Dental woes OR My jaw hurts, for all the wrong reasons

[Ghoulish Delight]

Well, yesterday was a joy. I went in to have my third, and final (hopefully ever!) filling. Now, before I talk about yesterday's adventure, let me preface it with the short version of my previous visit. I was getting 2 fillings at once that time, and one of them was particularly bad, on the verge of needing a root canal. It was so deep that once he dug out all the decay, the nerve was exposed. But, even with that, I weathered the procedure fairly well, no pain during or after.

Yesterday's was the third, on the other side of the mouth, and I think the least damaged of the teeth. Piece of cake, right? Especially after the major work last time. I get a few shots of anesthetic, wait for it to take affect, and he goes at me with the drill. About a minute in...I start to feel pain, so I make the universal, "ow that hurt," incomprehensible except to a dentist grunt. So he stops, and pumps me full of some more anisthetic. Once that takes hold, he fires up the drill again...and more pain! He looks baffled. He pokes my gum, I don't feel it. He yanks at my tooth, nothing. But the second that drill hits the tooth, ow! So now a third round of anisthetic. At this point, my entire left side is totally numb, for one stupid tooth. And yet, there's still pain!

He doesn't know what's wrong. It could be that I've got an extra nerve or something, or it could be that because my wisdom teeth are currently growing their way sideways under my teeth, they're causing some weird pressure on a nerve. But whatever it is, no way I could handle that pain.

So now what? Well, the only option left is nitrous. I'm worried, because what if I still feel it with the gas. A) I've got to pay $90 for any use of the gas and B) How the hell are we going to get this taken care of if this still hurts?

But the receptionist, who is always very helpful, cut me a deal and said that if it still hurt, I'd only have to pay $20 for the gas, so I figure that was worth the gamble. And it turns out it was, 'cause once I was on the gas, I didn't feel a bloody thing. Note to self: Always say it hurts, get the gas :D

So last night and today, my tooth is fine, but damn does my jaw hurt. I guess from the combination of just having my mouth open forever, having to stretch it unnaturally wide for the injections, and, oh yeah, getting stabbed at least a dozen (I think more) times by that bloody needle from hell.

The good news...I got a prescription for darvocet, just in case, out of it.

[MickeyLumbo]

So last night and today, my tooth is fine, but damn does my jaw hurt. I guess from the combination of just having my mouth open forever, having to stretch it unnaturally wide for the injections, and, oh yeah, getting stabbed at least a dozen (I think more) times by that bloody needle from hell.



-- that sucks;)


hope you feel better soon.

[Prudence]

What's REALLY fun is when they're trying to numb you up and they hit the nerve. EEEK! that is like nothing I can even describe.

My experience with gas is that sometimes it still hurts, but I no longer care! I think it was my second root canal where I was lying there thinking: "I can feel that a bit. I wonder if I should say anything. Of course, that would mean I'd have to actually make noise, which would require effort, and really, I'd rather just lay here in this warm, floaty cocoon of not-caring."

Was this one of your bottom teeth? For me, those cause the worst jaw-ache.

[blueerica]

Awww! GD!!

Sorry that had to happen to you. Everyone can have different reactions every time, so don't think that this has to be a constant. It just seems like you're having a really bad run of things dentally... At least you have a trip to Paris!! :D

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yes, bottom.

This is my [I'm not gonig to admint how many] filling, never been like that before. I guess this was just the unlucky tooth, or maybe it is the wisdom tooth's fault, who knows. Whatever, it's over. And considering the 8 years of poor dental habits and lack of dentist visits, I'm getting off pretty light (I say before I go in for the oral surgery to remove my wisdon teeth).

[MouseWife]

:eek:

Oh man, from someone who hasn't had the greatest in dental care so when I go in they say 'You really have to come back' and I say 'Oh yes, I'll make an appointment on my way out...' and run out the side door...

Yikes!!

My last visit went that way. I had an impacted {?} wisdom tooth as well as another tooth problem. So, before they could send me to the oral surgeon they had to fix the other tooth. I don't know how many shots I had. Now, before, when I was quite heavier, I assumed that was why I needed a lot of shots. But now? And it wore off quickly!!! Almost before they were done! {it sure felt like it}.

And, they couldn't give me anymore shots. They gave me the max allowable. Happened again with the oral surgeon. He told me if they didn't take I'd have to come back and try again another day. OH MY GOSH it worked after that. {right, I am going to go through THAT again! No offer of gas, though...} And, while he said no more, when he was doing the work, I did in fact feel pain and I guess he could see it in my eyes because he gave me another shot. :snap:

Now. Forward to being a parent with a child who is deathly afraid of the dentist. *shudder* Much worse than a child who won't eat broccoli. None of my talk about how much his smile makes a first impression, how much pain he will eventually be in, nada makes an impression.

Because of his age they didn't like the gas way. Maybe now that he is older?

Anywho, take care of that mouth and don't worry about the oral surgery. Ha. When my tooth was extracted, I was in extreme discomfort. The whole side of my face was swollen. I went to the Del Mar Fair to see Maroon 5 {no way was I going to miss that!!}. The hubster tried to tell people he hit me and I told them it was my wisdom teeth. I must have looked pathetic. I was drooling {from the tooth and...}watching people eat all of that delicious food!!! That was the worse thing. You have to keep your mouth so clean, how could I clean up after eating anything?

Take care and again :eek:

[Not Afraid]

You just never know how much - or how little - it's going to hurt! I've had 9 fillings removed and replaced with wither crown (3) or inlays (6). In the process, I had to have 2 root canals (which I did on the same day). Now, I KNOW my body needs more anaesthetic than normal people, and I ask for it up front. As a result, I don't end up with much pain. Never used the gas, though. ;)

Almost done, GD. I can tell you that, being done is a great feeling. I am finially there!

[MickeyLumbo]

I can tell you that, being done is a great feeling. I am finally there!


i'm picturing NA smoking a cigarette.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Oh, God, this is completely terrifying me. I'm glad you're through your own ordeal, though. Congrats!

I've not gone in 4 years, as you know. And though I floss and brush every day, my gums are looking worse for wear. And just yesterday a friend of mine told her she knew someone who had corpse gum transplants.

The gums of a dead person...in my mouth?!?!?!

Get ME to a dentist and pronto. Or, well, after my next paycheck. I'm now completely terrified about pain and zombie gums. And grossed out.

I'm asking for gas. Sometimes the tooth bristles hit nerves along my gum line and I just KNOW the metal pick that takes out the plaque is going to just about slay me. Just numb me completely please. Gas me. TKO me. Anything.

Oh, dear.

[Scrooge McSam]

Always say it hurts, get the gas :D

I SO wish I could have imparted that little bit of wisdom to you before you had to go through all that.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I SO wish I could have imparted that little bit of wisdom to you before you had to go through all that.My past experience told me that I had no need of it. And at $95 minimum, I don't plan on begging for it upfront in the future. But it's good to know that, in a pinch, it does the trick.

[scaeagles]

I am not a fearful person, but I fear dentistry to almost an irrational extent. Hats off to your courage, GD, because I get freaked out just talking about going to the dentist.

[Not Afraid]

I have a great fear of dental work as well. I've had numerous filling, 4 wisdon teeth extraced, and another 13 teeth yanked, plus 9 years of braces, My mouth thinks it is DONE!

I really have to do a LOT of meditation and other mental "tricks" to get me there in the first place. It must work to a certain extent because I've never had to use THE GAS.....bumbumbum.

[innerSpaceman]

but damn does my jaw hurt
Yes, bottom
Pfft, I could've guessed that from the first quote! (but it's about time you finally admitted it)

[Kels]

That sucks, I hope you're feeling better.

It's hard to tell but I've had a lot of dental work. You name it I've probably had it, fixed it or lost it. Dental bridge at 21, anyone? A mix of bad dental genes, a lack of floss and gum upkeep and a major sweet tooth growing up has led to a major teeth overhaul. My dentist is great though, he doesn't charge me for nitrous and I get it EVERYTIME. Filling...yep, root canal...you better believe it, just for the heck of it during a cleaning...sometimes. ;) I think that because the cost of my work will probably put his daughter thru college he gives me a break. It's all worth it. I'd rather fix them now than not have them at all.

As for the wisdom teeth... I'd think about having them put you out.

NA ~ 9 years of braces? My hat's off to you! :snap:

[Not Afraid]

Yeah, and my teeth STILL aren't straight!

[Matterhorn Fan]

I was asleep while my wisdom teeth were taken out. As soon as it was finished, I was woken up and wheeled out of the place. OK, so I'm using "woken up" extremely loosely.

GD, I've had the same problem with novicane not working. It's happened twice, and the last time it happened (a couple years ago), it was a bottom tooth on the left side (spooooky). I could feel the novicane going in, and not going anywhere near the tooth the dentist was working on. Unlike you, I just decided to pretend like the second or third or whatever shot of novicane worked. I guess my desire to go home was stronger than my desire to have no pain.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh, there's no doubt I'm going out for the wisdom teeth. They're in there gooood. Actually, the dentist said that they'll put me out not so much for the pain, but because they are going to have to crack at least one of the teeth, and the sound of that, as it travels directly through your jaw to your ear drum, is apparantly horrifying.

MF, for future reference, going home after gas isn't a problem. NOS effects are extremely short lasting. You stay conscious, just veeery relaxed, and once the gas is turned off and they flush your lungs with pure O2, you're back to normal in a matter of a couple minutes.

I had a total of 5 years of braces, with 2 of those years in a headgear. I had them on for 2 years, when the first bunch of permanent teeth came in. They came off for a year, and then back on for another 3 once the rest were in. Seems to have done the trick, mine are still satisfyingly straight.

[Kels]

I was put out for my wisdom teeth as well, but only had the bottom two pulled. Apparently they were both stradling nerve. Tricky. Signing the little waiver about probable permanent loss of feeling wasn't fun either.

Four years of braces for me. All at once. I never got a retainer when the came off. More of a "thanks, here's the door, you don't need to come back". They've pretty much stayed put. :D

[Matterhorn Fan]

MF, for future reference, going home after gas isn't a problem. NOS effects are extremely short lasting. You stay conscious, just veeery relaxed, and once the gas is turned off and they flush your lungs with pure O2, you're back to normal in a matter of a couple minutes.At the time, I hadn't even thought about gas, nor was it offered to me. But after a couple times of putting the novicane in what seemed to be clearly the WRONG place, I just figured it would be less trouble to feel the drill. I hate conflict, and I'm impatient. It was my third dentist visit in less than a month (and the last cavity I was having filled at the time). I just wanted to go home, and the faster they drilled, the faster they could fill it up, and that meant the faster I could go home. :rolleyes:

Drill pain is horrible, but the good thing about it is that as soon as the drill's off, the pain goes away.

I once knew someone who claimed she always asked NOT to have any novicane. That's strange.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I once knew someone who claimed she always asked NOT to have any novicane. That's strange.Yeah, I know someone who does that. No thanks.

[Prudence]

I once knew someone who claimed she always asked NOT to have any novicane. That's strange.

I do that if it's not a terribly deep cavity. The shots sometimes make me sick to my stomach. Actually, they do that almost all the time. So if it's a small cavity, I'd rather it hurt a little bit and be over than leave me nauseated for the rest of the day.

[AllyOops!]

My jaw hurts, too, but for all of the right reasons.. :evil:

Feel better, GD! I hope the pain soon goes away! :)

[€uroMeinke]

I had Nitrous for my Wisdom tooth, but it gave me the spins so I had to switch to novacaine - that was okay until they brought out the mallet. So far my remaining three wisdom teeth have been fine.