To think I shouldn’t come out of the dentist crying and shaking.

[Bellabluea]

Hi all. So I need an upper molar out. The dentist tried last week and could only get the bottom half out leaving 3 deep roots which it turns out are infected. He numbed me but I swear I felt so much I couldn’t let him. He gave me a course of antibiotics and I went back today. I took strong painkillers before I left and he numbed me apparently. I was anxious but I was assured it would be better after the antibiotics.

I feel like I’ve been assaulted. My body went into shakes and I started crying. I could feel him trying to pull out my tooth and the pain was horrendous. I kept grabbing his arm and he said I needed to let him and that I was numbed.
he tried a couple of times and I tried so hard to let him and be brave but I just couldn’t.
i left crying and drove home in shock.
DH has never seen me so traumatised and I am not soft. I have had children without pain relief and I’m not someone who is an anxious person.
The dental assistant kept giving me tissues and asking if I was alight. She looked really concerned but the dentist just came across as a bit irritated and said my anxiety was stopping me.
he did another X-ray at the end and said there was a deep infection which was why I felt something and I ran out of there with a promise of an appointment somewhere else for sedation.

I think I just needed to write it down. My reaction shocked me and my body just took over. I still can’t stop crying.

am I just being soft?

Oh OP, you poor thing. I had a root canal once, and they gave me around 4 injections in the end as they just didn't seem to take and I got really panicky with the pain. I've had 4 kids, and have a very high pain threshold until I step into a dental surgery.

No, it does not. Any anaesthetist will tell you that. Your dentist should have known and been able to offer an alternative approach, eg a more distant block rather than injecting directly into the inflamed area, plus or minus sedation, plus or minus a GA if the whole area is in a complete mess. It’s not you OP.

Yup, been there. Lidocaine doesn’t work great on me and I generally need twice the normal amount and then I metabolize it quicker than most. Add to that I have interesting anatomy as far as my nerves are concerned pain blocks are rarely successful. So I’ve been through the root canal from hell. Won’t go into details but let’s just say it was bad.

You’ve been through a physical trauma so of course you are having a physical reaction. Take care of yourself and get knocked out for the extraction.

100%! Of course, you have to PAY for it!

I was put under general anaesthetic to have a wisdom tooth out as the dentist had to put his knee on my chest to get it out- he said I’d have found it distressing. I am going back about twenty years though.
I would have thought the infection should’ve been dealt with by prescribing antibiotics, but perhaps the infection was too great and it was better to just get the teeth out…

Perhaps a dentist will come on and give you some advice. Don’t let it put you off going to a dentist, but perhaps consider a private one or change your dentist. Some are definitely more heavy handed than others! I hope you feel better soon.

I have recently had a horrendous extraction and was still crying at the thought of it 5 days later.
Like you I have given birth with no pain relief and had a previous extraction.
If I ever need another one I will pay for sedation

A good dentist should always believe you and stop if you are feeling pain. To carry on is to commit assault. www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/pain/
So sorry you went through this. Finding a better, more caring dentist is the solution.

This (Im a dentist)

Pick your standards up off the floor! This is not acceptable, it’s common knowledge the anaesthetic etc doesn’t work if there’s an infection. She was distressed, he should have stopped. Just because someone is a dentist, they don’t have the right to override consent.

OP, I had to go private for a root canal, there was a world of difference in treatment, to a really shocking level. If you can afford it, it’s sadly worth it.

Yes I shoukd have been sure when I posted that there's plenty of a certain sort on here who would take that literally.

I meant when compared with other first world countries. Eg America and the rest of Europe. The standards of dental care in Europe are much much much higher than here. I've seen a lot of dentists, unfortunately. And the UK has been the worst by far. The best was an American specialist (certainly paid for it though).

And to the person who said op shouldn't complain and 'hates blame culture'. It's not fucking acceptable to be crying and in pain during surgery. Dentists are performing surgery. Just because you have decided that your own low standards would allow you to be treated like that doesn't mean anybody else should accept it.

Dentistry doesn't actually have to be painful. Caring and skilled dentists with access to proper equipment don't treat people like this.

@Suzi888 there is no physical way the dentist would have had to put their knee on your chest to get a tooth out, a difficult extraction might be best under GA but not because the dentist would need to put their knee on your chest.

PP who are dentists are correct, there is a small chance of failed anaesthetic in an infected tooth but the treatment of choice for an infected tooth is extraction or removal of the nerve.

I do think that sounds awful OP but I wouldn’t jump to thinking you need GA or even sedation, if you can find another dentist you have heard good things about or an oral surgery practice and you feel content to try again under just local (with the absolute understanding they make sure you are numb) I would give it a try. Even under sedation they need to make sure you are numb, one of the reasons for sedation is if the patient is needle phobic not for failed local, in fact a referral for sedation for failed local would be rejected in any sedation service I worked in.

Hope you feel better!

I have had issues when I had a tooth removed, it got stuck, then broke suddenly, the impact when it broke caused the dentist to accidentally whack me in the face and give me a black eye and I ended back there a fortnight or so later to have a sharp piece of bone removed from my gum that had sheared off from my jaw bone during the process, and that had gradually worked it’s way up through the socket where the tooth was removed. I ended up having my impacted wisdom teeth out under general anaesthetic after that- apparently all of my roots are hook shaped which is what causes the problems.

That sounds horrendous! Make sure you take it easy tonight.

I had a molar removed when I was 14 as my jaw was too small to accommodate all my teeth. I could taste loads of the anesthetic and feel it dripping it my mouth. I said I could still feel everything when the dentist checked but he went ahead anyway. I can still remember the pain and hear the cracking sounds 30 years later.

I'd gone to the dentist on my own (god knows why - I wouldn't dream of sending 14 year old DS off to the dentist by himself to have a tooth out) and didn't know how stop the procedure. I was crying out in pain though. Why are there so many dentists who don't listen to their patients?

I have spent the majority of my life with a massive d wrist phobia! I've ha to stop treatment in the past. I've even come close to fainting.
I had a horrible experience with one particular tooth. I had to see a specialist but I just couldn't continue. I ended up having the tooth removed and for some reason after that I seem to have overcome my phobia.
Don't get me wrong I'm definitely still an anxious mess, but now at 32 I proudly go to the dentist without my mum 🙈
I think for me I have just changed my mindset. The treatment will come and go. The numbing injection will come and go. Ten pain will come and go. I have to keep telling myself that.
Yanbu for having a phobia or an anxiety attack. Absolutely not. That anxiety has come from somewhere and it's not your fault.
All I'd say is that just remember what the dentist and dental assistants job is. They are there to do the treatment. An anxious customer is probably very challenging for them and makes their job really hard. I'm not saying that to make you feel bad, I suppose I'm just saying don't expect them to be able to deal with it all!

I hope you can overcome this OP! Don't be too hard on yourself. Thank

I had all 4 wisdom teeth out under GA, there were bruises all over my chest and face. It was either either elbows or knees. 😭I couldn't eat or open or close my mouth for a week.

Couldn’t they have sedated you? I had that for first two wisdom teeth. It didn’t agree with me but it does for most people.

there is no physical way the dentist would have had to put their knee on your chest to get a tooth out, a difficult extraction might be best under GA but not because the dentist would need to put their knee on your chest

@Oinkypig I'm not sure why you think that, it used to be really common with wisdom teeth.

@Bellabluea ideally you may want to go to a different dentist for the rest of the treatment. If you are in/near London, can go private for this and want a recommendation then send me a DM. I have had more than my fair share of dental issues and I finally found a good one about 18 mos ago, after trying three other ones who were all bad in important ways. If you need an oral surgeon then my recommended dentist could probably also give a good referral.

No it wasn’t. What happens is with a GA you get supraclavicular bruising (more common with a certain GA drug). Dentists do NOT get better leverage with knees on patients chests - we are not contortionists

Nope, my mum had hers removed under local and her dentist did this. I’m not saying it still happens, but it sure did in the past.

With my wisdom tooth, I had six, yes SIX, injection of local anaesthetic, but I was still in pain. I told them to stop and it was rescheduled for a general. In the meantime, I had to go around with a swollen jaw and couldn't eat properly for a while. Because my operation was postponed, I had to do my pre-op twice and they were surprised I'd lost weight. I'd been left unable to eat so what did they expect!!
Anyway, dentistry is mediaeval. It just doesn't seem to have moved with the times much.

This. (Dental nurse)

Sorry you had such a horrible experience 😔.

Thanks for all the advice. I don’t know what to do. I’m in the North East and can afford to go private if needed.
Ive had root canal and extractions previously with no major issues. I have history with needing several injections to numb but he said I would only need two.
My face is swollen and I’m feeling rough but I’ll be ok. I keep remembering and the tears start! I never cry. Probably not in months. Now I can’t seem to stop!

You poor thing. I understand your pain. 10 years ago I had a similar problem. Dentist tried to take out my bottom molar but after 2h of torture he gave up. The molar in question - actually just half of it - is still in my mouth to this day...

I’ve had one tooth out and had the exact same experience as you. i went into shock, uncontrollable shaking and crying. It was awful. The root was left, with the deep infection and I was put on a waiting list for surgery. One month later I literally couldn’t take the pain any longer so paid privately and had it taking out in seconds. I had 5 injections with the numbing stuff but it was out so quickly. I wish I’d gone private to start.

you have my sympathy. Tooth pain and work is awful

If it helps, it was £300 to have the root removed, but they gave me lots and lots of lovely pain killers to take away and antibiotics too. I’m in Scotland though. Not sure if area makes a difference to price