Oral Surgeon problem Next Week

[susiestar]

I mentioned on one of Janet's threads that I saw a dentist last week. Thanks to the vit D deficiency, which is very treatment resistant, and the many rounds of IV antibiotics when I had the cellulitis, my teeth have almost completely crumbled. The dentist spoke about dentures vs. implants, and recommended I see an oral surgeon for the removal.

I am not doing implants. Given that my bones are not in good shape and the bone building drugs are not an option given the lack of vit D, it makes no sense to me to try to do implants. Even if they were cheaper, in my opinion it is more important to keep the bone as intact as I can rather than to drill into it and try to fuse implants to it.

The dentist will do the immediate dentures, but really dislikes them. He is very happy with my determination to wait until I have healed to fit the dentures. He apparently usually has to fight patients to do that. Then, of course, they just are not happy.

So I guess I am soon to be toothless. I will keep you posted. I am TERRIFIED but I MUST go through with this. I hate dentists and fear them. not as people as many seem to be very nice, I just had way too many bad experiences with one as a kid and it is a big problem now. So please bear with me if/when I whine. My anxiety is already through the roof and I don't even have a definite date. Sigh.

 

[Hound dog]

Susie, if I could've gone to an oral surgeon for removal I'd have been doing a happy dance, no joke. Having a tooth removed that way is NOTHING like the reg way of having it done.

Shoot, the tooth I had removed that way didn't even hurt afterward........well until the dry socket (I'm prone to them) and he fixed that right up for me too. I wonder if maybe the nerves were less aggravated with that method because I was stunned at the not hurting part.

I'll say a little prayer and hold good thoughts. I understand the anxiety too well. Glad you're getting it taken care of........and you will be too once it's all said and done.

((hugs))

 

[TerryJ2]

Susie, I'm sending hugs, and a bit of knowledge from one who has actually watched the procedure. (!)

Read on if you are interested. If not, skip to the next note.

My cousin was in worse shape than you are, but she was in total denial. Not to mention, she's a lot older. We wasted almost 8 mo's, going back and forth to wasted appts, and the dentist and surgeon were very patient but very tired of repeating how you cannot build a house on sand.
Finally, after two more teeth fell out, she gave in.

I asked to watch (I'm weird; I like those sorts of TV shows, too) and the surgeon let me watch the front teeth being pulled. It was so easy and fast! I was amazed. He made me leave when he got to the back teeth. Insurance and lawyers and all that.

Anyway, my cousin woke up and walked to the bathroom, immediately yanked out the gauze, and started a Dracula imitation!
Which is to say, yes, she's a former actress, but more than that, the drugs did a great job and she was ready to go out to lunch. (No, I didn't take her to lunch!)

Please don't be anxious. You are brave and it will turn out fine. I'm so sorry for the Vit D deficiency and bone loss and the extended issues you have had, but I am so glad that you are on the same page with the doctor. That is so important.

I'm sending strength and patience. And healing vibes, too.

 

[cubsgirl]

Oh, I hope it goes well for you. I'd be a little scared too. I think you are wise to wait for healing before doing dentures.

 

[1905]

He's a specialist and I'm sure you'll be in good hands. Think about how in a few months, all your dental troubles will be over and you'll have a beautiful set of teeth. I know this is scary (hugs).

 

[susiestar]

Thanks all. Terry, of COURSE I wanted to know! I am the kind who researches everything six ways before acting. I also love medical shows, once totally grossed both parents out by not only watching open heart surgery on tv, but eating popcorn and cookies as I did. I ended up going to the elderly neighbor who was like a Gma to watch those things because my folks got so grossed out. Of course my mom is the one who watched the vet neuter the male cat, lol. Really scared a few of Dad's cousins because she knew how to do the procedure she threatened them with when they were being idiots, lol.

I know I will be glad in the long run. That is why I am NOT going to six different dentists and twelve different oral surgeons. The dentist is good, and I am trusting his choice of oral surgeon. It will be efective after care because they already know my pain doctor and have worked iwth her (the new one) before with other patients and they have the pain doctor handle the after care rx writing. Other than antibiotics, of course. So this is GOOD.

I am still scared and want to weenie out of it, but I won't.

 

[DammitJanet]

Susie, make sure you take your acute pain medications the moment you get them filled. Dont let the pain get ahead of you. Im on day 4 now and its beginning to calm down a tiny bit. I ate runny scrambled eggs for breakfast today but do remember I still have 4 upper teeth which really dont do much for me as far as chewing but they are there and not hurting me. Talk to me in a couple of weeks and we shall see...lol.

I do think that my bottoms feel like they are going to heal up okay. Just a hunch but normally I take forever. Until last night my left side was really hurting but now its calmed down. Maybe the antibiotics have taken a hold.

We can send each other pictures of our dentures!

 

[Tiapet]

Susie, sending warm and soothing wishes and thoughts your way. I'm with you in many ways (and Janet)...another one with teeth being lost to medication and vitamin D deficiency and what ever else. I used to have beautiful teeth, that is until I started taking all this darn medication! UGH! Now about 7 years later my teeth are literally breaking off little by little, one by one (ok sometimes 2 at a time) over the months and years. I don't have a lot left and I'll be joining the ranks in time with dentures as I can. I HATE dentist with a passion and it all goes back to when I was little and a very bad experience with a dentist pulling my front 2 teeth because of the adult teeth coming in over baby teeth. I've never gotten over it no matter how good they've been. I just can't. I just made sure to take care of them as best I could to avoid going there to begin with! lol

Seriously though..know you are in my thoughts.

 

[Nomad]

Susiestar...I'm so sorry. Do they know what caused the Vit d deficiency? I went from having plenty of Vit D to a slight deficiency and am baffled.

I wish you good luck , excellent healing and a quick recovery. I just said a prayer for you.

 

[recoveringenabler]

Gentle hugs.............having gone to an Oral Surgeon on more then one occasion, you might ask for nitro......I was always given a Valium and then the nitro with an IV which put me in that twilight space. My Oral Surgeon has a sign in his waiting room that says, "We cater to cowards." And since I am one in that chair, all of those things worked to make the experience a breeze. You have to tell them you're scared and hopefully, they will accommodate you. I feel for you............

 

[susiestar]

This guy is the one they send the patients with great fear and difficulty with getting numb and/or past experiences of being aware of surgery to. It is his specialty. I won't be in that twilight thing if I can avoid it. I want to be all the way out. I have had the twilight for several procedures and while I don't necessarily feel pain, I am ALWAYS aware of everything going on. No one believed me the first time until I repeated the 20 min of nonstop FILTHY jokes to my mother and the nurse. The nurse was so embarrassed because I was only 12. At least they were not pointing out anything on my body, the doctor was just telling dirty jokes. They have done some other things and I just won't do it again if it can be avoided. I do fine with general and it is hard to get to the point where the medications are wearing off so you are starting to feel pain but you cannot move or react. Not going to happen again and if they dont' like it? Tough tootsies. If I have to do the twilight I would just as soon they shoot me in the head with a 45. I am NOT at all joking and I am not suicidal at all. I just have come so very very close to being able to feel everything before they are done but I can't move or tell them other than my blood pressure goes nuts. Last time they thought I was going to have a stroke and afterwards I told them that I was actually concentrating on trying to raise my blood pressure so high so they would stop because it was all I could think of. Not sure I actually had any effect, but once I started feeding the panic and concentrating on making my heart pound, the pressure rose over 50 points.

Twilight and I dont' get along. This dentist spoke with me about it and the notes the oral surgeon's assistant has already say "NO TWILIGHT - comes out of it early painwise", so I am fairly okay. Nitrous oxide is what I think you are talking about. For years they had to do that just to get me into the chair for a cleaning or checkup. I don't know why ANYONE goes every six mos for a cleaning. My teeth have always hurt for a week after any cleaning. I loathe them. I used to do all I could to brush so I didn't have to go to them.

They may have to give me valium to get there. Not sure. I am glad that the pain docs will be doing all the rx's for the aftercare pain medications though. I know and trust them, and if I call screaming in pain, they will act on it. Mostly to send me to the ER, but whatever.

 

[TerryJ2]

It sounds like they've got it under control, with their notetaking on your past experiences.
Have you made an appointment for the surgery yet?
They really sound like good people.

 

[susiestar]

They are verifying insurance. Social security has messed up my name change from single to married many, many times over the last 21 yrs, so I never know which version will be what the ins co decides to use. I always use the same one no matter what, but often the ins co's change it which irritates me. I had to call and figure out what name they were using and let the oral surgeon's office know. Hopefully we will schedule tomorrow.

 

[DammitJanet]

I dont much like twilight myself. I had always just declined the gas because I didnt think medicaid paid for it but I found out when I switched to this dentist that they do. Even so I wasnt that afraid during my normal one or two teeth removals to ask for the gas. That is until my time prior to this last episode. I have no idea what happened to me but I had a horrible reaction to the shots the gave me to numb my mouth and I started shaking and had tears running down my face even though I really wasnt all that upset. It scared me so when I went in to have all these teeth pulled this time I told them I definitely wanted gas. I was a bit worried the gas wasnt working in the beginning because I wasnt feeling much when the doctor started to walk towards me but by the time he bent over me, all I could see was the ceiling and I felt like I was on a magic carpet ride..lol. I put a thumbs up to the nurse and when the doctor walked out of the room and she took the thing off my face...I said NO..keep it there, I like this..lmao. I will be honest and say that I begged to have it back for the pulling and they put the mask back on me but I dont think they gave me gas, maybe just O2. I could feel everything he was doing and follow his commands. I couldnt have done that when under the gas.