Ibuprofen/ paracetamol before dental hygienist?

[Thingsthatgo]

my dentist gave my teeth a clean today - he removed some plaque with the water pick thing. I find it excruciatingly painful. On the whole I have a high pain threshold, but there is something about the nerve jangling pain of the water pick that I cannot tolerate.
Does anyone take painkillers before a dentist appointment? Do you think it would help? Presumably I should tell the dentist/hygienist if I take something?

Brandy 🥃. I am, of course, joking 😉 I do take ibuprofen before the torture, though.

For procedures with a high risk of bleeding, ibuprofen often isn't advised, but for cleaning, I can't see it being an issue. I too would mention it to them beforehand though. You can buy ibuprofen with codeine also. I find the codeine makes me a bit drowsy, so I only take it at night when needed. You can also get paracetamol with codeine. Might be fine unless you are driving.

I was at the hygenist yesterday and for the first time ever she used numbing gel on my gums. It was amazing! Maybe ask for that next time. It wore off after about 15 mins.

I loathe subjecting myself to the torture of a hygienist appointment! She sticks a sharply pointed thing into my gums and says, "oh, you have some bleeding!" It is all I can do not to leap out of the chair, grasp a sharply pointed thing and ram it into her gums.
Suffice to say I take paracetamol in advance of the torture.

I take either paracetamol or Anadin Extra before any dental appointment. Better safe than sorry.

I take cocodamol beforehand because my teeth are so sensitive but the hygienist also offered to do it manually (no machines) as I find it easier to tolerate. It also means no sucking drain vacuum thing which I hate. Could you ask if they’ll do it by hand?

I always take something before seeing the hygienist. Paracetamol or ibuprofen. I forgot once and it was much worse than normal.

It's the worst! You can ask them to numb the gums in advance - life changing..

I only ever submit to any hygienist-type procedures if they first numb me. Injection or gel. It’s just too painful otherwise. I don’t think OTC analgesics would even touch the pain.

I had a molar extracted under sedation, and asked that they scale my teeth at the same time. They said they would do the scale first and then the extraction. I have absolutely no recollection of the extraction, but I do recall some of the scaling. I remember pain at the front of my mouth, and lifting my hand in distress. Presumably they increased the sedation at that point, because the before and after are complete blanks.

I have it done by hand as I can’t tolerate the water

I have numbing gel and injections or no hygienist.

Oh I always take painkillers before a hygienist appointment. Generally before a check up too. I have to remind myself not to take them immediately before any urgent treatment when they are trying to find the cause of pain as at that point it’s not helpful to mask it, but otherwise I’ll always take a painkiller.

I always take pain relief before the hygienist especially if having a deep clean. I also now have it done by hand as cannot bear the cold water hitting against my very sensitive teeth.

I always take paracetamol beforehand and also before having smears and mammograms.

Get some sensitive toothpaste eg sensodyne or similar and last thing at night rub it into your teeth down by the gums and leave it on .

The tartar on your teeth will have caused the gums to shrink exposing some root , which is very sensitive. Sensitive toothpaste will help but it needs to be applied every day for several weeks beforehand .

Gum disease is the number one reason for people to lose teeth , so two things

a ask hygienist to show you how to clean more effectively and you will never need a scale again if you follow advice . Particularly using interdental brushes every day

b you can be numbed up with injections or sometimes gel to make it more comfortable. If you don’t have the hygiene appointment your gums will continue to get worse and more sensitive .

I have gum disease and some bone loss so I have to go every 3 months...waaaaah. I've been told for my next one to ask for some local anaesthetic because it's getting so much more sensitive. My last clean was pretty uncomfortable. Your dentist might have a hygienist who can administer or you could see the dentist beforehand and get them to numb you up first.