Anyone else hate the dentist....well not the man

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]I have had a dental phobia all my life even after having braces etc. IT has been 7 years since my last appointment but now my teeth are breaking off. I was there today to restart treatment, wanted sedation for the work but that will be out of the question. We have no dental insurance , I have 8 cavities, need 3 root canals, 4 crowns. total without sedation 6300.00!!!!! My husband is going to kill me but I have no chewing surfaces left and have to do it. Anyone want to buy any horse on my web site????? I have panic attacks in the chair so not sure how I will be able to handle the work even if Im numb. Just being tipped back in the chair made me feel like I couldnt breathe and that was only x rays today..... Please God help me handle my husband yelling at me and then the work. Being a diabetic I have to take care of this or the infections in my teeth can go to my heart and kill me.

[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Marty]

[SIZE=14pt] Anyone else hate the dentist....well not the man, just the appointments[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]No, I hate the man too. [/SIZE]

And funny because I worked for a dentist for 8 years and he could work on all us gals and never hurt us. He was wonderful.

The dentists here are a sorry lot and they hurt and torture and it's horrible and I dread going and put it off. Just over a lousy filling they send me through the roof! They cheat on using topicals and don't wait till you are numbed up enough and crap like that. Talk about panic attacks is an understatement. I would not go through that stuff anymore for nothing: no root canals, no crowns, nope not me.They take several appointments and I can't handle it. I"d sooner get all my teeth pulled out now instead of ever having to go through even another filling. I won't get anything if needed under these circumstances. I'll just say to yank that dang things and if I end up with false teeth I'd be better off if I ever was in that position.

Being a diabetic I have to take care of this or the infections in my teeth can go to my heart and kill me.

I don't think there is a big chance of that happening so don't worry. The dentist is supposed to put you on antibiotics days before he starts anything that radical anyhow.

 

[Ashley]

Dentists do not work on me with out gas. No ifs ands or buts about it. I hav a really bad gag reflex and have when I was younger thrown up on a few dentists. I also panic really easy. Even the last time with gas I started panicing cause my mouth was full of water. Was freaking out cause I couldnt swallow, and couldnt breath.

I also have 7 cavities and need one more root canal and 4 wisdom teeth that need to come out. I needed a break after the last 2 root canals. I do have insurance, but it only covers 1,000 a year nothing else. My root canals all need crowns as well.

 

[minimama]

This is a joke question right? I have begged my dentist to just give me dentures so I would not have to have fillings and root canals anymore!! I have a hole in a front tooth that I can't stand but am so afraid to go get it taken care of I live with it. I told my dentist if he did sedation I would be there the day it was announced but he won't do it.

But, I had a drill shoved into my cheek when I was a kid because the dentist was in a bad mood and didn't want to deal with a scared child that day. And I had my tongue clipped wiht no novacane. So, I have good reasons to not like these sadists! LOL

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Yes Marty the infection in my mouth can cause Cariac Septicemia, thats why I finally broke down and went to try to get it taken care of. My Dr sent me....besides that I have no chewing surfaces left. My husband is LIVID to say the least..... He is in denial that it should cost that much and angry that I let it get this bad over the past 7 years, Thats the last time I had a crown and fillings done.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Minimor]

I too dread going to the dentist & don't until I absolutely have to. I did have my 2 bottom wisdom teeth pulled (piece of cake actually, they came out easy) and one little stub of a wisdom tooth on top, nothing on the other side to pull

Lucky or what???

I had a tooth (back molar on the bottom) filled about 7 weeks ago. Turns out when he put the anesthetic in, he got a nerve. For the first week afterward every time I talked or chewed food my tongue went numb, & there'd be the most revolting taste in my mouth, as if I had a mouthful of novacaine...then the taste changed to a metallic taste...then to a salty taste/sensation. Sometimes now it tastes like I have blood in my mouth. Food often has little or no taste; at times the side of my tongue goes numb, sometimes it's the tip of the tongue and my lips, sometimes it's the base of the tongue, which makes me talk funny. I did go back to the dentist to ask about it, but he wasn't too interested, & I didn't even get a "sorry about that". My friend, who used to work as a dental assistant, said it may very well take 2 years for that nerve to regenerate. Lovely. Talking, chewing & hot liquids like tea all make my mouth worse.

The dentist wants to do two crowns (hopefully don't need root canals first, but he can't say for sure until he does the prelim work. I do have dental insurance with 80% coverage, but on major work like crowns it's only 60%. A crown without a root canal is $1000. There is no way I can afford $400 per tooth, & I have no intention of having it done. I will have the teeth pulled as needed, & then in time go to dentures. I think I can get by for quite awhile without 1 or 2 molars.

Huh, dentures are another joke. Dentist wanted $1200 for fitting mom with new dentures. Instead she went directly to a denturist & got the dentures for $350. (That's with the senior citizen discount, which the dentist doesn't offer.) Big difference.

But anyway, Lyn, good luck to you with your dental work; I do not envy you at all, & be assured that you have our sympathies for having to have all this nasty stuff done!

 

[Candleliteranch]

[SIZE=21pt]I too hate going to the dentist. the smell when you walk in the door is enough to make me sick. Waiting in the waiting room is the worst feeling. I get this sense of dread,get nausous, have panic attacks, and will cry at the drop of a hat. I will go to the dentist when the pain gets sooo bad that anything would be better than dealing with it anymore. Am going to find someone that will geve a sedative next time.[/SIZE]

 

[Buckskin gal]

[SIZE=21pt]Do I hate going to the dentost!!!! It is the worst. When I was a kid I started passing out every time I went and the fear still hasn't left me. I went many years avoiding the dentist to where my teeth got so bad they couod do nothing but pull them and put in false teeth! Thought I was all done in going to dentists and then just last year I noticed I was growing down a wisdom tooth that before had not had room to come down!!

What a bummer...now I have to go in and get that darn thing pulled or my false teeth won't set down right. I too think the smell is awful and wonder if that has something to do with fainting every time I go to a dentist. I know I can expect to be sick to my stomach for at least two days if I go. I am hoping I can get a sedative or something to calm my nerves before I go. What is it about dentists????? I hate going!!! ON the other hand I am not supposed to risk having any infections in my mouth because of a heart problem. !! Hate being put under also!! Mary[/SIZE]

 

[Serene Acres]

I LOVE the Dentist, I one of the few people that like going. I worked in that field for almost ten years and think I've seen a lot of the things being talked about. Hopefully everything will work out for you. Do take care

 

[lvponies]

Add me to the list of hating to go to the dentist!! Have never had anything really bad happen to me, but am totally scared to go. Not doing any root canals. Waiting for them all to be gone so I can get fake teeth!! I have a far back tooth right now where a chunk of it fell out about a month ago. Didn't hurt for a long time, but finally it did start hurting. Motrin and tylenol are keeping me going. Hoping it will eventually fall out on it's own!!

Lyn....with all the money, time and aggravation it would take to repair your teeth, wouldn't it be cheaper to go with dentures and be done with it??

 

[CAM]

Ok. I should probably just stay out of this. I am a Registered Dental Hygienist and my husband IS a dentist.

Now we know why dentists have the highest suicide rate in the nation. Nobody likes them!

And yes, Lyn J is right, a person can get a septicemia from not getting these things fixed. The percentage rate is rather low for occurences but if you are in the minority of those who do get a septicemia, the fatality rate is on the higher side. If nothing else, alot of damage to your heart can take place. Not good either way. I won't go into the details of how it occurs or I might bore you to death instead.

Another option Lyn J, although still a costly one but without as much stress, is to check into whether you are a candidate for having these procedures done in a hospital setting under general anesthesia. They can do many, or all of the procedures at once. Of course there are great pain management options for afterword. Not sure how the price would compare for you but you are pretty high up there in $$ amt as it is.

Most folks think dentures are the easy way out and you don't have to see the dentist anymore. They are costly in their own right and what most people don't realize is you still need to see the dentist regularly even if you have dentures. Over the years the bone level in your gums will recede causing the dentures to be ill-fitted and slip and you can develop painful pressure sores, they require special cleaning and they can chip too. However, it is true that they will never require a root canal.

Just a note to those who have broken teeth and unfinished repairs. Be careful, what doesn't hurt terribly now or is being treated with home remedies can become life threatening abscesses later. Best to keep an eye on those or better yet...I know here it comes...see your dentist.

I too had a healthy fear of the dentist growing up and suprise even myself with the career path I chose (and the husband for that matter!). I have had numerous patients in the chair with fears equal to what you all have shared. I have used nitrous oxide and a fair share of topical anesthetic with or without a injections of "novocaine" to help these patients.

My recommendation...

have your dental hygienist do ALL your numbing before the dentist even touches you!! My husband will admit it, we are much kinder, gentler, SLOWER and ABSOLUTELY use a topical anesthetic before the injection. My patients don't even feel the injections.

Good luck! There's always dentures.

Disclaimer: Although I am a Registered Dental Hygienist it is always important to verify anything I say with a licensed Dentist.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

OMG Lyn. Just talking about those poeple makes me panic! I went with Shain when he hadhis cleaned and asked about a few things. Explained I panic just walking in and they poo pooed it. 25 yrs ago I had trouble with my upper teeth. I have very soft teeth and theyalso break and crumble so I got an upper plate at 26 yr old. I have 3 cavities in the remianing 7 lower teeth and just the smells and sounds.......nope can't do it. Really don't want a lowerplate but have NO idea what to do. I need to be out cold to have them fixed but they won't do it that way. I do have insurance but it only pays for 1/3.

Is it possible for you to get dentures? $6300 is ridiculous! I am totally empathetic. What about hypnosis?

 

[Sunny]

Oh, Lyn!! My heart goes out to you!! I had a terrible fear of the dentist, too, although the one I went to years ago was absolutely fabulous! Then, when I didn't have insurance for about 11 years, I never set foot in a dentist's office. Now I'm back to having it, and I go every six to nine months. HOWEVER, I am white knuckling the whole time, even when my wonderful dentist is just LOOKING in my mouth! I'm so afraid it will hurt!! They freeze me like a ROCK and I definitely can't feel a thing, but I'm sooo tense that the muscles in my neck and all across my shoulders are sore for a day or two after a quick 20 minute checkup or cleaning! Oh, and root canals! Let's not even go there!!!

Do you think you could at least get a second opinion on the work that needs to be done but, mostly, on the cost of it all?

With all due respect to your husband, I bet he doesn't have the same level of terror as you do about going to the dentist. Once he's done yelling at you, I hope he becomes more understanding and supportive of you!

You have my sympathy and my empathy!

 

[Kim]

I am another weird one that actually likes the dentist.

However, I am lucky to have been blessed with good teeth and have never had anything "bad" done. I've never had a cavity, or had to have a root canal or anything, and I didn't have to get my wisdom teeth out because I did not have any wisdom teeth!

Don't get me started on the optometrist though

 

[justanothercowgirl]

I don't mind going to the dentist either. The office we go to is like a spa, it's beautifully decorated all the office staff are gorgeous with great teeth(of course). If you don't have insurance they will give you a better price and they will let you pay it off over time. I have never had a cavity but I did have my wisdom teeth out a few years ago. The freezing needle in the roof of my mouth was uncomfortable but only for a second and not being able to feel when I was swallowing was odd too. The wisdom teeth were out in about two minutes and I was out of the office in twenty minutes!! My mom and I went shopping!

Dental practices have changed a lot over the years and there is no reason to be uncomfortable while getting dental work done, it's a matter of finding the right dentist.

Lyn, you have got to take care of this, hubby will get over it. Because of your health issues it's even more critical that you get this done. You will be relieved when you do!!

 

[Ashley]

The injections dont bother me. Actually my dentist is pretty good, I just am not a good patience. It all starts when I walk in the door. The smell of the place gets me very nervous and worked up

Even thou I dont have the money to go, I should get in there now, and then again after the new year hopefully my teeth will be mostly fixed then.

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Wow, I thought I was the only one. I also have the panic attacks once I get the nerve to actually call. My dentist had to stop working on me in the middle of a freak-out and ask, "What's wrong with you anyway?" That was after the valium.


Darrin has been bugging me for three weeks to go in because I have two impacted wisdom teeth. The toothache has been helpful in helping me loose weight, so I'm not quite ready yet.


Last year, I went in for a simple toothache. Dentist wanted to do a root canal and the whole expensive works. I told her, "Hey, I'm not putting your kids through college. Pull it." She didn't want to but I insisted. I wasn't all that attached to it anyway, it was in back. So she pulled it and no more problems, and no lifetime of expensive maintenance for it either.

 

 

[Korinne]

Let me put it this way, I would rather go through 30 hours of labor, then sit for 1 hour in a dentist chair!! At least with the labor , you get a prize at the end.

 

[yankee_minis]

I stopped going for a while. After cleaning I always have sore teeth. Hey, I couldn't even chew a Twinkie!!!

Switched dentists and they were kinder and gentler. Took my blood pressure each time for a while. It would get pretty high. Still hurts afterwards but I take ibuprofen beforehand and it helps.

I'd rather have a gyn appt than go to the dentist.

 

[Cronewolf]

Have never ever been to a dentist who didn't hurt me bad. Had my jaw broken and dislocated so now it slips out of place whenever I yawn . Had teeth pulled even though I told them it wasn't numb yet and told it was all in my head. Never went til I ws 18 and not one cavity. Had to go as part of my requirments for nurses training. They "cleaned" my teeth ripped my gums up til my mouth was sore for a week. Lost my first tooth 6 months later. I simpy will not go unlewss I have a toothach I can't get to stop any other way.