Have to go to the dentist

I'm really scared to, also. I haven't been to the dentist since I was a senior in high school, and I just turned 33. It's never been my favorite activity, either. My dentist when I was younger was really nice and did a good job of numbing my gums before injecting the novocaine, so it didn't hurt. I'm afraid that this will hurt really bad. I'm going b/c the far back molar on the bottom right hurts when I eat. Today it hurt REALLY bad. There is also a space between my back two molars now, so I'm afraid it's decaying. I'm really scared at what they are going to do. I wish I could see my old dentist, but we need someone that will do payments and work with us, so my husband made me an appt at the dental college. Hopefully they are nice to me and it doesn't hurt too bad.

The anticipation is probably going to be worse than the experience - and you're going to feel better once the work is done.

The good news about a school is that they'll have the latest advances, in technique and pain killers!, and also teachers watching all the work...the process may be a tad slower than a 'regular' office, though. But, you're helping the students as well.

Hopefully the rest of your teeth are in good shape, but that's a long time between visits...but usually dentists will prioritize and space out the work, if humanly possible.

Good luck to you.

Sounds like you are prepared for the worst, so it probably won't be as bad as you think! I've had a lot of dental work done the last 6 months (cracked a perfectly healthy molar in my sleep by clenching with 900 lbs. of pressure - stressed out at the time), and it hasn't been so bad. The pain killers they use to do dental work are excellent, and if you still feel anything, speak up and they'll give you more.

PMS-Hydromorphone was the best painkiller for after having work done (for me anyway). Really, you will feel much better after you get things looked after, it's scary to go in but you have to do it for the long run!

Let us know how it goes, I'll be thinking about you.

Aw sweetie, I understand completely! I put off going to the dentist for years, and when I finally decided I had no choice I had 9 cavaties. The longer you wait, the worse it's going to be.
Going to the dentist now is nothing like it was even 10 years ago. I have extremely sensitive teeth; I saw a specialist that I'd never seen before just yesterday and I flat out told her, "What ever you would normally use to deaden the pain, you'll need extra for me." She thanked me for telling her, assuring me that hurting me was the last thing she wanted to do.
Don't be afraid to speak up and ask for what you need. Good luck with getting your teeth taken care of; you really can't avoid it, unfortunately. Sending lots of calming your way.

You were just sick the other day, have you talked to your doctor or scheduled any tests for that yet? No sane dentist would touch you with that undiagnosed/untreated. You run the risk of reacting to something they use. (Epi used in the regular locals are enough to make me lose consciousness for example)

Originally Posted by libby74

Aw sweetie, I understand completely! I put off going to the dentist for years, and when I finally decided I had no choice I had 9 cavaties. The longer you wait, the worse it's going to be.

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I'm afraid of that. I have really soft teeth, and even when I was younger and went every year, I had multiple cavities at every visit...now it's been forever, I can't imagine how many cavities I have. When I went to get an H&P done with my new regular doctor, when he looked in my mouth he asked if I go to a dentist regularly and I told him no, his eyes got all big. LOL

Regular doctors these days are very vehement about patients going for regular (ideally, at least every six months) dental check ups as well - it's amazing the number of conditions a dentist can pick up while examining your mouth and tongue. When these are going well, your dentist and doctor are great complements to each other.

Again, good luck.

I hope they are nice to you. Don't they know a mean/rude bedside manner turns patients off from returning, etc.? There is no substitute for a nice dentist who doesn't make you feel like dirt and one who takes a moment to educate us on things that the average person doesn't know! For example, I had to find out from the internet that a gum dentist is called a "periodontist". No dentist ever bothered to tell me (and it would've been extremely helpful to know!)

Well it sounds like you know you need to go, just need a bit of courage! I just went a couple of weeks ago and am bummed about needing cavities while my DH, who never flosses and has "challenging" teeth, needs none. Not fair!

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

I've had a lot of dental work done the last 6 months (cracked a perfectly healthy molar in my sleep by clenching with 900 lbs. of pressure - stressed out at the time), and it hasn't been so bad.

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Oh I hear you, I've been grinding too. The dentist noticed a lot of damage on my teeth. It's so frustrating as it's something you do to yourself but can't control because you're asleep at the time!!

You will feel so much better after it is done.

I'm thinking a filling or something came loose last night or this morning, b/c while it has hurt the past week or so, it hurts TERRIBLE today when I chew food on that side. Just a few minutes ago I ate a piece of bacon, and I forgot to chew on the other side and got a little piece stuck in the gap that is now between my two back teeth and I thought I was going to die. It hurt SOOO bad! OMG! Even though I'm scared, the appt tomorrow can't come fast enough.

You'll feel so much better when the dentist is done with you. Just try to stay calm. Good luck with your appointment.

Good luck with your dentist appointment!

I hate going to the dentist, too, but it's one of those things that's important to your health. I hope everything will go OK for you.

So I went. They found out that my back tooth is decaying quite a bit, so the surface between the two teeth broke off and fell down between the two teeth. When I would eat the food would press the piece of my tooth against my gums, and that is what was causing the pain. The roots and the pulp looked okay to them, though. The shot in the back of my mouth hurt and I made it through it, but it still sucked. I feel like a huge baby, though, b/c he told me he was going to give me a shot under my front teeth and I started bawling. I was terrified of that one, and it hurt really bad. He ended up having to give me a second shot in the back b/c it didn't numb it all the way. The drilling didn't hurt until his teacher drilled at the very end, and then she wouldn't stop. I started crying again then. I'm such a freaking baby.

He also got rid of a bunch of cavities in that tooth. He said they went right down to the pulp but didn't quite get into it. They gave me a temp filling to make sure the pain is gone when I eat, and if it isn't they will have to give me a root canal. I go back in a month to see the same guy and at that point they will put in a permanent filling and then fix all of the rest of my cavities. They only worked on the one tooth today, but I have quite a few more cavities and a really big one on the opposite bottom tooth that he's worried about. He was super nice to me and I really liked him, so I'm glad I get to see him again the next time.

The novocaine is starting to wear off, so my whole lower jaw hurts now. I hope that doesn't last for very long. I'm just glad I didn't have to get a root canal or a crown.

glad it is over with. painfree

I'm sure that was a nasty experience! I hate novacaine shots; they are nasty things. And I'm a big baby, too. Believe me, I do feel your pain!

But what's really important here is that you remember that you need to go back to see him. And, honestly? If it turns out that you need a root canal, get it done! The temporary filling is just that and it will eventually fall out, even though it could take awhile before that happens. My brother had a temporary filling in a tooth and didn't bother to go back....and the tooth got really bad. He ended up losing the tooth.

I've had four root canals, largely because I grind my teeth and my back molars have suffered from it.

I'm glad you went and that it's over for now.

Hang in there.

Glad that you got through it - and the first time is always the worst -next time you'll have a better feel for what to expect. And, honestly, if they say to go for a crown or a root canal, do it - teeth are just one of those things in life that do not get better on their own.

Yeah, he thinks that I grind my teeth also, at least in my sleep when I don't notice. I've only ever had cavities in my molars, never in any of my other teeth, even though I've had a ton of cavities in my life.

I'm definitely going back. I need to get this done, plus the dentist was really nice (and didn't give me a hard time for crying) and the cost is manageable. I think $82 for what I had done isn't very bad. I was expecting hundreds.

The drilling didn't hurt until his teacher drilled at the very end, and then she wouldn't stop. I started crying again then. I'm such a freaking baby

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Honey, after 3 shots you shouldn't have felt a thing! Don't EVER be afraid to ask for another shot; I don't cry at the dentist's office, but I always let him know to give me more than he thinks I'll need. I've stopped him in the middle of a procedure to ask for more novacaine. It's your mouth and you know how much pain you can handle.

If you need a root canal, honestly, it's not a big deal. In fact, I'm having a second one done on the same tooth; apparently a little nerve was hiding out the first time, then bacteria got into the root somehow---anyway, you can handle it. I've learned the hard way that you just can't let your teeth go---I have 2 bridges and 9 crowns.

Your jaw may be sore for a day or 2; ask the dentist told me the other day, take 600mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours. You can also rinse with warm salt water. If you're in pain longer than a day or 2, I'd call the dentist.

Glad you made it thru ok!

Originally Posted by libby74

If you need a root canal, honestly, it's not a big deal.

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Honestly, for some teeth it's easier just to get a root canal. You still go through the exact same pain (injections) for either one. But I'm mostly talking about front teeth that usually need extra support added.

I had 5 shots of local (mepivacaine with no epi) for my last root canal and still had some feeling. It hurt, but not enough to bother me. But then, I do not respond to any sort of pain control very well and am sometimes on a fairly strong 2D6 inhibitor.