View Full Version : After reading the toothache thread.....
I have a wee phobia of the dentist, especially the injections for the anesthetic...I have been offered gas and air for when I get my tooth out (im not in any pain or taking any painkillers)I just want to know how does the whole gas and air thing work for dental procedures as the only time I have had it before was when in labour and I had a mouthpiece to sook on.
I panic and end up breathing through my mouth or holding my breath...both isnt good.
The only person who can truthfully answer your question is the dentist who has agreed to treat you with gas and air.
I too am needle phobic although the drilling, scraping, pulling and tugging doesn`t worry me the thought of the needle near my gum is so terrifying I had root canal treatment with self hypnosis and neurofen whilst living in Edinburgh.
English seems to be the dentists second language and I didnt quite understand....
I was also told when I was still shaking after they tried to jab me and do it there and then.....
I dont want to have another appt other than the one on the day so to speak as getting an appt is bad enough...and I dont get paid if I miss work!
The only person who can truthfully answer your question is the dentist who has agreed to treat you with gas and air.
I too am needle phobic although the drilling, scraping, pulling and tugging doesn`t worry me the thought of the needle near my gum is so terrifying I had root canal treatment with self hypnosis and neurofen whilst living in Edinburgh.I've a needle phobia too - but only with the dentist - no problems at all watching em slip a needle in for blood donating, I even like to watch my own operations (the hernia one was interesting; two docs beavering away) and the first knee replacement was fascinating.. but dentist's needles? no way...
Ring the surgery and ask to have a chat with a dental nurse - they'll probably be able to give you a brief description of whether it's likely to be a mouthpiece or a mask that they put on periodically throughout the procedure or whether it will be a nasal piece so it's delivering gas to you continually. Perhaps the idea is that the gas will sedate/soothe you sufficiently that they can perform the injection without you being too stressed (not wishing to worry you unduly). The only way is to ask the people who will be performing the procedure.
I remember a while back struggling to understand a Consultant and having to look to the nurse present to effectively translate what he was saying - there's no shame on you for not understanding the dentist.
Good luck.
I would have thought that you would need time to come around when you have had gas or is that not how it works? I have also heard of dentists not being able to give painless injections. Please dont ask me how that works!!
Had a tooth taken out a few years ago under gas and air and the radio was playing The Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys. Must admit I was a bit disappointed when she'd finished beore the song had ended.
As far as I understood its just entinox (laughing gas/gas and air/same stuff you get if you are in labour) and the effect wears off as soon as you stop breathing it in.
So safe to drive afterwards.....(in theory depending in what state im actually in after getting the tooth out!)
But the appt isnt until the 28th so I just thought I would ask on here incase anyone on here had it done and could tell me what its like.
Before the panic on the day sets in!
Im such a wimp when faced with the dentist....
But I go and if I have the kids with me I try to show its not a big deal.
The dentist i goto put a small cotton bud thing over the area there going to inject the cotton bud thing numbs the gum after a couple of mins and then they inject u dont feel the needle going in i thing thats great
2boyz1girl
13-Jul-11, 07:03
I too have a terrible thing about going to the dentist. For years my teeth were fab, then 3 children later and my teeth aint so great. They look fine but oh boy I have suffered. Wisdom teeth out in hosp, root canal, extractions, crowns. Now waiting to get a bridge!! But every time I go to the dentist now and I panic about it my wee girl(6) says Mum I'm with you holding your hand. So now when I'm in that chair, screaming on the inside I just think about her. Ma wee dolly. Good luck with your app. I'm sure you will be fine, shaky but fine!! ;)
canadagirl
13-Jul-11, 08:28
Interestingly enough, some people don't 'freeze'. Apparently in some folks your cells kick out the freezing. I always thought it was just me being a wimp but when the doctor was trying to do a skin biopsy we realised that I wasn't actually frozen properly. All those years of agony....Apparently most common in people with reddish hair :( (Not making this up!)
You could have hit the nail on the head Canadagirl. Some many moons ago I had a dental mixture for an extraction... morphine and cocaine. My left leg went completely dead and kept sliding off the chair, but I felt everything that was being done in my mouth. I had to be carried home and the dead leg took three days to fully recover, something to do with the nerves being effected.
My current dentist thinks this is balderdash, but the previous guy in Edinburgh seemed to think it was a likely scenario given than I appear to be "wired up peculiarly"..... which I took as a compliment.
Better Out Than In
13-Jul-11, 16:06
I have a wee phobia of the dentist, especially the injections for the anesthetic...I have been offered gas and air for when I get my tooth out (im not in any pain or taking any painkillers)I just want to know how does the whole gas and air thing work for dental procedures as the only time I have had it before was when in labour and I had a mouthpiece to sook on.
I panic and end up breathing through my mouth or holding my breath...both isnt good.
Don't worry about it. dentists hardly ever get things wrong and if they do there is always hospital or false teeth as back up
lindsaymcc
13-Jul-11, 17:12
Good luck!!!
I too am a dental-phobic person.... cant stand it - and for me it is more the feel of the latex gloves in my mouth.... bleurghhhhhh!
All work I have had done when in England was done under sedation, they stick a lovely concoction of drugs into the black of my hand, I lie back and dont remember anything until im coming round! Ok, so I then cant be left alone for 24hrs, cant drive or even boil the kettle, but so worth it to be pain and stress free!
That would be the "medazolam".
Cant afford to be "out of it" for a day as the kids would have a field day!
As for things going wrong and the hospital .... thats definately not an option!
As for false teeth...no thanks...
The latex gloves dont bother me as they are not latex anymore..they are the nitrile gloves that are latex free.
But the cotton wool sets me on edge (I cant stand the stuff anyway).
Thinking about it my tongue and lips go numb but my gums never seem to get that numb, that may be the reason behind the fear, or the fact I had root canal without anesthetic (in golspie years ago) and was in agony even though the dentist said I shouldnt feel a thing!
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