OK, I was a wuss today.....

by Mimilly 29 Replies latest jw friends

  • Mimilly
    Mimilly

    See! I knew I wasn't alone in this dental phobia stuff!

    They haven't used nitrous oxide in years here - and they don't prescribe vicodin. If yer nervous here, they prescribe an ativan or valium - one. For pain - they like that OTC stuff - motrin. I'm glad I've got more potent stuff for my migraines.

    Yep - that clamp and dam they put on yer mouth, while nice in that it keeps lots of the 'ick' from going down yer throat - scared me yesterday because I had visions of throwing up with it on. And I was often left alone (to wait for the freezing to kick in).

    I really do like my dentist. But darn - I've heard SO much about this vicodin stuff - I wanna try it! And I miss that nitrous oxide - had it as a kid.

    For dental purposes - brand me the wuss I am strong enough in other areas of my life that in this one area - hell, I'll wear the label proudly. LOL

    hugs to all of you who had horrible experiences. I think some dentists get their liscense (sp) out of a cornflake box.

    Mims (of the sore mouth - still can't eat class) sigh - nitrous oxide and vicodin. I'm missing out!

  • COMF
    COMF

    I prefer to take the attitude that whatever happens will have its own level of discomfort, and I shouldn't be trying to artificially enhance it by working it over with my imagination.

    In 49 years of sleeping in the dark, I've never once been attacked by a monster from under the bed or in the closet or down the hall. As a child I was terrified of them, though, and I imagined them in great detail. Now I understand that the only place the terror lives is in my imagination. Remove it from there, and the monster is gone. I walk through the darkness in complete confidence all the time now.

    COMF

  • bigfloppydog
    bigfloppydog

    When I was a child, around age 12, I got an abssesed tooth, I was up all night crying, the next day my mother took me to the dentist, well what a horrible experience. I never liked going to Dentist in the first place. He put like 6 needles in for freezing, and the freezing never took, and he pulled the tooth anyway, and I felt every bit of it. To this day, if any Dentist does work on me, I need to be put out. Oh and the Dentist was real mean to, no sympathy, just lets get to business and pull it. I can't even tolerate it if you even show me the needle that is going in my mouth. Right now I have a tooth that is bothering me, and I keep putting it off, because I am so terrified as to what will happen.

  • Mimilly
    Mimilly

    COMF - Yer right and wrong with that idea. Just read through the posts to this thread and you'll find that the terror of dentists was not 'all in the imagination'. In theory - you are right, and I agree.

    As another poster said, it's an invasive thing done while we're awake. I never thought about that either. Most invasive things are done under general A. (of course - I had a c-section while awake and just frozen - but it was soooo cool)

    My experience with dentists has not been great. First dentist was a butcher. While 7mths pregnant and getting a filling done, that clampy thing flew off - so I knew that it was a real possiblity on this particular tooth so far back in my mouth. There were others - but reading thru the posts I realized how barbaric some of them can be. A sister of my best friend in elementary died after a wisdom tooth extraction. Somehow bled to death at home. I never forgot that.

    Put me at an accident scene with multiple trauma - I'm ok. I can deal with it effectively and efficiently. Put me in the dentist chair - I'm a wuss. (a wuss that spends the whole time trying to relax and just breathe chanting 'this too shall pass' in my head) But a wuss none-the-less. When my name was called, I sighed, got up and said out loud - "the only way out- is through". A lady in the waiting room smiled and said "I'm going to remember that one!"

    hugs, Mims

  • jack2
    jack2

    Mimily - I just had 2 fillings replaced last Friday. They were about 25 yrs old. The dentist put an analgesic solution on my gum to numb it before I received the actual numbing shots. He left in it and was talking w me, and I swallowed, lol, and my whole tongue went numb - I panicked a bit, thinking that I was swallowing my tongue.

    He told me that replacing old fillings now could prevent root canal later, since moisture can get into older fillings, cause them to rust, and begin to decay the underlying tooth. After removing the old fillings, he handed me a mirror and there was actually rust under the fillings that needed to be removed, just as he had said.

    All in all, it wasn't a terrible experience, but I hope I never have to have root canal. I take very good care of my teeth, hoping that I never have to experience anything more than getting an occasional replacement filling and the semi-annual exam, which are unpleasant enough.

  • Matty
    Matty

    I wish I was there to hold your hand today Salem!

    Matty your fellow wuss

  • COMF
    COMF

    Here's a little song I heard
    You might want to sing it word for word
    Don't worry, be happy

    In our teeth we have some trouble
    But when you worry you make it double
    Don't worry, be happy

    Ain't got no grinders to chew your food
    The dentist want to help you, dude
    Don't worry, be happy

    X-ray says your root's decayed
    He may have to extricate
    Don't worry, be happy

    Look at me, I'm happy
    Here I give you some Vicodin,
    When you worry, take this,
    It make you happy

    Ain't got no fillings, ain't got no crowns
    Your yellow smile's become a frown
    Don't worry, be happy

    'Cause when you worry your teeth will hurt
    And that will make you feel like dirt
    So don't worry, be happy
    Don't worry, be happy now

    Don't worry
    Don't worry, don't do it
    Be happy

    Let the dentist put a smile on your face
    Don't bring everybody down like this
    Don't worry
    It will soon be fixed, whatever it is
    Don't worry, be happy

  • Nanoprobe
    Nanoprobe

    My daughter recently had a reaction to eprinehrine at the Dentist Office. The dentist had given her two shots because the first one wasn't controlling the pain. After the second shot she had a reaction and starting shaking violently, her heart was racing, and she was very cold. The dentist had to get her some cheese to try to eat and call her husband to take her home.

    She is fine but now was terrified of going to a dentist office and still needed to finish the procedure. We did a lot of research trying to figure out what happened. Eprinehrine is adrenaline and she just got too much. She went back still terrified butgot through it okay.

    (I probably should have saved that story until after your all done with the dentist, huh?)

    But maybe some extra research will make feel more comfortable too.

  • Mimilly
    Mimilly

    COMF - yer too much - gotta love ya...lol. Points taken, and btw - I'll remember that tune

    Nanoprobe - oh gawd! This is what I mean though about 'the things that can wrong and do'. I hope she doesn't fear the dentist forever and a day. I'm glad she's doin' alright. My root canal was yesterday - sing some of COMF's song to her

    Mims

    Edited by - Mimilly on 8 August 2002 10:34:46

  • Mulan
    Mulan

    Nano, I had that reaction one time, and the dentist told me to be sure any future dentist I went to would use Carbocaine on me. It evidently has less ephinpherine in it. So, I do that.

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