My first cavity!!!
Posted by deuceO on Feb 23, 2007 · Member since Nov 2006 · 548 posts
So yeah, not related at all but I went to the dentist yesterday and got my first cavity ever!! :-\ I made it almost 26 years cavity-free so I thought I was in the clear. I'm super nervous about getting the filling next week - as I said in a previous post, I'm very, very afraid of needles.
My dentist recommended I cut back on soda, but I only drink water, coffee and occasionally tea.
Guess I just needed to de-stress a little, thanks for listening! :)
Take your Mp3 player, and once he starts work, close your eyes. I had a double root canal once and I have to say not watching makes it a lot more bearable. Listen to some soothing music or nature sound recordings. Best of luck (((DeuceO)))
Let your dentist know about your anxiety. He/she can apply enough topical numbing stuff so that if you just look away, you will hardly know anything about a needle. And once that stuff kicks in, you are good to go. That is the worst part, and it isn't bad at all if you have a gentle dentist. I hate needles more than anything, but dental work is ok for me.
The Mp3 player is a great idea. That calms me down so much for plane rides (so scary!)
Great idea about the mp3 player, I'll load it up with some soothing piano music before I go. Yes, he is a gentle dentist. The 2 techs that work there both told me they had fillings from him before and they never felt a thing. But with my phobia, it's not so much the pain, it is the thought of a needle. When I told them that, they said giving me a little laughing gas to help me relax would not be a problem. I'm such a baby, I know! Thank you all very much for the words of encouragement!!
Are you serious about the laughing gas? I should ask for that too! :P
Yes, I'm serious! ;D I told them I have very high anxiety about these things. I mean, it has a technical term, but most people know it as laughing gas. I will be fully conscience, just nice and calm!
Well, in that case, you have *nothing* to worry about. You will be feeling really good!
I feel for you Deuce! I haven't been as lucky as you and have had quite an array of dental work: Braces (including the headgear), cavities, 1 root canal, crown and crown lengthening procedure...oh yeah, and I've had my molars pulled. Needless to say, I normally have the dentist prescribe me some Valium and take one the night before and one the morning of the appointment if I an having anything more than a filling or cleaning. I'm sure you'll be just fine though. Make sure you let your dentist know that you don't drink soda so he knows that your cavity didn't come from excessive sugar.
I do not recommend laughing gas. I've had it many a time, and after the effects wear off I *always* vomit my guts out. Vomitting=worse for teeth than soda. I guess it's fairly common to vomit too--after anestesia or any thing like that.
Just get the regular numbing drugs. They work just fine. Close your eyes if you like--I've never had a cavity, but I've had plenty of other oral surgeries and I've never seen a needle.
I don't mind the needles or the drills. The laughing gas doesn't relax me. It has the opposite effect of making me restless and very paranoid. I hated it.
atleast u know ur dentist will numb u good. my mom and i had a bad one once. with me the guy didnt even numb me and so i felt everything, with my mom he made a hole somewhere near her nose (or it could have just been somewhere in her mouth) and she a absess, or something like that. all i know is that we are never going there again. the last dentist i went to i loved b/c him and his assistants we nice. if they hurt u they said sry and when my mom had a allergic reaction to something he gave her he said he was really sry and prescribed something else that helped her. sry not trying to make ur phobia worse, and i hope ur not in much pain afterwards.
You could ask around and see if any dentists in your area do fillings without drills. Using something similar to a waterblaster instead of a drill so there's no pain (only cold) and no need for pain relief or a numbing agent. It sounds space age but it's actually quite common, my little, reasonably priced dentist will use nothing ese.
Done even think about the needle. I hate needles but I've survived dental work, oral surgery, multiple piercings, a tattoo, blood donation, allergy testing, blood samples for everything from b12 to thyroid function testing. In Johnny Cash's biography he mentions a self hypnosis routine he uses to help relax himself. He thinks of a time he was fishing in a stream in Alaska. The water on his bare feet was cold and the sunshine on his back was warm, the air cool and fresh. By putting himself in that place he could relax. I use a similar technique to get through needle anxiety. I've actually gotten better at dealing with needles over time. Now I can even look at the needle when its in my arm and not throw up or pass out like I used to.
You could ask around and see if any dentists in your area do fillings without drills. Using something similar to a waterblaster instead of a drill so there's no pain (only cold) and no need for pain relief or a numbing agent. It sounds space age but it's actually quite common, my little, reasonably priced dentist will use nothing ese.
Holy mackerel! I love technology. I googled "fillings without drills" and it looks like there are quite a few alternatives developing. I can't wait until those needles and drills are gone!
Wow, that technology sounds awesome! Hopefully this will be my last ever cavity and I won't have to worry about it, but if this happens again I'll definitely be checking that out!
My appointment is Thursday afternoon. I'll let you all know, thanks for being supportive!
I got my cavity filled no problem! I did get the laughing gas, it was visibly nervous in the waiting room and they did not hestitate giving me the laughing gas. Breathing that in for a 2 minutes totally calmed me down and I did not feel a thing. But WHEW I'm a glad that's over! My dentist said the cavity was not caused by lack of dental care, sometimes these things just happen. Thanks again everyone for your support! :)
Yay! Glad to hear it went well!