Toothaches and Other Pains in the...

[aearwen2]

No, scratch that, I'm terrifited of dentists. Ever since I went in to have a filling replace, told the dentist that I'd developed a high tolerance to Novacain and needed two shots, had him pull a hissy fit after he didn't believe me and started drilling on a tooth that was in no way numbed, give me a VERY painful second shot, throw a magazine at my face and stomped off to wait for the second shot to kick in, I've not gone willingly to any dentist. I don't care how kind, compassionate or gentle they are. Once I get in that chair, I'm dreading the shots, the magazine in the face, and the drilling on a tooth and feeling every rotation of the bit.

So...

Saturday night, Sunday morning, my right lower jaw was on fire. A tooth that was broken and had a hole in it the size of the Grand Canyon had finally decided to start HURTING. Hubby got me to start taking some of his high-end, broad-spectrum antibiotics (that the infectious disease specialist has him keep on hand in case he does something stupid in the grape arbor again and gets his leg infected) and I cancelled everything. I couldn't think, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I was just plain miserable.

Yesterday, I got a referral to "a really nice fellow with good hands and good heart" from one of my friends, and called in. Got a call back too late to see him yesterday, and this morning made the appointment for 11:30. Walked into the office fully expecting to come back out of it with a mouth stuffed with cotton, bleeding from the hole where the tooth used to be.

Instead, I walked out with a referral to an endodontist for a root canal to perhaps save the tooth (and my ability to actually chew food,) thinking that maybe, perhaps, I might have finally found a dentist who doesn't scare me to death. The tooth is slightly abcessed, but the antibiotic is cutting the pain down considerably. AND I discovered that I'd really like to continue to eat real food rather than softie mush.

So, here I sit, putting off calling the endodontist's office and making an appointment for the next few days. No, I promise I'll do it in a little bit; I just wanted to bitch about it to someone.

Life sux sometimes, don't it?

Comments

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Honey, remember me? The rabbit of dental fears? The one who practically had to be dragged there for my root canal and put it off for another week because it wasn't too bad yet? Call. Call now. Call and tell them that you need gas and novacaine, and that you will need at least two shots. Make sure that they understand your needs. If they are at all as good as the girl I had, you'll be fine and you'll wonder afterwards what the fuss was all about. Of course, the bill will suck. Thank goodness for my HSA. But living without the pain??? SO, SO worth it.

- Erulisse (one L)

[nierielraina.livejournal.com]

Oh I totally feel your pain in this! I won't terrify you with my horror stories with dentists and oral surgeons, but I have NEVER had any problems at the endodontist. =D Hope you can get that tooth fixed ASAP and your pain recedes.

{{{HUGS}}}

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest that she phone you to get a dose of common sense.

How's it going with you? Since you got Izzie, I've hardly heard "woof" from you :-)

- Erulisse (one L)

[nierielraina.livejournal.com]

If I was home long enough, I'd be yacking at her via YIM! ;P

Been really busy. Enjoying my pup and working horses. We have five working 4-5 days a week now, plus I have the two dogs to deal with and MAJOR work issues (I'm writing a LONG letter to corporate) so I've just not been on long enough to post much about RL except at Facebook. Going to see FOTR EE in theaters tonight.

Oh, and Aearwen got me hooked on LOTRO so...yeah, who has time to post on LJ when I could be killing orcs and stuff. =D

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you caved in and went to the dentist, Mar.

Endodontists really are pretty good at what they do. I've had three root canals on my teeth done, and they were all good jobs. Just make sure to tell them your needs beforehand, and you should be fine.

Oh, and let us know how things go and all that, okay? :)

[pandemonium-213.livejournal.com]

Heh. Coincidentally, I was just at the dentist yesterday to get an old filling (the silver amalgam type) replaced. It wasn't bad at all, but then I always compare it to periodontal surgery. That was, uh, significant. Always floss, folks.

Anyway, the dentist (an older gentleman who knows my background in biochemistry and such) and I were talking about the history of dentistry, and the subject of ancient human skulls that show evidence of really nasty and most likely fatal tooth abscesses due to sepsis came up. So it's nothing to mess around with.

The dentist who didn't heed your feedback on the anesthetic goes beyond unprofessional.