RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question)

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siamsa24 -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 1:31:55 PM)
I talked to the dental office today, I also spoke to my insurance. Apparently my husband's office never submitted the correct paperwork to have me added to his dental plan so I'm not covered at all. Either way I have an appointment on Friday, but they told me they can't do anything, it's only for x-rays and to get a referral to an oral surgeon. They said that I will need the tooth removed because it grew in sideways. I am also getting nitrous oxide for the x-rays and exam, which scares the ever living shit out of me. I have never had it, but when I had Novocaine it didn't work and I could feel everything they did (I told the office that, I think that's why they are trying the gas). What if I respond the same way to the gas that I did to the local? I know when I told the other dentist that I could feel everything he insisted that I couldn't and that it was all in my head and just kept drilling. I think that was when my fear started. And I actually can't have my husband take me, he has flat out told me he thinks I am being a baby about the dentist. He loves going to the dentist, he loves everything about it. I can barely even think about it, I start to shake, cry, hyperventilate, vomit and various other nastiness. I asked my father-in-law to take me and he agreed. It's his dentist that he's been going to for years (he has a severe gag reflex and needs special care, he can't even get a cleaning or exam without being put totally under). I just hope I don't freak out and cancel, which is what I'm considering right now.

zephyroftheNorth -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 1:35:31 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyConstanze quote: ORIGINAL: zephyroftheNorth quote: Your dental plan through your employer doesn't even cover yearly exams or cleanings, just discounts them? Search for dental plans on line and get an independent one. There is no point paying into a plan that offers little coverage She may not have a choice, sometimes it's not possible to opt out of a plan at work. So yeah, getting additional coverage may be necessary. But won't the additional coverage depend on what she needs to get done? For example if you join an insurance coverage here, they will want to know which risk you present, so if your teeth are in good order you are low risk and you pay less than somebody where it's obvious that they will need some major investment. As for temporary relief if somebody can't take pain killers, clove oil applied locally. Well at least she should make sure that she has coverage for cleanings and checkups...assuming she has learned her lesson and will be going to a dentist on a regular basis. [;)] For the rest, she - sorry YOU should look for a plan that offers as much as possible, OP.

siamsa24 -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 1:43:59 PM)
It's not an issue of "learning my lesson", I may never be able to go to a "regular" dentist on a regular basis. Period. Forcing someone with arachnophobia to hold a spider is not going to cure them, it may only make it worse.

LadyConstanze -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 2:06:50 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: siamsa24 I talked to the dental office today, I also spoke to my insurance. Apparently my husband's office never submitted the correct paperwork to have me added to his dental plan so I'm not covered at all. Either way I have an appointment on Friday, but they told me they can't do anything, it's only for x-rays and to get a referral to an oral surgeon. They said that I will need the tooth removed because it grew in sideways. I am also getting nitrous oxide for the x-rays and exam, which scares the ever living shit out of me. I have never had it, but when I had Novocaine it didn't work and I could feel everything they did (I told the office that, I think that's why they are trying the gas). What if I respond the same way to the gas that I did to the local? I know when I told the other dentist that I could feel everything he insisted that I couldn't and that it was all in my head and just kept drilling. I think that was when my fear started. I had the same thing which caused a major dentist phobia a root canal where the dentist claimed that he's given me enough, it seems that I react oddly to some of the drugs, I know that as sometimes they will make not the parts numb that they were injected but completely other bits of the jaw and sometimes even the face. Did you ever have thyroid surgery? My dentist is superb, he explained that people with thyroid issues often metabolize the dental drugs differently, he said no research but he noticed it with several patients, after that I went to a UK dentist, paid a fortune for a crown in a molar and it didn't fit right, I kept telling him and he said I must be imagining it, after serious problems I decided "Sod it" flew back to Germany to my regular dentist and he fixed it, I'm much more comfy doing that and going to a dentist I feel secure and alright with, who's superb and (my private health picks up the bills anyway according to German standards but the UK ones seem to cost more) turns out to be cheaper, I have no issues with getting a proper bill. Seriously, if you do find a good dentist you are comfy with, stick with him or her, it's so worth it, my regular dentist took a lot of time with me because I told him I am scared, luckily he's only in his 40's so I think I'll have him for a long time. First time he just checked me out, then when I needed a filling, he listened when I said it still hurts and just said we will wait and he treats another patient until it goes numb. It made such a major difference and I happily go to him twice a year and usually just get told everything is fine. Don't try and jump the gun, find a dentist who will take his time. Damn the costs, teeth are like limbs, they never grow back, it's worth spending money on them...

LafayetteLady -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 3:22:11 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: siamsa24 I talked to the dental office today, I also spoke to my insurance. Apparently my husband's office never submitted the correct paperwork to have me added to his dental plan so I'm not covered at all. Either way I have an appointment on Friday, but they told me they can't do anything, it's only for x-rays and to get a referral to an oral surgeon. They said that I will need the tooth removed because it grew in sideways. I am also getting nitrous oxide for the x-rays and exam, which scares the ever living shit out of me. I have never had it, but when I had Novocaine it didn't work and I could feel everything they did (I told the office that, I think that's why they are trying the gas). What if I respond the same way to the gas that I did to the local? I know when I told the other dentist that I could feel everything he insisted that I couldn't and that it was all in my head and just kept drilling. I think that was when my fear started. And I actually can't have my husband take me, he has flat out told me he thinks I am being a baby about the dentist. He loves going to the dentist, he loves everything about it. I can barely even think about it, I start to shake, cry, hyperventilate, vomit and various other nastiness. I asked my father-in-law to take me and he agreed. It's his dentist that he's been going to for years (he has a severe gag reflex and needs special care, he can't even get a cleaning or exam without being put totally under). I just hope I don't freak out and cancel, which is what I'm considering right now. So no more concerns about what they will or won't cover. Most independent dental plans are going to realize that their clients get the insurance because they need work done, I wouldn't worry about that much. As to the painkiller/ibuprofen issue. First, Xanax isn't a pain killer and has no effect on clotting issues. During your appointment, the dentist will write you a script for an anti-biotic is there is an infection, again, no clotting issues, don't worry. Now for a (possibly) little know fact. For the pain....get some cloves (you know the kind you put in a ham?) and if you can, bite down with the sore tooth on the clove. If you can't bite down, get ground cloves and rub them on the area that hurts. Cloves have an anesthetic quality and should help with the pain. Of course, some Ambesol (sp?) could work as well, but I would worry more about the other things in the ambesol if you have an infection that I would with the cloves. They don't do root canals on wisdom teeth in the US. Wisdom teeth, for whatever reason, are considered unnecessary, so they will extract. Much cheaper option than root canal anyway. Regarding the dentist saying its all in your head....if you feel pain, say so. A good dentist is going to stop and deal with it. If the dentist doesn't, then you immediately tell them to stop and don't let them put their hands in your mouth again until the issue is resolved. I have had, not to the point of vomiting, but bad anxiety at going to the dentist. I found a dentist, an Indian guy who doesn't even use nitrous! But I'll be damned if he didn't make sure I had sufficient novacaine, and if I even tensed up, he would stop and ask if I was ok or needed a break. Really nice guy, and a good dentist. Plus a kind, caring medical professional. While I might like being knocked out and not dealing with it at all, I appreciate the affordability of my dentist and his concern for my well being.

zephyroftheNorth -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 3:27:41 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: siamsa24 It's not an issue of "learning my lesson", I may never be able to go to a "regular" dentist on a regular basis. Period. Forcing someone with arachnophobia to hold a spider is not going to cure them, it may only make it worse. I wasn't making fun of you, I'm just hoping that things will go well on Friday and you'll go on a regular basis so that your mouth won't get to the state it's in now. Good luck sweetie and I hope you'll post on how it went. Zeph

angelikaJ -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 3:32:50 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: siamsa24 I talked to the dental office today, I also spoke to my insurance. Apparently my husband's office never submitted the correct paperwork to have me added to his dental plan so I'm not covered at all. Is this a family plan? If so then likely it would be the same price whether or not you were on it and the fix should be easy: human resources can fix their goof.

smartsub10 -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 4:44:59 PM)
The oral surgeon can give you intravenous sedation which is what I had. You won't even remember what happened.

siamsa24 -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 4:57:42 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: zephyroftheNorth quote: ORIGINAL: siamsa24 It's not an issue of "learning my lesson", I may never be able to go to a "regular" dentist on a regular basis. Period. Forcing someone with arachnophobia to hold a spider is not going to cure them, it may only make it worse. I wasn't making fun of you, I'm just hoping that things will go well on Friday and you'll go on a regular basis so that your mouth won't get to the state it's in now. Good luck sweetie and I hope you'll post on how it went. Zeph I'm sorry, I'm very sensitive about this right now (actually, I'm always pretty sensitive about it, there is a reason my teeth NEVER show in my pictures, I hate them and I always think they are ugly) I am hoping this dentist will help me out with my fears, but I still don't know if I will be able to go every year even if he's the best dentist ever, you know?

zephyroftheNorth -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 5:01:14 PM)
Hey it's alright, I also get snapish when I'm anxious. Let's see how it goes on Friday before we discuss going even semi-regularly. I used to be terrified to go to the dentist until I met my current dentist who - believe it or not - is so awesome I actually relax in her chair. Zeph

siamsa24 -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 5:02:52 PM)
That's interesting about the thyroid thing LC, my mom actually has Hashimoto's thyroiditis and I regularly have my thyroid checked because they suspect I may get it too.

siamsa24 -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 5:04:42 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: zephyroftheNorth Hey it's alright, I also get snapish when I'm anxious. Let's see how it goes on Friday before we discuss going even semi-regularly. I used to be terrified to go to the dentist until I met my current dentist who - believe it or not - is so awesome I actually relax in her chair. Zeph Thank you for understanding, I don't try to be a bitch, it just comes out that way sometimes (having Asperger's Disease doesn't really help, even though I don't think it's as noticeable online)

playfulotter -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 5:11:44 PM)
I was like you growing up and never went to the dentist but a couple times before I was 25 as my mother didn't have the money or the insurance......I had a bad experience when I was in my teens the one of two times, I think I went to the dentist as a child, but what that was I can't remember but it freaked me out...so I never went to the dentist till I was in my mid 20's again and I had to have a tooth extracted and they discovered all my wisdom teeth had to be pulled too...I went to an oral surgeon for all of that and then back to the basic dentist for the other things and have done that since...I had the worst dental phobia just like you but now I look forward to going to the dentist way more than the regular doctor..think about it...a doctor can say you have some life threatening disease but a dentist might just say you have a cavity and nothing deadly...My dentist has the best view too out of his windows on the 9th floor of a building all the way to the ocean.... The best thing that came out of it all is I got over my phobia and I take such good care of my teeth (floss everyday and brush twice a day) that for the last 25 or so years all I have needed is cleanings two times a year and old fillings replaced.

zephyroftheNorth -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 5:18:15 PM)
Oh...forgot to mention. I was put out to have my wisdom teeth pulled and it was blissful! Go to sleep....wake up it's done! Some tips: on the day of eat ice cream and such, it'll help prevent swelling. If you bleed slap a wet teabag on it, it'll stop the bleeding.

windchymes -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 5:45:55 PM)
This is a link to an article that has some really good information and suggestions for those who have trouble being numbed by novocaine for dental work. I like it because it explains things in simple language, rather than highbrow medical language. http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/not-numb/#anatomy Basically, some people's nerve structures and pathways are "wired weird" through the jaw bones and muscles which keeps the novocaine from doing what it's supposed to do. It list two different techniques that advanced-educated dentists can use to inject novocaine, rather than using the standard block technique that is most often used: the Gow-Gates block and the Akinosi block. Perhaps you could print this article, take it to the dentist and ask if he is familiar with one or both of these techniques and could use one of them?

siamsa24 -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 6:54:23 PM)
I was diagnosed with TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) before I got braces (at the age of 14 or so). I know all this sounds nuts, but it's really true. This could all explain why I have had the issues I have had with dentists When I lanced the abscess most of the pain disappeared and I am considering canceling my appointment. The only thing that's making me keep my appointment is my FIL threatening to tie me up and drag me to the appointment. I know he's joking, and I know that makes me sound even more like a troll/nuts, but I don't lie in r/l and I don't lie o/l simply because I suck at it either way.

angelikaJ -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 7:09:38 PM)
You were still in pain last night. Currently you have more fear than pain and fear of going is tipping the scale. Earlier this year my sister-in-law had an abscess so bad it required a trip to the ER and subsequent IV mega anti-biotics. She had swelling down her neck and nearly into her shoulder. She had been on oral antibiotics and they weren't working. Her pain was so great she got morphine. They called an oral surgeon and made an emergency appointment. There was no waiting this time. She had had abcesses in that tooth before. You will have another abscess. This will not get better. You don't want to go through this again; it is much better to find out what it is that you are dealing with now before it gets worse. The potential complications of an abscessed tooth can be very serious.

windchymes -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 8:11:44 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: siamsa24 I was diagnosed with TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) before I got braces (at the age of 14 or so). I know all this sounds nuts, but it's really true. This could all explain why I have had the issues I have had with dentists When I lanced the abscess most of the pain disappeared and I am considering canceling my appointment. The only thing that's making me keep my appointment is my FIL threatening to tie me up and drag me to the appointment. I know he's joking, and I know that makes me sound even more like a troll/nuts, but I don't lie in r/l and I don't lie o/l simply because I suck at it either way. No, you really need to go get it checked out. When you lanced it, you drained the abcess and released the pressure it was putting on the nerve, which is what caused your pain, but you still have bacteria in there, which will eventually cause more problems, or worst case, even get into your bloodstream causing sepsis, which is a really bad thing. You need to go, sorry! :(

DameBruschetta -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/27/2011 9:02:40 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: siamsa24 I was diagnosed with TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) before I got braces (at the age of 14 or so). I know all this sounds nuts, but it's really true. This could all explain why I have had the issues I have had with dentists When I lanced the abscess most of the pain disappeared and I am considering canceling my appointment. The only thing that's making me keep my appointment is my FIL threatening to tie me up and drag me to the appointment. I know he's joking, and I know that makes me sound even more like a troll/nuts, but I don't lie in r/l and I don't lie o/l simply because I suck at it either way. My fear of the dentist is not as extreme as yours, but I can emphasize. I had my wisdom teeth taken out about two years ago, the way it turned out I was so freaking tired the day off that honestly I didn't have enough energy to protest and I was tired of the pain. I waited 6 years longer then I should have and how I managed to not get an infection I don't know. None of it ended up being as bad as I thought it would be, and I was pretty much blissfully unaware of everything five minutes into it when they turned the gas on. Have you talked to your doctor about your fear of the dentist and the importance that you go? If you explain, perhaps they'll give you some anti-anxiety meds that will help ease what you will be feeling the day of. I doubt very much that it will fix your anxiety but things tend to appear a lot less stressful (and therefore more do-able) when your anxiety level is less. It can be ok and for as bad as you fear it could be - it will be so much better then trying to put it off. I so regret all the years and years of pain I went through with mine, and I wish someone had as you say it - tied me up and made me go.

LadyConstanze -> RE: Trip to the Dentist (not kinky, a serious question) (7/28/2011 7:45:18 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: windchymes This is a link to an article that has some really good information and suggestions for those who have trouble being numbed by novocaine for dental work. I like it because it explains things in simple language, rather than highbrow medical language. http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/not-numb/#anatomy Basically, some people's nerve structures and pathways are "wired weird" through the jaw bones and muscles which keeps the novocaine from doing what it's supposed to do. It list two different techniques that advanced-educated dentists can use to inject novocaine, rather than using the standard block technique that is most often used: the Gow-Gates block and the Akinosi block. Perhaps you could print this article, take it to the dentist and ask if he is familiar with one or both of these techniques and could use one of them? Almost forgot, the "wearing off too quickly" effect can be helped if you eat about an hour before you go to the dentist (my dentist recommended it) so you don't metabolize the pain killer as quickly, also avoiding stimulants (nicotine, caffeine and booze) about 48 hours before you see the dentist. Due to my odd reactions we decided that if I get the injection, I rather get more and in several parts of the jaw, so I usually end up with a slack face, but that is helped as the dentist serves a double espresso afterwards (with a straw to avoid me spilling it all over myself as I can't feel my lips) and that makes the effect wear off quicker.

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