Only going to be offered diazepam for tooth extraction

[QuebecBagnet]

I have a severe dental phobia, my nhs dentist can’t do my extraction as she says it will be worse than a wisdom tooth to extract and even without my phobia she wouldn’t do it. She’s talked about it being close to my sinus cavity and possibility of making a hole and bone grafts, etc.

so I got a phone call today to say I have an appt to go and talk to the sedation dentist to see if I meet the criteria for sedation. But the receptionist warned me it’s only diazepam that I’ll get. I was sobbing on the phone as I was talking to her because I’ll need a diazepam just to come into the dentist and talk to the dentist! Never mind an extraction. I’ve had diazepam before for a flight and it did bugger all, like I was still nervous, totally awake, etc. it didn’t have any effect on me.

i wasn’t expecting a GA but I thought it would be like IV sedation. I really don’t think I can have it done unless I’m semi conscious.

Well it depends. A tiny 2mg dose of diazepam by mouth is a different beastie to having a high dose of diazepam squirted straight into your bloodstream.

She said I’d be given a prescription to go and get a diazepam tablet to take before the extraction appt. So think it is a 2mg tablet. Certainly nothing in my blood stream.

Is there any reason why you can't have local anesthetics?

If it's a single 2mg tablet then TBH I'm with you, that's maybe going to take a little bit of the edge off emotionally, assuming you're someone who's quite susceptible to diazepam in the first place, and is mostly acting on a psychological level if it does anything at all.

I think the idea is people with severe dental phobia get sedated and then have local anaesthetic. There’s a good chance I’ll bite the dentists finger off unless I’m out of it.

There are plenty of private dentists around who offer proper IV sedation for dental procedures. Is this something you could afford as a one off?

I'm sorry that you are going through this. What happened for you to be so frightened of the dentists?

You may have some kind of contraindications which mean you are not suitable for IV sedation?

Id ask around to find someone.

My dentist told me that they referred people like me to the IV guy and I could attend his practice for the IV tooth extraction. Which I did.

Ask for alternatives.

PS it’s nhs but I’m in Scotland. Not sure re a English arrangements if you’re there.

It cost very little extra for the sedation, like £20 or something affordable.

Good luck. It’s great stuff. I’d recommend it if you’re suitable to receive it. I didn’t care about anything at all I was so chill.

We have an nhs sedation clinic
But I've been referred to max fax for a ga as my teeth are so impacted

Google your town + nhs iv sedation clinic and see what crops up
Ask dentist to refer you there

That doesn't sound right OP. I was very nervous about an extraction and also referred to my local nhs oral surgery dept. My understanding was that I would be sedated for the extraction.

As it happens, I went for my appointment thinking I was going to be sedated and have the tooth out but it was just the consultation to see if anaesthetic was suitable for me. I'd taken a valium but still ended up having a massive meltdown at the thought of having to get up the nerve to attend another appointment further down the line for the actual treatment.

I did end up biting the bullet and getting my tooth out at the dentist on NYE as I didn't want to go into the new year panicking about it. Valium does nothing for me either so I took beta-blockers, which did help, and also put headphones on with Queens of the Stone age playing full blast while the dentist did what he needed to do.

Maybe try beta blockers for the clinic appointment and see what the dentist (not the receptionist) recommends x

It’s about £500 for private extraction inc sedation so can’t really afford it.

ive got no contraindications to IV sedation. I’ve had it before for a pre op. I will go to the consultation appt to see what the dentist says but I do think my dentist has referred me to the wrong place. I’ve rung my dentist to ask if she has but she wasn’t at work and the receptionist didn’t know. I’ve emailed the place which does iv sedation to ask if I can go there.

OP “She’s talked about it being close to my sinus cavity and possibility of making a hole and bone grafts, etc.”

which tooth is it? If these are issues I’d have thought an IV would be necessary.

ive had extractions and root canal and due for more work soon so I’m a bit freaked out as no one has mentioned anything like this to me.

The receptionist might be wrong.

Keep pushing for the IV sedation, I had a tooth extracted with it at the dental hospital and it worked very well. I have diazepam for fillings etc and it just slightly takes the edge off.