B
Bunny_1
Junior member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2008
- Messages
- 1
I've been reading this site for ages, and I've got to say - it really does help heaps!!!
I've recently undergone alot of dental treatment, which I shouldn't have needed, if I'd gone to the dentist alot earlier, but I was too scared!
For the last 10 years, I've been so petrified of going anywhere near a dentist, let alone letting anyone talk about a dentist, or walk past it on the way to school. The one time I'd ever gone near a dentist (because my mum dragged me in! Literally!) I was so scared that I panicked, and wouldn't let the dentist really do much at all- even though he was just looking.
Those ten years passed quickly, without me ever going to the dentist, and recently (only a month ago), I started to have some problems.
Firstly I noticed that a bit of my tooth had broke off (bottom 2nd molar), I got a little freaked, but knowing that this was "serious" in Dental terms, I was absolutely determined not to go anywhere near a dentist, so I told no one about it, and left it. It didn't bother me till a while later. I'd noticed a few of my teeth weren't looking so good, and hadnt' for a while. While I try and take good care of my teeth, (hygine wise) I probably wasn't careful enough.
One morning, not long after that, I woke up- with no pain at all, but a decent amount of swelling, on my cheek. Pretty confident it wasn't my tooth -because there was no pain, I decided to leave it.
Day two, swelling was very large now, but still no pain- although it was near the tooth that the piece had broken off from.
No pain, so I left it.
Day three, swelling so large that it had spread to my neck (well was beginning to spread into the neck area). I couldn't really open my mouth at all, and I certainly couldn't eat.
STrangely enough, no pain.
By this stage, I'd guessed it was to do with my tooth, but i was too scared as to what the dentist would 'find' and what he'd have to do.
I went to school that morning, but on the bus- someone nice enough, who'd been on the bus the last three days- happened to be a dentist, and told me I needed to go straight away. When I got to school, I went to the office, and they called the dental surgery immediately (and then my mum).
I had to go! (No choice in the matter this time), and I was panicing like mad!
I (rather embarrassed to say but still) ended up in tears, and I found myself shaking. They couldn't fit me in that second, but told me to go straight away to the hospital and to get a series of xrays done and to pick up Antibiotics and they wrote me a script.
I went and got the x-rays (I was still shakey at the X-ray place, knowing that it would show what was wrong.)
I still had no pain in the tooth, which was also making me extra worried!
When I finally got back to the dentist- still panicing madly, and in tears again- they sat me down straight away. They showed me the xrays, even though I didnt' want to see, or hear anything.
It showed I had a rather large, Periapical Abscess (root abscess) in the tooth, which had spread into the facial tissue by a 'fitsula canal' and was not only spreading all over my cheek, and neck but it had actually created a 'hole' in my jaw.
It had started to eat away the bone in my jaw.
They also told me (Quite seriously I might add - which absolutely sent me crazy with fear) that had I left this a single day longer, I wouldn't have been here, but in the ER or ICU unit in hospital, with menigitis or blood posioning.
They gave me nitrous oxide (happy gas), straight away, and then injected the Local Anesthetic. It took 7 shots of local just to get it to work, because of the swelling, the anesthetic wasn't getting through.
The nitrous Oxide had calmed me down so much that I was no longer shaking, or crying- but actually asking questions. (strange I know!).
They ended up injecting the Local into the wall of the back of my throat, to inject it to the central nerve that runs along the bottom jaw, as it was the only way to numb. Once they tested it was all numb they extracted the tooth immediatley and then drained and cleaned the area.
I had to have three extractions all up - but the other two extractions were not very serious abscesses. I was lucky.
I had three extractions done on different days, and by my second appointment, It was pretty safe for me to say my fear was completely cured.
I think it was more an Anxiety fear than anything. I had expected it to be as scary as hell, I expected it to be worse than it was.
I'm not going to run into a dentist every six months going "YAY FOR DENTISTS" but I get along with the dentist quite well, I love asking questions, and I think it's pretty cool now!
I tell you guys,
NITROUS OXIDE WORKS WONDERS!!!
A few deep breaths of the stuff, and you'll feel, GREAT!
The best thing I think I could've done was to ask lots of questions.
It really does help to know what's going on, and it helps when the dentist explains to you, exactly what they're going to do.
Also, getting an appointment as soon as you can is always good- not having too much time to think about it, is a key factor.
To all of you that think your fear will never leave, have hope!
It really does!!!
I realise now how stupid I was to put such an important thing off, and especially when I knew something very serious was happening to my tooth and the rest of my health.
I'm so glad, and relieved to have this fear wiped clean!
Hope you guys can work it out too!!
Cheers
- Bunny.,
I've recently undergone alot of dental treatment, which I shouldn't have needed, if I'd gone to the dentist alot earlier, but I was too scared!
For the last 10 years, I've been so petrified of going anywhere near a dentist, let alone letting anyone talk about a dentist, or walk past it on the way to school. The one time I'd ever gone near a dentist (because my mum dragged me in! Literally!) I was so scared that I panicked, and wouldn't let the dentist really do much at all- even though he was just looking.
Those ten years passed quickly, without me ever going to the dentist, and recently (only a month ago), I started to have some problems.
Firstly I noticed that a bit of my tooth had broke off (bottom 2nd molar), I got a little freaked, but knowing that this was "serious" in Dental terms, I was absolutely determined not to go anywhere near a dentist, so I told no one about it, and left it. It didn't bother me till a while later. I'd noticed a few of my teeth weren't looking so good, and hadnt' for a while. While I try and take good care of my teeth, (hygine wise) I probably wasn't careful enough.
One morning, not long after that, I woke up- with no pain at all, but a decent amount of swelling, on my cheek. Pretty confident it wasn't my tooth -because there was no pain, I decided to leave it.
Day two, swelling was very large now, but still no pain- although it was near the tooth that the piece had broken off from.
No pain, so I left it.
Day three, swelling so large that it had spread to my neck (well was beginning to spread into the neck area). I couldn't really open my mouth at all, and I certainly couldn't eat.
STrangely enough, no pain.
By this stage, I'd guessed it was to do with my tooth, but i was too scared as to what the dentist would 'find' and what he'd have to do.
I went to school that morning, but on the bus- someone nice enough, who'd been on the bus the last three days- happened to be a dentist, and told me I needed to go straight away. When I got to school, I went to the office, and they called the dental surgery immediately (and then my mum).
I had to go! (No choice in the matter this time), and I was panicing like mad!
I (rather embarrassed to say but still) ended up in tears, and I found myself shaking. They couldn't fit me in that second, but told me to go straight away to the hospital and to get a series of xrays done and to pick up Antibiotics and they wrote me a script.
I went and got the x-rays (I was still shakey at the X-ray place, knowing that it would show what was wrong.)
I still had no pain in the tooth, which was also making me extra worried!
When I finally got back to the dentist- still panicing madly, and in tears again- they sat me down straight away. They showed me the xrays, even though I didnt' want to see, or hear anything.
It showed I had a rather large, Periapical Abscess (root abscess) in the tooth, which had spread into the facial tissue by a 'fitsula canal' and was not only spreading all over my cheek, and neck but it had actually created a 'hole' in my jaw.
It had started to eat away the bone in my jaw.
They also told me (Quite seriously I might add - which absolutely sent me crazy with fear) that had I left this a single day longer, I wouldn't have been here, but in the ER or ICU unit in hospital, with menigitis or blood posioning.
They gave me nitrous oxide (happy gas), straight away, and then injected the Local Anesthetic. It took 7 shots of local just to get it to work, because of the swelling, the anesthetic wasn't getting through.
The nitrous Oxide had calmed me down so much that I was no longer shaking, or crying- but actually asking questions. (strange I know!).
They ended up injecting the Local into the wall of the back of my throat, to inject it to the central nerve that runs along the bottom jaw, as it was the only way to numb. Once they tested it was all numb they extracted the tooth immediatley and then drained and cleaned the area.
I had to have three extractions all up - but the other two extractions were not very serious abscesses. I was lucky.
I had three extractions done on different days, and by my second appointment, It was pretty safe for me to say my fear was completely cured.
I think it was more an Anxiety fear than anything. I had expected it to be as scary as hell, I expected it to be worse than it was.
I'm not going to run into a dentist every six months going "YAY FOR DENTISTS" but I get along with the dentist quite well, I love asking questions, and I think it's pretty cool now!
I tell you guys,
NITROUS OXIDE WORKS WONDERS!!!
A few deep breaths of the stuff, and you'll feel, GREAT!
The best thing I think I could've done was to ask lots of questions.
It really does help to know what's going on, and it helps when the dentist explains to you, exactly what they're going to do.
Also, getting an appointment as soon as you can is always good- not having too much time to think about it, is a key factor.
To all of you that think your fear will never leave, have hope!
It really does!!!
I realise now how stupid I was to put such an important thing off, and especially when I knew something very serious was happening to my tooth and the rest of my health.
I'm so glad, and relieved to have this fear wiped clean!
Hope you guys can work it out too!!
Cheers
- Bunny.,
