than before I went in and my confidence is pretty low right now so I'm a bit worried about putting myself through that

I've had years of counselling and as I said before it really helped me but at the end of the day it's not a cure all and part of me thinks some wounds are too deep to ever be fully healed and that one can only 'recover' so much and has to learn to accept the lingering problems a bit like being shortsighted or having migrane maybe there is no absolute cure just good management of remaining symptoms? Knowing that I have been able to have dental work done but also that even then it's a struggle makes me think I just need the right dentist (of which I'm sure there is more than one) with the time the understanding and the patience to help me.
Here's just hoping I can find someone whilst I still have some teeth to treat

 

[Guest]

My instruments of torture are always packed, I do a lot of work out of the back of my car. Spent an interesting hour in the post natal ward of the hospital I work from today removing an abscessed molar from a young lady who'd just given birth (to a 12lb baby no less ) one had to wonder which end was the most painful

The point about the therapist was not so much as to put you into therapy but as an easy way to find a suitable dentist, whoever the therapist was comfortable working with would probably be a good candidate for you.

Final point before I drive off into the sunset till Saturday, getting over a phobia isn't a matter of courage, although I do think that anyone who is terrified of dentists and does something about it is really courageous. Even if it's just talking about it by e-mail, it's still a scary process for the phobic patient and takes guts to do it.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like a fun day at the office, eh, post natal ward ! I fully agree that talking about this via e-mail or whatever (with a dentist, no less) takes a lot of guts. I never did it (you might find this amusing, but I actually found Gordon rather scary while I was lurking <grin> - no, really!).

I wouldn't worry too much about not getting responses on a message board. In all likelihood, nobody from the mid-Pyrenees has even seen your message. It can be hard enough (if not impossible) to get a response on English-language message boards for dentists in heavily populated areas. Simply because nobody in your area might be reading your post.

I've had dentists recommended as kind and good with fearful patients before and left their surguries feeling much more of a hopeless untreatable case than before I went in and my confidence is pretty low right now so I'm a bit worried about putting myself through that

What happened on those occasions? What was it about them that left you feel like a hopeless case? What did they do differently from the dentist you had three years ago (which to my mind sounded like a partial success)? Again, rhetorical questions - I'm not looking for answers, but they might help with clarifying what exactly went wrong.

As far as I understand, you're worried right now that if you have another experience which makes you feel like a "hopeless case", this would permanently damage your confidence of ever being able to deal with this phobia (as well as being too upsetting to cope with right now). It might help to look at it the other way round - if it doesn't work out, it's not you who has "failed", but the dentist. Might not be the dentist's fault, as there are so many variables which cannot be influenced (such as looks, personality, or temperament) - but it certainly wouldn't mean you're a failure or a hopeless case.

 

[Guest]

Silly question but if a dentist can 'work out of the back of a car' why don't they it would make my life much easier so much of my problem is association between the place and the dentist.

As for most painful end I'd say definitely top! i've had three children without any pain relief and lost three teeth same method! and i'd go through labour anyday for what it's worth

Dentists I'll answer if I may seeing as I can't do anything constructive right now putting things on paper as it were sort of feels like a positive action.

After all the childhood trauma I was punched in the face (said it before I know) my teeth at the front went through my lip and were knocked very loose. On the advice of others and because a practice advertised it self as specialising in the treatment of fearful patients. The dentist there and it was my first adult independant visit to a dentist looked at my teeth said horrid things about staining and grabbed a needle to numb me to do I know not what. As I sat there shaking and crying with my hands over my mouth he told me that I was ridiculous and would loose all my teeth and that he couldn't treat me because I was being so difficult. Over ten years later!!! after much counselling and to be fair not just and not even really for my dentist fear I decided to try a dentist again because I was so worried about my teeth. My counsellor helped me by recommending a dentist and she was good she cleaned my teeth and then scheduled some other work. I had some fillings done the first lot were fine but the second lot after she filled a tooth that I wasn't even aware had a hole I left and some hours later had the worst toothache in the world in it I wasn't prepared for it didn't expect it and had never had toothache before believe it or not. It was abscessed and I don't understand how that happened. I suppose I lost trust a bit because of this. This tooth is also the one that my latest dentist wants to take out because it has some sort of pocket of infection.

Now then 5 more years and I find the most recent dentist. I suppose if I could I'd go back to her but it's just not possible. She works for an english nhs only practice and I'm not even covered under the english system anymore to say nothing of not really being able to afford to go to england for treatment.

I am getting quite desperate I realised today that my other front tooth is coming loose too but this is the one the local dentist wanted to fix a bridge to? I can't believe that would have been a good idea even if I could have let him. I really don't know how I'll cope with no front teeth losing one was bad enough...............I just don't know what to do

 

[Guest]

It's a pretty difficult situation you're in, to say the least - I'm not sure what I'd be doing if I were you
I suppose I'd ring both the Embassy and AIT first (or get someone else to contact them for me), and see if anyone has recommended a dentist in the Toulouse region. I'd also contact the English-speaking dentists on that list and try and talk to them on the phone, just to get a feel for them. If any of them sounded OK, I'd make an appointment with them for a chat only, to see if they might be acceptable. And if that didn't yield any results... I suppose I'd either try and find an acceptable French speaking one and brush up on my French dental vocabulary, or look further afield (UK).
But I have to admit - it is a daunting situation.

On the advice of others and because a practice advertised it self as specialising in the treatment of fearful patients. The dentist there and it was my first adult independant visit to a dentist looked at my teeth said horrid things about staining and grabbed a needle to numb me to do I know not what. As I sat there shaking and crying with my hands over my mouth he told me that I was ridiculous and would loose all my teeth and that he couldn't treat me because I was being so difficult.

"Specialising in the treament of fearful patients"? You sure that ad didn't read "specialising in the production of fearful patients" ? Forget about that experience asap. You've done well with other dentists in the past (obviously, I can't comment on what happened re. the abcessed tooth incident), and you can do it again !

 

[Guest]

Silly question but if a dentist can 'work out of the back of a car' why don't they it would make my life much easier so much of my problem is association between the place and the dentist.

Mainly because what you can do from the back of the car is pretty limited. Extractions and dentures mainly, maybe some simple fillings. I don't think you'd find it very helpful

I yield to your experience on which end hurts the most, but I'd go for a 1 oz tooth with local anaesthetic any time over a 12lb baby with nothing at all. Now all you ladies can nod sagely and mumble under your breath about men not understanding anything...

 

[Guest]

couple of simple fillings a denture (if it fits) sounds fine too me and i'm not convinced that you couldn't do good stuff with glue anyway

I emailed 7 counsellors in my areaish this eve asking if they know of a dentist who can help me so I wait I hope!

Ok so I'm waiting I'm hoping. Is there anything I can do to help myself while I wait to A:stop stuff getting any worse B: do something to make this bloody flipper thing work although because the other front tooth is moving it's probably a lost cause and actually if the other front tooth is loose I assume that means it's lost?

 

[Guest]

A: I'm not sure without seeing, but it would be reasonable to start using an antiseptic mouthwash, something with Chlorhexidine in it such as Corsodyl. That would help to get the deep plaque maybe under control. Chlorhexidine rinses are available over the counter here, I'm fairly sure you can get them in France too.
B: I really can't say without seeing it for myself, sorry.

 

[Guest]

Hi there - just wondering if there have been any responses from any of the counsellors you e-mailed Let us know.

 

[Guest]

Hi

I've had three replies mostly saying they can't help I've been given a number of a dentist but I don't think he has any experience of really frightened patients but I'll probably try and phone after the holiday just in case he knows of anybody. Still hoping still toothlessish but not going to let it put me off my nutroast

Gordon,

Thanks I do use corsodyl but I use the gel you brush with. I tend to do a month on a month off should I use it all the time permenantly?
In the evening I brush 4 mins with normal toothpaste then 2 with corsodyl
In the morning 2-4 with normal toothpaste.
I take coq10, high dose vit c, magnesium and a multi vit pretty much every day. I only eat twice a day I don't generally snack at all I don't eat sugary foods, I don't eat meat, all my food is unprocessed home cooked grown in the garden sort of stuff (apart from the odd pizza). And no I'm not boringly healthy I just lead a simple life and love it! What I do that's bad is smoke and I could probably win medals for that yucky habit! I drink red wine and today I'm drinking lemonchello cos it's christmas (so I do eat sugar once in a blue moon).
It does feel so unfair that I'm loosing my teeth and I do wonder how much of it is to do with the untreated trauma they suffered 20yrs ago. The bottom teeth are all solidly stuck in my mouth (so far, touch wood) It's just these bleeming top punched out sods that cause the problem......anyway it's just not fair

And on that happy note A very merry christmas to you all the support I've had here is helpful and I appreciate it

and the last word:
all I want for christmas is my two front teeth my two front teeth..........................

 

[Guest]

Your oral hygiene regime sure beats the crap out of mine


Quote:


It does feel so unfair that I'm loosing my teeth and I do wonder how much of it is to do with the untreated trauma they suffered 20yrs ago. The bottom teeth are all solidly stuck in my mouth (so far, touch wood) It's just these bleeming top punched out sods that cause the problem......anyway it's just not fair


No, it's not fair . I'd say it probably does have a lot to do with the trauma. From what I've read, injury or trauma to the gums can cause gingivitis (which if untreated will get worse), and it must have been pretty much impossible to do much brushing with the pain at the time. Add to that the stress you must have been under (another factor contributing to the development of gum disease), and it's very well possible that the injuries you sustained back then did indeed cause the problem .

I hope you were able to enjoy your Christmas despite the "teething problems", and keeping my fingers crossed re. the latest dentist lead !

 

[Guest]

I would switch to the rinse version, I think it gets into the "cracks" a bit better, but it does taste foul and does stain teeth over time.
I would certainly recommend an electric toothbrush, they seem to work a lot better than a manual in most people's hands.

I would hesitate to use Corsodyl permanently, but I'd switch to a 1 week on, 1 off regime, since the nasty mature plaque forms in about 14 days, so you want to keep zapping the bugs before that happens.

The smoking will certainly exacerbate the gum disease, I'm not convinced about any benefits from any of your supplements and so on, but hey, I doubt if they're harmful