F
FinnishGirl
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 13, 2008
- Messages
- 366
- Location
- Finland
I've already written something to my support thread, but this will be a longer explanation on how I overcame my fear of dental procedures. I'll also include some things I've already written somewhere, because not everyone who reads this has read everything I've written earlier.
I'm 18 years old, and I have a fear of medical procedures and injections in general, but everything about dentists is a lot more awful to me than any other procedure. Or was... I don't think I have any bad experiences, more fear of the unknown. But still a real problem.
I've always taken good care of my teeth, and no dentist has ever done anything major to me. Last summer I heard that my lower wisdom teeth have to be removed at some point if they don't erupt completely, but not yet as I didn't have any problem with them. Until May this year. The area around my left lower wisdom tooth became very sore, and Google told me that my symptoms were a reason to remove the tooth. I contacted the only dentist clinic (private, quite big, lots of dentists) in town that offers general anesthesia, as I knew fron last summer that the public dentist service doesn't. I got an appointment for oral surgeon to May 22.
A couple of days later the tooth was so sore I called again to go to show it to someone. I got a dentist appointment. I went there, terrified even though I knew she was just going to look at it. She did, and she said there was an infection. Would I like to go to the oral surgeon sooner? Oh yes, to talk. I want GA. She explained to me that it was possible, BUT... 1) they had booked an operation room in the local private hospital on June 6th, and on June 9th I'd start at my summer job 2) I would have all my wisdom teeth removed at the same time if I chose GA. I started to think about things. GA wouldn't be a sensible choise in this situation. I called my mum, who encouraged me a lot, and so I agreed to have the operation with local anesthesia but I wanted diazepam (Valium, I guess) for that. I got a new appointment to May 15, for the operation.
When I was back at home, I felt definitely not confident. What on earth made me believe I could do it? Why did I let the dentist talk me into doing it? What if the diazepam wouldn't work enough? What if I'd panic during the operation? What if I'd grab the surgeon's arm and he'd cut me in the wrong place? What if... This went on for a couple of days, but then I started feeling better and think about other things as well.
Let's jump in time and land to the day before yesterday, Wednesday May 14th. In the evening, when mum told me to choose comfortable clothes for the op, it all became so concrete and unavoidable to me and I started to panic a lot. The evening was quite awful. I was allowed to take my first diazepam tablet (5mg) to get some sleep, and it really worked. 20 minutes after taking it, I started to shake. I had been so tense for a long time and the drug relaxed me. I shaked for a few minutes, then I felt relaxed and calm and fell asleep.
The Day: The morning was ok, with the last drug molecules still in my system. About 11 o'clock I started to worry. I just counted hours to the op (at 3.15 pm). An hour before, at 2.15 pm I took 10mg diazepam and 600mg ibuprofein (no idea about trade name in other countries) and then I went with dad to the dentist clinic. In the waiting room I didn't panic because of my medication. I read old magazines and laughed at jokes I never considered funny before. Then I almost fell asleep... and about 5 minutes too late, at 3.20 pm, I was called in.
I was a tiny little bit exited, but diazepam had taken away about 85% of my anxiety. The oral surgeon was a really nice guy. He took a quick look at my teeth, and then he started. I told him the local anesthesia was the bad part for me, as I don't like needles. He said "Well, it would be very weird to like them. Now close your eyes and open your mouth.". And he injected. It didn't hurt at all. A lot less than a blood draw for example. I thougt he was doing some prepapations when he said "OK, that was the first one." I got five injections. Two of them hurt a little. The assistant held her hand at my shoulder and the surgeon told me to breathe normally, so I survived them as well. And the operation itself... it was so easy! I had felt absolutely nothing, exept a bit of stretching my lip at one point, when the lower tooth was out. Then he pulled my upper wisdom tooth as well. It was even quicker and easier. I felt something, but no pain. Then it was over. I was in the room for 10 to 15 minutes!
The pain afterwards isn't bad either. I take naproxen for the pain, and it helps really well. I've eaten ice cream, yoghurt and kiisseli (there is no proper English translation for that, it's a Scandinavian traditional dessert, a bit like thick soup, it's made of juice, potato flour and berries or fruit). Today's lunch will be baby food, made for 6 month old babies so no teeth needed.
So, anyone who is going to have wisdom tooth surgery, don't be afraid! Of course I can't promise every case to be as simple as mine, but anyway. During the operation, on scale 0 to 10 the worst pain was about 1,5. Now I feel I'm a real hero
I'm glad I didn't insist on GA, now I remember the operation which wasn't bad at all. And I'll never be afraid of the dentist again!
This video gave me a lot of courage:
I don't know why. It's the Swedish eurovision song "Hero" with pictures from Disney movie heroes. Also it felt good to hear "I will survive" from the radio in the waiting room. I've prayed a lot, and I feel God helped me, but He helped me also through Valium. I would recommend it for anyone whose fear isn't super-extra-mega-bad but not so small either.
No more
- I DID IT!!!
I'm 18 years old, and I have a fear of medical procedures and injections in general, but everything about dentists is a lot more awful to me than any other procedure. Or was... I don't think I have any bad experiences, more fear of the unknown. But still a real problem.
I've always taken good care of my teeth, and no dentist has ever done anything major to me. Last summer I heard that my lower wisdom teeth have to be removed at some point if they don't erupt completely, but not yet as I didn't have any problem with them. Until May this year. The area around my left lower wisdom tooth became very sore, and Google told me that my symptoms were a reason to remove the tooth. I contacted the only dentist clinic (private, quite big, lots of dentists) in town that offers general anesthesia, as I knew fron last summer that the public dentist service doesn't. I got an appointment for oral surgeon to May 22.
A couple of days later the tooth was so sore I called again to go to show it to someone. I got a dentist appointment. I went there, terrified even though I knew she was just going to look at it. She did, and she said there was an infection. Would I like to go to the oral surgeon sooner? Oh yes, to talk. I want GA. She explained to me that it was possible, BUT... 1) they had booked an operation room in the local private hospital on June 6th, and on June 9th I'd start at my summer job 2) I would have all my wisdom teeth removed at the same time if I chose GA. I started to think about things. GA wouldn't be a sensible choise in this situation. I called my mum, who encouraged me a lot, and so I agreed to have the operation with local anesthesia but I wanted diazepam (Valium, I guess) for that. I got a new appointment to May 15, for the operation.
When I was back at home, I felt definitely not confident. What on earth made me believe I could do it? Why did I let the dentist talk me into doing it? What if the diazepam wouldn't work enough? What if I'd panic during the operation? What if I'd grab the surgeon's arm and he'd cut me in the wrong place? What if... This went on for a couple of days, but then I started feeling better and think about other things as well.
Let's jump in time and land to the day before yesterday, Wednesday May 14th. In the evening, when mum told me to choose comfortable clothes for the op, it all became so concrete and unavoidable to me and I started to panic a lot. The evening was quite awful. I was allowed to take my first diazepam tablet (5mg) to get some sleep, and it really worked. 20 minutes after taking it, I started to shake. I had been so tense for a long time and the drug relaxed me. I shaked for a few minutes, then I felt relaxed and calm and fell asleep.
The Day: The morning was ok, with the last drug molecules still in my system. About 11 o'clock I started to worry. I just counted hours to the op (at 3.15 pm). An hour before, at 2.15 pm I took 10mg diazepam and 600mg ibuprofein (no idea about trade name in other countries) and then I went with dad to the dentist clinic. In the waiting room I didn't panic because of my medication. I read old magazines and laughed at jokes I never considered funny before. Then I almost fell asleep... and about 5 minutes too late, at 3.20 pm, I was called in.
I was a tiny little bit exited, but diazepam had taken away about 85% of my anxiety. The oral surgeon was a really nice guy. He took a quick look at my teeth, and then he started. I told him the local anesthesia was the bad part for me, as I don't like needles. He said "Well, it would be very weird to like them. Now close your eyes and open your mouth.". And he injected. It didn't hurt at all. A lot less than a blood draw for example. I thougt he was doing some prepapations when he said "OK, that was the first one." I got five injections. Two of them hurt a little. The assistant held her hand at my shoulder and the surgeon told me to breathe normally, so I survived them as well. And the operation itself... it was so easy! I had felt absolutely nothing, exept a bit of stretching my lip at one point, when the lower tooth was out. Then he pulled my upper wisdom tooth as well. It was even quicker and easier. I felt something, but no pain. Then it was over. I was in the room for 10 to 15 minutes!
The pain afterwards isn't bad either. I take naproxen for the pain, and it helps really well. I've eaten ice cream, yoghurt and kiisseli (there is no proper English translation for that, it's a Scandinavian traditional dessert, a bit like thick soup, it's made of juice, potato flour and berries or fruit). Today's lunch will be baby food, made for 6 month old babies so no teeth needed.
So, anyone who is going to have wisdom tooth surgery, don't be afraid! Of course I can't promise every case to be as simple as mine, but anyway. During the operation, on scale 0 to 10 the worst pain was about 1,5. Now I feel I'm a real hero
I'm glad I didn't insist on GA, now I remember the operation which wasn't bad at all. And I'll never be afraid of the dentist again!This video gave me a lot of courage:
I don't know why. It's the Swedish eurovision song "Hero" with pictures from Disney movie heroes. Also it felt good to hear "I will survive" from the radio in the waiting room. I've prayed a lot, and I feel God helped me, but He helped me also through Valium. I would recommend it for anyone whose fear isn't super-extra-mega-bad but not so small either.
No more
- I DID IT!!!
about that yet, because I'm feeling so incredibly great about overcoming my fear. That was a lot tougher to me than reaching top grades at school.
- of course you should feel very, very proud of yourself 
