Dental Treatment - nerves, sedation, can you help me?

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Hello,
Well, I have never had much in the way of teeth problems before Very Happy

After all, I floss and brush everyday, morning and night! However.... My new dentist decided to X Ray my teeth, he thought a few looked slightly discoloured, and it turns out that a few which had been filled before are now decaying from the inside Shocked

I don't know whether my old dentist is partly to blame for not drilling out sufficient decay before filling them, or what, but now I face quite a lot of dental work... Shocked

I've never been scared of the dentist before, even drills hold no fear for me, so it has come as quite a shock to discover that I now feel absolutely petrified of the thought of being given an injection into my gum, and my teeth being deeply drilled into! I had an appointment for the first set of work, the dentist put cotton in my mouth to prepare my gum, and I suddenly sat up and changed my mind! Embarrassed

I know it's crazy, but I felt so claustrophobic, and I couldn't stop thinking that it would be horrible for my mouth to be all numb, and that I would freak out! I asked if I could just have the fillings without anaesthetic, but the dentist didn't recommend it. Instead, he has given me a new appointment and a script for temazepam, to take beforehand! Shocked

But now I am nervous to take the temazepam! Embarrassed

The other alternative is to go into the dental hospital to have intravenous sedation, but I fancy that even less!
So tell me, have you ever taken a tranquiliser before dental treatment? Would you recommend it?
Have you ever had an anaesthetic injection before dental work? Please tell me how it feels? How numb does your mouth get?
I think that once I've had one injection, I won't fear subsequent ones, but going for the first one is proving ridiculously difficult! Surprised

Cheers for any insights Very Happy

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I have taken a tranquilizer for a medical procedure of which I was frightened. I have had a local anaesthetic put on my gums before the injection, so the site would be numbed. After you have the novocain, your mouth IS quite numb, and you need to be careful not to bite your tongue or lip. That numbness goes away gradually, after a few hours.

Around my area, there are a lot of ads for "sedation dentistry" where the dentist gives you something to make you very relaxed before he starts to work. Is there anything like that where you live?

I used to be so afraid of the dentist when I was a kid, that I would not go until I had a throbbing toothache. Because of my negligence, I now have a number of permanent bridges in my mouth.

Do you want to know what cured me? When I was in my early 20s, I had a dental emergency on the weekend. The dentist on call was young and gorgeous. There was NO WAY that I was going to show this hunk that I was a "chicken". He was a lousy dentist, but he cured me of my fears!

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I understand your fears. I went through something like that just last year. After going to the dentist for years, suddenly I seemed to develop this fear of the needle out of nowhere. I was in pain when I finally went (that helped) and ended up having a tooth extracted and being fitted for a bridge which included alot of drilling/filing down of teeth. For the injection, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and faced it. That's all you can do.
Several years ago, a dentist perscribed a sedative before a procedure and it worked like a charm. I was so relaxed, so mellow and feeling no pain. It was a very nice high.
Face this fear, Thinkzinc. What choice do you have? Sooner or later, the pain will begin and my God, what's worse than a toothache?

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The first time is probably the most scary for you.

After the injection, you'll fell some numbness in your gum and your tongue. But, no pain when the drilling starts.

You could try to have dental work without sedation, but the pain could be intense. I've done this in the past, but not recently.

Why not take a friend with you to the dentist?

This could help.

Good Luck!

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Phoenix, I had to laugh when I read your entry, because, funnily enough, my new dentist is quite a cutie Very Happy

And that did make it feel worse, jumping out of the chair from this guy; if he looked like a scary 'Little Shop of Horrors' dentist, I could maybe be excused, LOL! Funnily enough, every time I drive to the dentist, the 'I am your dentist' song from the aforementioned musical goes round and round my head!
I do want to get these problems fixed as soon as possible; I feel bad because I had not been to a dentist for three years ( Embarrassed

), precisely because I felt there was nothing wrong; guess I don't have x ray eyes though! I don't want to face further complications. It will be 6 monthly appointments from now on! I guess I just have to face the music, maybe the tranquiliser will work wonders.

eoe, thanks for sharing your sedation experience, it is making me feel better about giving the tranquiliser a shot; I have to get my teeth fixed, so I'll have to go for it, I suppose! Very Happy

As you say, nothing is worse than toothache!

Miller Thanks for warning me against no anaesthetic, I was really considering it, but not anymore! I will bring a friend, because I won't be fit to drive after taking the tranquiliser - company should help me retain some steely courage... Hopefully! Very Happy

Thanks guys!

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I'm just wondering...would it be possible to get a second opinion?

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Dentistry has come a long ways in the past 30 years, TZ. Unless they need to deaden the nerves for the upper incisors, a good dentist can get the novocaine in painlessly. If they are working anywhere else, and it is more than slightly painful, maybe you should walk out on the grounds that the rest of their work will be shoddy too.

A second opinion is not that bad an idea, now that caprice mentions it. I've a lot of faith in my own dentist, but there are good reasons for that.

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I sorta question the eating from within thing, but I am not a dentist. I'd consider a second opinion too. Of course that could be more money.

On the novocain, I have had it countless times. It is no big deal to me, but that won't help you. I was a child at the dentist just pre the novocain era, and I greatly prefer the novocain, thank you. I remember creeping up the back of the chair...
oh, never mind.

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I became phobic after a badly done and very deep filling.

I have de-sensitized myself by getting the dentist to use gradually decreasing amounts of nitrous oxide - which you breathe in via a mask. It relaxes you.

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I hate dental procedures... I get dizzy and think that the chair is falling backwards or I'm going to faint, or both. The worst is when I start to stew about what would happen if we had another earthquake while he's in the midst of the drilling. (Don't go there, it is a scary place.)

In fact, I am a basket-case at the dentist and always take those little downer pills and frequently ask for more. Tell the dentist your fears (hmmm, possibly he already knows... Very Happy

) and that you need to have more sedation. Take those pills, take some pain relievers, too, and ask for nitrous oxide. Be careful with it though as THAT is what makes *me* feel like I'm falling backwards. Keep your eyes closed -- don't even peek at that gigantic hypodermic needle. (My dentist actually hides it behind his back. No kidding!) My dentist also has earphones and music to listen to... that helps to occupy your mind. Since you'll be so high, try to arrange for somebody to drive you home or else take a taxi. Good luck!

Just remember the whole damn procedure will only last an hour or so. You CAN manage to get through it, really you can. Be sure to reward yourself with something nice & lasting afterwards.

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Dental needles don't worry me at all. They're very small and the skin in you're mouth is very soft. But if you can find a dentist who uses nitrous oxide, I can guarantee, a few puffs of that stuff, and you won't care what he does.

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I thought of something else that is very helpful, ThinkZinc. Have your appointments made for first thing in the morning. You won't be dwelling on the worry all day nor will you have to be in the waiting room long, as the dentist is unlikely to be late from helping an earlier patient.

Phoenix mentioned that the dentist should use a contact anaesthetic before the hypo goes in. To my mind, THAT should also be standard operating procedure, but ask about it and request that it is used. I'm feeling for you! Ick -- dentistry. Sad

Good luck.

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Wait till you have to have a root canal procedure.

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Miller- I don't know the last time that you had root canal, but it is really no big deal now. The trick is to get a decent endodontist. I had one done about 5 years ago, and it was far less difficult than having a cavity filled.
There was quite a difference from a root canal that I had many years ago.

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That's true. A root canal is not what it used to be.

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Hiya,
Thanks everyone, for the further replies. It's good to know that I'm not the only scaredy around Very Happy

I had to cancel my appointment because I had a heavy cold, and still have a cough, so I reckon I will reschedule once the cough is gone - wouldn't want to risk coughing and moving my head at an inopportune moment and getting the wrong tooth drilled, lol! But I really will reschedule though, and I will take on board all the advice. To those who recommended a second opinion, unfortunately that is impossible - there is such a shortage of NHS dentists in the UK that it took me a year to be registered with my latest one, and I can't afford to go private. He seems pretty professional though, and I have a friend who has found him very good, so fingers crossed he isn't just drilling all my teeth just for profit and fun Very Happy

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Wow...are dentists that expensive in the UK? Even for a private consult?

To me it would be worth it.

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Unfortunately it is outside my budget, I'm on a low income at the moment and can't consider anything outside of NHS. Sad

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Thinkzinc,
I've never had a second opinion on anything that my dentist has suggested (unless he said to go to another specialist). Sometimes you just have to assume that all their training means they know what they're talking about.

I think you should try not to worry too much and not get all the work done at once. Usually a dentist does one quadrant at a time, left upper, right upper, etc. I assume that your dentist would do so, too. Schedule work for the quadrant needing the least work and have him do that (early morning appointment). See how you feel afterwards. At least you'll be partly through with this.

Best of luck!

Quote:

One of the greatest dangers to people is the menace of the leaking silver fillings. The public and much of the dental profession at large is completely unaware that hundreds of millions of old silver fillings are silently starting to break open and leak. Once a filling starts to leak, bacteria and food particles can seep deep into the tooth where they cause severe decay because you can't brush or floss under the leaking old fillings.

from: Dental Caries Under Old Fillings

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Hi Piffka,
Very interesting quote and site - this is obviously the problem that I have with my old fillings! The dentist suggests four visits - as you suggest, working on the four different quadrants.
Thanks for your best wishes Smile

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Dental Treatment - nerves, sedation, can you help me?

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