Dental fail

[beetiger]

So, I'd been kind of bad, and hadn't been to the dentist in about three years. I was making various appointments for the little guy, and decided to be good and take care of myself. I'm not prone to cavities -- never had one -- but I do have a serious amount of tartar buildup and routinely bleeding gums, and I really should be going in every 6 months or so. I couldn't find the number of my dentist in my files, so I looked on the net and got the number and made an appointment with one of the newer dentists there.

This morning I went. It wasn't actually my old dentist's office. It was another dentist's office in the same complex, which granted since it's mostly a dental complex is I guess a reasonable mistake to make. And when I got there, my gag reflex was apparently a lot worse than usual. they couldn't get the side X-rays done at all. Usually they can do them, though it sometimes takes a few tries.

And then...I gagged hard when they tried to do the cleaning. We tried a few times, and they got about half of the top of my mouth done, but then I just couldn't keep from choking. This has not happened to me before. I've got an annoyingly strong gag reflex, but it's never interfered with a cleaning before. They stopped halfway, and sent me out of there with a flyer for a guy who mostly does tooth implants and cosmetic work, but who also cleans the teeth of people who are "scared of dentists" and need to get their routine work done under sedation. I've driven by their office before. They advertise in the local Valu-Pac. They squick me. I made a tentative appointment with them next week anyway.

So, I don't know if this dentist, which wasn't the one I intended to go to, just sucks, and I should try again with a random other dentist. (The one I used to go to doesn't actually appear to be there anymore, or they aren't advertising.) I don't know how to find someone who is better at working with this stuff but is an actual dentist. Or maybe I should just get a pick and a better electric toothbrush and give up on professional dental care. And in any case, I think I've just already spent my dental insurance sponsored checkup for the year, so whatever I end up doing is likely at my cost.

Gah.

Comments

[autumnquest.livejournal.com]

Wow that bites...(sorry for the pun...couldn't resist some levity). But really, I think maybe it was just the technique of the dentist you went to. I mean there is a style and "touch" to it. I'm sure they each have their own way of doing the routine stuff. Give it another shot the next time you're due for a cleaning and after that if the strong choking thing happens again, I'd say then maybe consider a DIY kind of deal.

You've never had a cavity? Me either! Here's to good teeth!

[djinni.livejournal.com]

If you have a dental school in your area, you may want to check that out. I get my teeth worked on at my area's university, and my student dentist is really good at his job. I have a few gagging problems, not as bad as you've described, but I'd think there'd be someone out there who can deal with that without knocking you out.

[circuit-four.livejournal.com]

I second this idea! I had really good experiences at BU Dental up here in Boston. Also, Bee, since you're up here so often... Diva and I know a REALLY good dentist, Karen Bright, not far from my house. She's fast, she's very friendly and unsanctimonious, and all her hygienists have been excellent too. She did all of Rik's work and not only made it a fairly low-stress process, she saved him a LOT of money compared to other dentists' quotes. If you're up here for a couple days sometime, ask us for the number and see if Karen's free!

[lediva.livejournal.com]

Which reminds me, I haven't seen her in probably a couple years. I should ping her again and get an appointment set up.

[circuit-four.livejournal.com]

Uh, me too. *blush*

[autumnquest.livejournal.com]

Oh and I meant to ask how the weekend was. I was so tempted to go along with you all but it was the only home weekend I had to get some stuff done here for the rest of the month.

Hope you all had fun!

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

Show was decently fun, though the fact that we got a $115 parking ticket (as did almost all of the other vendors) and it was a very small show kind of made it non-profitable.

[autumnquest.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think we're talking about two different events here. lol I meant the b-day burlesque outing.

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

Oh! That's this upcoming weekend. I though you were talking about the Pagan Pride Yule event!

[autumnquest.livejournal.com]

Oh, duh. lol well I was glad to hear about the PPD yule thing too.Let me know how the show is this weekend. I wish I could go. *pout* And an early Happy Birthday if I space out and forget!

[hakeber.livejournal.com]

The dentist I go to actually has two guys. The one guy does work on not just kids, but also on adults who need nitrous for even basic stuff to be done, and nitrous plus some heavier stuff for folk like me who not only have the gag reflex, but also simply don't respond to novacaine. I'd say call around, you may find some other dentist who is willing to at least use nitrous/regular tranqs for folk with the gag reflex. I try not to do the full sedative thing unless it's major like a crown or root canal, cuz that gets hard on the old lungs.

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

*nods* Thanks for the advice. Maybe I'll call my son's dentist and see if he can get me a recommendation.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

If you were just having problems with your gag reflex, rather than panic or anxiety attacks, you might be ok without anesthesia, if you had a dentist who was more skilled at dealing with this kind of problem. It's hard for a dentist to reach the inner surfaces of a patient's back teeth without brushing the backs of fingers or tools against tongue or palate. Most of them learn not to touch all the way back against the roof of the mouth, because that makes so many people gag. But someone who gags from pressure further forwards would need a dentist with particular practice (maybe one with small hands, too.)

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Avoiding dental appointments altogether is not a good idea. Dentists do stuff to your teeth you really can't do yourself. Sedatives have risks and side effects (including nausea, including disorientation which can make some people more anxious.) Sedation ends up being the best way for some people to deal with dentistry, but that doesn't mean it's an easy way.

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no panic in the slightest, and no worries about pain, I actually have a moderately high pain tolerance. And I've always had a strong gag reflex, but actually having a big problem over it is new. For example, I've had wisdom teeth out with just novacaine.

I'm hoping there was just something in this office that wasn't working for me somehow, and have made an appointment with the guy my son's pediatric dentist sends kids to when they get too big for him to work with, in a few weeks.

[redbird]

One thought: is your insurance per twelve months, or per year? If the latter, well, what are the chances you'd find a good dentist, make an appointment, and see her or him in the next 3.5 weeks?

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

Sadly, it's 12 months between appointments, independent of the calendar. But I'm hoping (probably futilely) that the first office will charge me for the X-ray they got, but not the exam or cleaning, since they didn't actually complete them.