Wisdom teeth removal fears, possibly no sedation?

[CurtisG_]

I am a 34 year old male who is autistic and I am considering for a while to have both of my wisdom teeth removed. I have both wisdom teeth, one on the left side of my upper jaw and the other on the right side of my lower jaw. For nearly two years, I felt that the tooth(third molar) located on the left side of my upper jaw is crushing my gum, causing it to hurt whenever I try to gnash it. Sometimes, it can be painful at times. On the other hand, I get pimple growing out of my gum line due to the wisdom teeth that is located on the right side of my lower jaw. It would disappeared and then come back. In both cases, I do not have any difficulty chewing food.

However, what stopped me from seeking treatment is that by having both wisdom teeth removed, I would need to stay awake during the procedure. For years, I have fears of going to the dentist, not for routine teeth cleaning, but to have my gum injected with novocaine and my loose tooth removed. Being injected with a needle containing novocaine alone was so painful I was moving uncontrollably until the dentist or her assistant restrained me as a child, and to make matters worse, I feel extreme pain while my loose "baby" tooth was removed. The novocaine did not work at all! I have fears that when a dentist extracted both of my wisdom teeth, the pain would be much worse than what I had experienced when my baby teeth was removed using tweezers because the dentist would expect to first inject me with novocaine, and then use the dentist drill to removed the affected teeth. Both of the procedures will produce painful results.

With that said, because of my bad experiences with having my teeth removed through painful procedures, I am spending months researching on what is the best non-painful alternatives when dealing with wisdom teeth, especially with persons like me who has autism or other special needs. Any help would be more appreciated.

 

[Enarete]

Dear CurtisG_,

your experience with your baby tooth removal was terrible and I understand that you have fears about the wisdom teeth removal now. It is not right to restrain anyone during a treatment and it is not right to proceed with a procedure if there is pain.

Important thing to know: dentistry is now different than it was in your childhood. Getting a novocaine injection can be done painlessly if your dentist has a good technique. They use numbing gel nowadays for you not to feel the injection going in and they deliver the novocaine very slowly. It is the fast delivery that causes pain and decades ago the dentists didn't know that. Your dentist should be able to explain to you how it works if you ask him/her.

The purpose of novocaine is for you not to feel pain. Your dentist will first test if your gums are numb. If this is not the case, he/she will give you more novocaine (injecting it painlessly). This will be repeated until you do not feel pain. As soon as you don't feel any pain, the dentist can start with the tooth removal.

Do you have a dentist you like? And if so, do you feel able to talk to your dentist about your fear or to send him/her a letter?

 

[MountainMama]

Have you gone to a dentist yet to discuss removing the wisdom teeth? I had terrible experiences as a child as well with extracting baby teeth, and injections. Mine were not loose, and I apparently have difficulty getting numb. My dental phobia stems from those extractions.
Now, as Enrete said, things are much better. I always remind my dentist, and inform any new dentist, endodontist or oral surgeon that I have difficulty getting numb, and they always test before doing any procedure.
I had all four wisdom teeth out at age 18, and they put me under general anesthesia, so I was not awake. Mine were impacted, though.

Another option is nitrous oxide. I had to have a root canal this summer for the first time, and I was terrified, worried that the numbing wouldn't work. I opted for nitrous oxide, which I had never had before. It made the whole experience go quickly, and although I was awake and aware, and could respond, it relaxed me so that I didn't move. I have a tendency to grip the armrests and move my legs.