Dentist

[cjsmith]

Went for my regular cleaning this morning. The substitute dentist says I have a cavity. It abuts my one and only filling, put in ages ago for a spot that "wasn't really a cavity but would probably become one some day and we could just do this now" sort of thing. Apparently that spot got worse. Blech.

According to my dentist I have deep crevasses in the mashing surfaces of those rear molars. It's probably amazing that I haven't had far worse cavities in there already. In fact, I know I've been very VERY lucky when it comes to teeth. (Except for size and placement, that is.) In my entire life I've only had that one proto-cavity. (And eight teeth pulled for lack of room, and some gum tissue dug out because I was chewing on it.)

I have an appointment to go have it drilled. They wanted to do it soon, I wanted to skip the time my guest is here. Hopefully January 30 will be fine.

I insisted on my regular dentist. He was willing to do the proto-cavity filling without any anaesthetic. I HATE NEEDLES! Now y'all know how much I hate them! The drilling was probably deeper than you'd think because it was in the bottom of one of those deep crevasses, but I'm still very glad the thing hadn't opened out into a real cavity before he caught it. A cavity that starts well inside the tooth to begin with wouldn't be any fun.

Maybe he'll let me go through this one with no needle, too. I hope I hope I hope. Everyone please beam some "let her do it!" energy at Dr. Frost of Palo Alto on January 30. :-)

Comments

[oddhack.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily "just a hollow tube". There can be a physiological reaction to needles resulting in blood pressure drops. I fainted once while having blood drawn, have become nauseous and close to passing out a couple of other times, and caused a great deal of excitement and solicitousness among the lab techs by explaining this might happen so I'd like to lie down first, ThankYouVeryMuch, on most other occasions involving injections or bloodwork.

Interestingly this problem doesn't happen with dental needles though, just in the arm. For me.

I avoided dentists for many years after traumatic childhood experiences with Dr. Mengele^H^H^H^H^H^H^HYaros, so when I finally went back was relieved to learn that they use topical anaesthetics on the gum now, making the injection itself literally painless.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

There can be a physiological reaction to needles resulting in blood pressure drops.

This must be what that one doctor of mine mentioned. I, too, have the nausea and the close-to-passing-out and have on occasion fainted. Like you, I now ask to lie down first. Most lab techs are very happy to have me lie down BEFORE passing out. :-)

[oddhack.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I even get free apple juice afterwards!