What is it like to have fillings?

[spideypunk]

Hi all

So glad i found somewhere with some kind of support

Tomorrow i am due to have 2 (top left and bottom right) "small" (dentists description of the holes) fillings at a dental surgery that I know and i believe the dentist to be the best as they get, the thing is the last time i had a filling the injection was fine but during the time when the injections were talking effect i fainted and passed out, i have always had a probably average fear of the dentist, but combined with a pretty bad fear of needles (i have passed out a number of times after administration)
My question is what is in the injection and could it cause me to feel light headed and make my body do what it does,they usually send me back out to the waiting room for the drug to take effect and i wonder if movement worsens it, the irony is i am not so worried about the dentist or the drilling etc, more the injections, in some cases i wish i could just bare the pain but im sure they wouldnt allow that..

Anyway i greatly appreciate anyones opinion/support on this matter, and i look forward to posting a sucess post! (even if i do pass out in the process)

Thank you all I am sure i will not sleep so will check regularly!!

 

[brit]

Re: 2 "small" fillings tomorrow..Needle questions..

Hi & . Sorry to hear about your fainting problem. It's quite unusual to send people back to the waiting room thesedays as the LA usually works very quickly compared to say back in th 1970s. I would have thought it would help not to have to move, so you can just concentrate on relaxing and if you do faint, you are in a safe place . So maybe remind your dentist what happened before and suggest you'd like to stay put. In fact moving if you are likely to faint is a very bad idea indeed because of the danger of banging your head on the way down.

I wouldn't advise trying it without LA unless the cavity is very small and unlikely to be painful. Always agree a stop signal also to retain control.
For info on what could be in the LA solution to cause fainting one of our dentists will probably answer...I would think it is anxiety causing your problem. You say you are ok with the injection...do you find it comfortable...if not....ask for topical anaesthesia (numbing cream) to be put on first to decrease your stress level..if they don't do so already.
Well done for going along anyways...I'm sure it will be fine...also make sure you do not have an empty stomach as this can cause lightheadedness especially coupled with anxiety.

 

[letsconnect]

Re: 2 "small" fillings tomorrow..Needle questions..

Hi Spideypunk ,

the phenomenon you're describing sounds like "vasovagal syncope" - the most common type of fainting (aka syncope). Some people when presented with unpleasant things such as blood or injections tend to faint. There is a technique called "Applied Muscle Tension" which can help prevent fainting. Basically, at the first sign of a problem, you tighten your arm, leg, and torso muscles for 10 or 20 seconds, until your face feels warm. Then slowly relax them. You may want to practice this technique with a psychologist, if you can get hold of one.

Don't know if this will help (because you'll have to remember to do it while anxious, lol), but it might be worth looking into !

Best of luck with your appointment tomorrow and let us know how you got on

 

[spideypunk]

Re: 2 "small" fillings tomorrow..Needle questions..

Thank you both so much! I am leaving in about ten minutes and cant thank you enough, i shall try the technique!

Let you know how it went in a bit, thank you again i feel a bit braver now

 

[spideypunk]

Re: 2 "small" fillings tomorrow..Needle questions..


and im back!!

Well what can i say, i guess its like most things in life,fear plays a big part in things..
I will leave a good description so that anyone who felt like i did yesterday will be somewhat reassured..
Arrived at the dentist promptly to spend a few minutes in the waiting room,then the dreaded calling of my name, i entered and found the dentist greeting me with a friendly smile and i cant stress how important this is, if your dentist doesnt know your scared, you must tell him! he isnt psychic
sat strait in the chair,vest and fashionable glasses on and lowered down, basically get started by having a quick look (filling is for molar on top left of my mouth) and then a cream solution on a hard swab type thing,i guess to numb the immediate area, a minute later i know its coming and i see the syringe from the corner of my eye, heading for the outside of my gums,slightly anixious.....and there is NO pain infact i can hardly feel any sensaton at all, and it certainly isnt pain, more like a tooth pick gently pressing against my gums, i couldnt believe it! felt fine to be honest, i think the hardest thing to deal with is just how long the dentist held the syringe there for obviously necessary ,perhaps 10-20 seconds of slowly releasing the fluid, but then again i guess this is how it becomes painless, he then asked me how i was feeling and to stay laying whilst the solution worked, he then told me that the anesthetic he used was a different one to the last one (where i passed out!) as it did not contain adrenaline, and i am almost certain that this has made all the difference, being quite nervous anyway i think my bosy is so pumped up there was an overload last time, worst bit of the first filling over i am told the drill is coming and i will feel a vibration, this sensation is perhaps the most strange,but it isnt really discomforting and certainly not pain, the nearest i can describe it to is when putting alot of pressure with an electric toothbrush (perhaps purchase one before if you want to get used to the vibration) phew! then for the easy part the solution is applied and then i see another syringe! i then find out that this is only to administer the solution to the cavity and isnt going into my skin,its about 5 minutes since i sat down and were half way there

Onto the second and apparently smaller of the two cavities (now bottom right of my mouth),again a cold solution on swab, a quick poke and then another sight of the syringe, this time its heading on the inside of my teeth, now i will be absolutley honest, this one hurt a little bit, not so much a painful sensation more of a strange one, but again, no more than perhaps pressure you might do with a tooth pick, and it was over in about ten seconds, again we wait for the solution to work and he checks to see that one side of my lip feels fat when he touches it and the other normal, this isnt really uncomfortable its a little like having "pins and needles" (excuse the term!) or being very drunk when your face goes numb! Back to the action and the drill is presented again, once again the vibrating sensation but absolutely no pain, the topical solution and again the syringe to dispense the solution, before i know it theres a sort of mini hair dryer/blower in my mouth which isnt unpleasant at all and the magic words "that was great, your all done" I am raised back to sitting position and offered a nice lime green mouthwash for my troubles..

all the hours of worry and it had gone by so quick..I would say to anyone dreading a first time filling (or 2!) then just dont,it really doesnt hurt and with a little communication your dentist can minimise the elements that you fear, perhaps irrationally, secondly i would say have a look here and other websites and actually understand what work your having, i have spent a few hours last night reading up and actually ive ended up being quite fascinated and proud that i can have such a wonderful thing done.

I thank anyone who replied and wish anyone whos got to go through it very well.
Now its a few hours later and i might celebrate..by having...some Coke

 

[scaredstiff]

Re: 2 "small" fillings tomorrow..Needle questions..

It is so marvellous when someone like yourself posts such a success story because it really does help and inspire others about to turn up for their appointments for whatever treatment is needed. Its always the way isn't it, our fear takes the better of us, we are our own worst enemy and the reality more likely than not turns out to be so much better.

Well done, you can be really, really proud of yourself, you've done tremendously well.

 

[brit]

Re: 2 "small" fillings tomorrow..Needle questions..

Congratulations .
Great account- thanks for sharing. As someone who hates having 'pins and needles' as it's so painful, I'd just like to add that I don't perceive 'feeling numb' to be like 'pins and needles' at all.....'numb' is without feeling and no pain whatsoever which means you can relax in the knowledge nothing is going to hurt whatsoever.

I also liked the bit about the drilling vibration being similar to an electric toothbrush as that describes how I perceive it as well.

 

[jatay1985]

I go on the 17th for 6 fillings (4 on top, 2 on bottom) and I’ve never had them done before. What should I expect? Does it hurt? Will it hurt afterwards? Any medicine I should have on hand?

 

[Gordon]

1) It better not hurt, if it does, ask the dentist to stop at once and do something about it.
2) There's a lot of water squirting about, which the assistant should catch with a hoover.
3) There are loads of strange noises and vibrations, most of which should be coming from the teeth, if the dentist starts making them I'd be concerned
4) Afterwards your jaw may ache a bit from being open for a while and the teeth feel a bit "odd", some paracetamol or similar may be helpful for the ache.

 

[Mugz]

Entertaining read, Gordon. Thanks for the laugh!

 

[jatay1985]

Yes Gordon lol thank you!