What questions to ask - IV sedation assessment this week and really scared

[mouthsewnshut]

Finally been referred to the clinic for anxious patients, to have 3 wisdom teeth out. Needless to say, I am bricking it. I've had nightmares, I am constantly anxious, I get tearful at the thought of the procedure and the afterwards bits, like swelling, holes in the mouth, and general trauma from the whole invasiveness of the procedure. I have cPTSD from abuse in my past and I've had things resurfacing in the past couple of decades.

I am going to my assessment on Thursday and they should do the deed in October - they only do IV sedation one day a month.

I want to ask questions so I am making a list, so far I have the following

• Can I take something to calm down on the day, before IV sedation and something to sleep night before
• Will bruxing interfere with healing/trigger bleeding/keep me from sleeping
• How long to heal, swelling, pain etc
• Can the holes be closed up (ie stitched or packed with absorbable hemostatic dressing)

If anyone thinks of anything I can add to my list of questions, please add below. I am trying to be thorough and I know I had other questions but I stupidly didn't write them down.

Thanks!

 

[Jackieallen]

You have very good questions already.

Iv is an amazing way to have your treatment done and you'll be so relaxed so much so you wont recall the procedure.

Maybe ask for post op info so you understand the time it will take to heal and how you will feel after the sedation and what you can eat . I had a tooth out and a piece of rice got into the socket and caused dry socket extremely painful so no rice for you.....yoghart and soup . Hope the meeting goes well .

 

[mouthsewnshut]

@Jackieallen Thank you. I had sedation before for dental and other things. But the last time I had it was for a gastroscopy which is pretty invasive anyway, I was so full of adrenaline beforehand (and also grieving a pet who had died the day before) that it only partially worked and the procedure itself felt like an assault. it was really distressing and I ended up with distorted, horrific memories flashing in my head each time I tried to fall asleep for several weeks on. Having said that, a friend who has not gone through any of the trauma I've lived had the same procedure and felt violated as well. So maybe it's the nature of gastroscopy? So that's the reason why I want to ask them if I can take something to reduce my anxiety levels beforehand so that the sedation "takes" properly if you see what I mean.

I do know about the 'no bitty food' rule. So I will prepare for that. I really want to have the holes stitched because I know my tongue will go prodding and I will get grossed out at the clot and grimness of it all, which brings me to my other phobia which is a phobia of being sick. So I am really not looking forward to that. I wish my phobia would stop the moment I step out of the dentist and it's all done, but it continues afterwards.

I had two adult teeth out in my whole life, that was ages ago. Someone I know who was a dental nurse has told me that the healing should be about 2 weeks and about 2 weeks on soft/sieved food which seems so long, I am going to go out of my mind! I don't remember my extractions taking that long to heal, so maybe wisdom teeth take longer. I know my MIL who is 84 had one molar removed not too long ago and she said the dentist took about an hour to remove it () and she was bruised, swollen and in pain 3 weeks later still. Apparently we take longer to heal when we're older, I am 60, I hope I won't heal as badly as she did!

I am so scared and down on the whole thing and expecting the worst. So thankyou for your reassurance.

I have read some of the wisdom tooth success stories, but they are in so much detail they freak me out and I have to stop reading.

 

[Jackieallen]

The older we get the fear is worse if only we could be teenagers with no fear . I can only reassure you that your having the best option available to you . Some wisdom teeth come out easily I have had all mine taken out at dentist with just standard needle anesthesia. It's the wisdom teeth that are impacted that get referral to hospital and that means general not sedation . So positive thinking yours are gonna be easy too

 

[mouthsewnshut]

Oh god, I have trouble having just a local anesthetic without a complete panic attack in the chair, I can't imagine having 3 wisdom teeth out. You are much braver than I am!
My usual dentist had to refer me to the anxious patients clinic for this because I won't let him do this in his office.

 

[Jackieallen]

When I had mine out I had no fear a lot younger . My phobia is same as yours now so completely understand . Had to pay privately for sedation for a tooth to be removed last year . And now I cant undergo deep cleaning for fear of the injections. You have so got this the sedation is amazing and be over before you know it .

 

[mouthsewnshut]

Do you need deep cleaning or is regular hygienist treatment not thorough enough for your teeth? I currently go to my hygienist 3 times a year to make up for the lack of scaling/polishing during lockdown, and I know she uses a numbing gel if you want, it's more liquid than a gel I guess, it comes in a thin metal applicator, no injections. My husband requires that for each appointment, I don't anymore but I did when I started getting regular cleanings. Maybe ask if they have that sort of thing? I can try and find out what it's called for you if you like.

Funnily enough I am ok with this hygienist, she is gentle enough and she knows I am very phobic. If I have one problem tooth at the time of my appointment I let her know and she goes gently around that one or numbs it with the gel. The other hygienist they have only uses manual tools, I saw her once, it was Ouch - Oh sorry - Ouch - Oh sorry the whole appointment. She is brutal and I refuse to see her full stop. They booked me with her once when my regular hygienist was off sick and I told them, never again please. If my hygienist is not available, please rebook my appointment.

 

[Jackieallen]

Loose teeth so deep clean required currently I see hygienist every 3 month and she cleans and escapes electronically and u dont have any issue with that . I am unsure if they use a numbing cream but can only ask . What I have found out is the injection is totally different to standard its localised to the tooth and gum so is a small one if that makes sense . Good for you stick with the ones you can have faith in

 

[mouthsewnshut]

Oh do they use the wand for numbing? It's connected to a machine and it's supposed to be more gentle than a traditional syringe and needle. I know that the wand can numb just one area or one tooth. But my dentist used it once and it was hell, it hurt and took ages because it injects slowly. It really didn't feel like a tool for anxious patients the way I experienced it.

 

[Jackieallen]

@mouthsewnshut

 

[mouthsewnshut]

@Jackieallen there is no message?

 

[Jackieallen]

Sadly no wand just good old fashioned needle . I am sure they sont offer numbing gel either . Good old nhs

 

[mouthsewnshut]

Shame, but wouldn't hurt to ask about the gel.

I'm off to my assessment this afternoon, I hope the rest of the team is more caring than the receptionist who I spoke to twice. She was quite the little ray of sunshine

Wish me luck!

 

[mouthsewnshut]

Update: I went to the assessment, but I need to get my BP down, it was really high and it has to go down before they do the IV sedation. On the bright side, she thinks only the original two need to come out, the top left can stay - ok!

 

[Jackieallen]

@mouthsewnshut omg I missed this update . You bp may have been up purely due to the appointment so hopefully will decrease naturally. Great news about the amount of extractions. My mother in law messaged me and she is having 3 out on the 27th sept .

 

[Milomin]

@mouthsewnshut
Hi - I had similar thing with my blood pressure. I took Ativan on the day off- it helped me to calm down. I took a very small dose that my doctor gave me. I also took Gelsemium- a homeopathic remedy 200c the night before and five minutes before. It does not interfere with any other medication. Both helped my nerves immensely. My dentist used laser to cauterize the wounds- no pain, swelling or dry socket. I took Arnica 30c three times a day post surgery to control infection and speed up healing. All in all- I got through it. You will be nervous- but you will get through it.

 

[mouthsewnshut]

@mouthsewnshut omg I missed this update . You bp may have been up purely due to the appointment so hopefully will decrease naturally. Great news about the amount of extractions. My mother in law messaged me and she is having 3 out on the 27th sept .

Yeah it was up because of the appointment and they take that into consideration, but it was really really high

Oh I hope your MIL is a little braver than me! At least I only have 2 coming out. The dentist was suggesting we do it in two goes I said no.

 

[mouthsewnshut]

@mouthsewnshut
Hi - I had similar thing with my blood pressure. I took Ativan on the day off- it helped me to calm down. I took a very small dose that my doctor gave me. I also took Gelsemium- a homeopathic remedy 200c the night before and five minutes before. It does not interfere with any other medication. Both helped my nerves immensely. My dentist used laser to cauterize the wounds- no pain, swelling or dry socket. I took Arnica 30c three times a day post surgery to control infection and speed up healing. All in all- I got through it. You will be nervous- but you will get through it.

I'm glad to hear it went well for you. I am not one for homeopathy so I will stick to their guidelines but glad it works for you.

I did ask if I could take something (diazepam as I already have it for anxiety/panic disorder) to calm down on the day and the dentist said they rather patients don't but she would ask the IV sedation specialist and see what he says. My BP is a little raised normally but it was through the roof when I went, like 177/99

They don't use cautery at that dentist, they pack the holes with hemostatic dressing which is like a gel-sponge thing and it gets absorbed so doesn't have to be removed by the dentist later.

How many teeth did you have out? How many days did you take to heal? They said that I should be fine within 5 days it should all be pretty much closed up.

 

[Milomin]

That’s good. I have never heard of this gel. I did two wisdom at one time. The wounds took a few days to form a clot etc, but after that it was smooth sailing. I mostly ate warm soup. Not hot. I did salt water rinses.

 

[mouthsewnshut]

@Milomin the gel is like a little sponge made with either cellulose based or collagen/gelatin, (which I would like to avoid if at all possible for ethical reasons) that was already discussed with the dentist, she is ok with using an alternative if possible. I just looked at my medical record and there is a letter from the dentist asking to check my BP just to be sure there is no underlying condition they don't know about.

They said about warm smooth soups and that sort of things, nothing hot, no straws, and the salt water rinses.

I am still not looking forward to it at all, had another bout of insomnia last night, woke up at 3.30am and fretted and stressed until about 6am :/