Dental Dread

I am having a tooth pulled tomorrow.  It was deemed a “gonner” 10 years ago but will finally really be gone.

My old dentist retired and the new one says it’s time.

But I hear the new guy sits on an exercise ball to work so I am kinda dreading the whole event.  What if the exercise ball bounces or something?

You may assume Dor is a big baby about dental work.  But that is simply not true.

I am actually very brave even though having had horrifying experiences since childhood.

• Mom was afraid of dentists so she never took me.  When she finally did (probably  because I was in pain) I was 14 years old and had 14 cavities that had to be drilled and filled, all done with no Novocaine!   “Raise your hand if it really hurts,” said that dentist.  And I went to him for weeks and weeks and weeks.
• Then there were the Wisdoms (with roots wrapped around the jaw bone).  That dentist had what looked like a chisel and hammer and called in one of the patients from the waiting room to help!  True story.  Of course this was in the olden days when you still had to spit in a tray.
• The last bout created an adverse reaction to Epinephrine (supposed to be a life saving thing they give people who are allergic to bee stings).  In my case they gave it as an adjunct to a numbing agent.  The reaction?  I thought I was having a heart attack.

Right now I am only thinking about tomorrow and already having an adverse reaction with no Epinephrine – just thinking about it.   

Another dentist once told me that older people feel less pain.

I’ll let you know if I live through tomorrow.

Note:  Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. It plays a critical role in the “fight or flight” response. Epinephrine is given in many situations of acute cardiac arrest and is also given in the treatment of acute allergic reactions.  Epinephrine is used by dentists because it acts to constrict the blood vessels. By doing so, the local anesthetic remains in the area longer, because there is less blood flow to take the local anesthetic away. Simply stated, the epinephrine helps you feel and stay number longer.  And epinephrine is a key factor in keeping patients adequately numb for procedures.  However, if you have ever had an adverse reaction you should tell your doctor if your first injection caused serious side effects such as increased breathing difficulty, anxiety, or uneven heartbeats.

 

 

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