chatelaine, boy does that suck. If you are going to an oral surgeon or specialist, they should be able to sedate you enough. They have a heart monitor to check your rhythm while you have the procedure, and everything should be quite safe.
I’ve had a few extractions with nitrous, and a few with IV sedation. IMHO, Valium and Versed rock the house! Best of luck to you and to all who share my fear of dentistry.
:: shaking :: Got any suggestions for a middle-aged person with about $20,000 of upcoming dentistry? There is nothing else in the world that I am more afraid of than the dentist, never having experienced a good one. Has anyone ever had sedation dentistry done? You are put to sleep, and when you wake up, you’re at home and it’s all done. That sounds like what I am going to need. If I have to smell my teeth burning, I may barf.
At this point, I’m up for a hard blow to the back of the head if it’ll make me unaware of what’s going on. ;]
Thanks for the support.
Fishbicycle, I can cling to you and weep along if that’s any comfort.
I had a tooth pulled when I was 12, I believe, and it wasn’t bad at all. The only thing that hurt was the deeper of the two numbing shots (I got no laughing gas or anything, I was wide awake).
My dentist pulled a real sly one on me: He told me that he was just going to loosen up the tooth, so I waited while I felt this strong jiggling in my mouth. My dentist stepped back and said it was over. He had pulled the tooth and hidden it from view, so by the time I thought the real jerking was going to start the tooth was already out of my mouth! Maybe you could suggest this to your sister’s dentist. It definitely fooled me 
. Unfortunately, it will only work the first time, because I’m sure your sister will remember that trick the second time around if she needs to get another tooth pulled.
Of course it helps to get a sympathetic dentist. This is pretty much a matter of luck here in the UK, since we are short of dentists.
A distraction is bound to be useful. I use headphones with loud rock music myself. My dentist taps me on the shoulder whenever he wants me to rinse.
I had all but two or so of my baby teeth pulled. They wouldn’t fall out on their own, and I had started to look like a shark, what with my two rows of teeth and all.
Your sister will be okay. The specialist dentist knows of her fears and will be able to make the whole process a lot easier. I find what kills kids in cases like this is the anticipation more than anything else.
Tell her she’ll be fiiiiine, that you’ll be right there… and that you can be her voice if she is scared (if you can hold her hand, she can squeeze it, etc.)
A tooth pulling is pretty easy and relatively painless. I’d approach the whole situation with humor, make her laugh… come up with scenarios where the dentist gets eaten by rabid dentures … something to help her relax about it before she goes.
Above all else - good luck - the calmer you are, and the more upbeat (hence the humor) you are, the less she’ll stress on the day of the procedure. Rewards post-treatment usually work well, too. Take her to see a movie and then go to dinner and icecream! Tell her to hurry up through this procedure so you can go… making the highlight of the day going out with her sibling and the dentist appointment just a stop along the way.
Well… if cost is a major issue, then see if you have a dental school near you. Provided you meet the criteria, they offer excellent care at very low prices (I pay $77 per filling and $375 per crown).
However, if the concept of a big room full of about 50-60 student dentists drilling away gives you the heebie-jeebies, then it’s not for you. Me and my student dentist were commenting that we could see how people who are made nervous by the sound of drills would have been crawling the walls in the dental work room.
LilMiss had major dentist issues when she was younger. One assistant threatened to sit on her, another didn’t speak any intelligble English (very scary to a then 5 year old), and the rotating dentist thing bothered her. One office asked us not to come back as her carrying on was traumatizing the other patients. We have no idea where this fear stems from, her dad and I have never had dentist issues.
A few years ago we found a pediatric dentist who is fantastic. She will have Dr. Richmond now until she leaves the office, but they take people up to age 21. She has had to have numerous teeth pulled - like Elenfair she had that shark tooth thing happening. Depending on the situation (tooth barely hanging in or completely rooted) they will either novocaine her or give her giggle gas. The last episode had three teeth removed with roots that were over 3/4" long. Her milk teeth just do not want to come out.
I agree with bringing a CD/headphones player, maybe a handheld video game. That does help quite a bit. Then have your parents search for a pediatric dentist asap.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I’m beyond crowns and fillings. I need dental implants (as opposed to false uppers and lowers). I’d rather have those done by someone with LOTS of experience at it. And be asleep on lots of drugs at the time!
Actually, I feel quite a bit more confident at the school. At least at Baylor College of Dentistry here in Dallas, it works like this: Student does exam. 2 professors double-check exam. Student works out treatment plan. Several specialist-area professors (depending on what was found) review and modify treatment plan.
At the actual appointment, they review with a professor, and do the drilling. They get reviewed during and after the drilling. Then the professor and student consult on the fillings/crowns/etc… and the student does it. Professor does a final check.
Sometimes several professors peer into your mouth. Sometimes they want to explain something/show something, so they use the drill themselves.
I look at it from the perspective that the more pairs of eyes that check it out, the more likely my dental work is to be right.
I don’t know if they do implants and the like, but I kind of suspect that they might- how else would students learn?
Oh… and all the professors are dentists, so it’s not like you’re having some textbook dental geek working on you.
Well today’s the day. We’ve got books,music a game, and lots of positive thoughts. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I’d just like to thank everyone again for their suggestions. The distractions, and stories about everyone who’d had a tooth removed without trouble helped calm her down a lot. She opted to listen to her music and squeeze my hand when she got nervous. The dentist was also very patient, which helped a lot. He also didn’t have to use that little thing to keep her mouth open (which she understandably hates). It wasn’t smooth sailing, but she got through it okay.
Oh, I was reminded that the first dentist that she had was a pediatric dentist. Like MissTake’s daughter, they recommended that she not come back. Although in her case, it was because they thought she’d never be comfortable in the office again after her bad experience. After that, she went to a regular dentist who sent her to the specalist. So the next quest will be to find a good pediatric office that she can visit and feel comfortable in.
Thanks again folks. This whole thing went a lot better than I originally expected.
She may never get over the fear. I am 44 years old and still turn into a quivering puddle of woe at the mere thought of dental work. Fortunately, a friend recommended a dentist who has been great. After my first visit, he prescribed Valium for the night before and the morning of my visit, and always schedules my visit first thing in the morning. He told me he didn’t like my heart rate when I was in the chair and that my having a heart attack in his office was not his idea of how to start the day. So now I can sleep the night before (instead of lying awake all night worrying) and don’t have to worry all day for an afternoon appointment. He’s very skilled with the needle, too - I hardly feel it. As a result, I have had some dental work done that I have been putting off for years.