L
LK
Junior member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2008
- Messages
- 3
First post and a silly problem, so please be kind.
A bit of history: never had any dental fears until 2 years ago. Not afraid of needles, drills, or physicians of any sort. I have 8 crowns (every molar in my head wears a hat ), all done under local anesthesia, no problem. As I had mild-to-moderate gum disease I see my dentist every three months for cleaning and re-evaluation. I’m diligent about home dental care.
Two years ago I gradually began experiencing anxiety during my routine visits. Not sure why—no traumatic experiences, even as a kid, and I have a GREAT dentist. Out of the blue I developed an abscess in #14, aka Pesky. Mild as abscesses go I guess, barely showed up on X-ray, and of course was scheduled for a root canal. I was very nervous but went in for the procedure, was prepped and numbed…and just as the endodontist began to drill I totally freaked out, shaking, crying, the whole nine yards. It was one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life. I finally had Pesky’s root canal done a week later under conscious sedation. Ever since then I’ve been very fearful about each dental visit: I’ll need a filling, or another root canal, or that despite my efforts I’m going to lose all my teeth (as both my parents did). My fear is not the procedure itself, but of intense, untreatable pain I can’t escape from.
My newest fear: flying. I have read it’s possible for air pockets trapped in decay, loose fillings, etc to expand during flying and cause extreme pain and even tooth damage. I'm scheduled to go on a business trip next week (2 hour flight time each way) and I’m scared there’s some microscopic hidden crack that will cause me agony during the flight. In addition, I've also planned a trip to the UK (9+ hours flight time) in the next few months. As much as I’ve dreamed of this trip, I’m morbidly terrified of pain and not being able to do anything about it. My dentist says barotrauma is extremely uncommon, but I’m still petrified.
I’m scheduled for my next cleaning/X-rays next Thursday (a few hours before I leave!). I do have some discomfort in two of my crowned teeth—what if the dentist finds something *really* wrong and then I have to fly? What tests could I have done to make sure my teeth won’t hurt when I fly? And is there anything I can do if they do hurt?
A bit of history: never had any dental fears until 2 years ago. Not afraid of needles, drills, or physicians of any sort. I have 8 crowns (every molar in my head wears a hat ), all done under local anesthesia, no problem. As I had mild-to-moderate gum disease I see my dentist every three months for cleaning and re-evaluation. I’m diligent about home dental care.
Two years ago I gradually began experiencing anxiety during my routine visits. Not sure why—no traumatic experiences, even as a kid, and I have a GREAT dentist. Out of the blue I developed an abscess in #14, aka Pesky. Mild as abscesses go I guess, barely showed up on X-ray, and of course was scheduled for a root canal. I was very nervous but went in for the procedure, was prepped and numbed…and just as the endodontist began to drill I totally freaked out, shaking, crying, the whole nine yards. It was one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life. I finally had Pesky’s root canal done a week later under conscious sedation. Ever since then I’ve been very fearful about each dental visit: I’ll need a filling, or another root canal, or that despite my efforts I’m going to lose all my teeth (as both my parents did). My fear is not the procedure itself, but of intense, untreatable pain I can’t escape from.
My newest fear: flying. I have read it’s possible for air pockets trapped in decay, loose fillings, etc to expand during flying and cause extreme pain and even tooth damage. I'm scheduled to go on a business trip next week (2 hour flight time each way) and I’m scared there’s some microscopic hidden crack that will cause me agony during the flight. In addition, I've also planned a trip to the UK (9+ hours flight time) in the next few months. As much as I’ve dreamed of this trip, I’m morbidly terrified of pain and not being able to do anything about it. My dentist says barotrauma is extremely uncommon, but I’m still petrified.
I’m scheduled for my next cleaning/X-rays next Thursday (a few hours before I leave!). I do have some discomfort in two of my crowned teeth—what if the dentist finds something *really* wrong and then I have to fly? What tests could I have done to make sure my teeth won’t hurt when I fly? And is there anything I can do if they do hurt?