.png)
Yesterday I went to the dentist, which if youâve been following me here for awhile, you know thatâs kinda my absolute nightmare. But this time was different. And while sitting in that chair, drill whirring, face aching I was thinking about writing this post to you, fellow anti-dentine.
from a post last year, when even a check up was enough to send me spiraling
After two KILLER toothaches in the UK, and being lucky enough to have my healthcare approved for another year in the states, I promised myself and @teamhumble that when I got back Iâd sort it out BEFORE I had another emergency. And so, Monday morning I called and made an appointment.
Thinking back, this was the first good move, because when youâre already in pain, or half your tooth has broken off and youâre dealing with the anxiety and fear of that jarring experience, youâre already off. It made me feel like I was in control because I decided to go on my own, instead of being at the mercy of my pain.
The second good move is I left with PLENTY of time, and got there early, about 30 minutes. No sense adding stress on top of stress fighting through traffic to be all worked up busting through the door late to an appointment, especial if youâre already worked up about just the idea of getting in that chair, they ended up taking me about 20 minutes before my appointment was scheduled too! I guess we forget theyâre trying to get out of there too! Going in early was awesome, and appreciated.
I was greeted by a young doctor (probably about my brotherâs age) who was super kind and positive.
Hereâs my next tip. If you donât LIKE your doctor, if they make you feel bad, or worried, and start hyping up all the things wrong with your state, GET ANOTHER DOCTOR. Please remember, this is YOUR body and youâre 100% in control of what happens or doesnât happen to it. In that moment, I realized almost every dentist Iâve ever had, was pushy, and dramatic. I remember being really young and having a dental assistant almost TEASE me about my cavities and try to tell my Mom it was because I wasnât brushing. I felt alone and helpless in a room of adults who I felt like wouldnât take my word. (even though mom was always good about taking my side when she knew I wasnât BS-ing).
No one should make you feel like this. If you're not comfortable with how you're being treated, peace out and find a new doc.
OK back to the story. When I got there, he had already seen my x-rays, and we talked about what was giving me trouble and he said âdonât worry youâre in the right place, we can take care of that, weâre here to make sure youâre out of pain first and foremostâ. That was news to me, I always thought they were there to do as many procedures as possible to that they could get my fiat coins.
He asked the assistant take a new set of X-rays to see if anything had progressed since I had left the country- and when he came back, he asked me whatâs bothering me the most, and what Iâd like to take care ofâŚ
Oh I have a choice??? That part really never sank in. Yes. Ok itâs my body, and I get to decide when someone is going to put holes in my face where itâs going to be damnit!
We decided to forgo the side thatâs been giving me the bad toothaches, and instead deal with the side which was causing me daily pain when I chew- that way Iâd have one stable side to work with while we dealt with the big stuff over time. Having the empowerment to choose what was going to happen REALLY helped my fears about the procedure, because I didnât feel like they were being imposed on me.
The next part is what I feel brought me the biggest breakthrough. The seat went back, and I took a deep breath. Iâm not shy or fearful about needles in the slightest- but I told the doctor it might take a few doses before I get numb, so I knew I was in for a bunch of shotsâŚ.
The needle went in, I felt the pinch, took a deep breath, and almost immediately, I felt this intense fear rush over me. My hands and legs went cold, and I started to shake. A bit of tunnel vision started to set in, and I started to breathe deeper, but the pit in the middle of my stomach started to grow⌠I thought to myself âHow is this happening? I feel ok about this.â* I couldnât wrap my head around it, because I felt 10x better going in on my own than I had previous more emergency driven times.
So I decided to say something.
âHey, Iâm feeling a little shakyâŚâ I said sheepishly, and showed the doctor and his tech my hands. They immediately put the seat up to help me level out, and told me it was a total normal reaction to the ephedrine in the shot.
You may be thinking, â Wait, isnât that likeâŚspeed?
Yes. And your body treats it like PURE adrenaline.
I said, I really felt like it could have been placebo because of how INSTANT it hit me, and he explained that wasnât likelyâŚ
âBecause of where weâre working today we had to put the novaicene near a main artery, itâs instantly in your blood stream, and your anatomy may be such that youâre just more sensitive to the ephedrine than othersâŚâ
Oh, i thought. ANATOMY. Chemical reactions, happening which produce a physiological response close to fear and anxiety⌠because of DRUGS!!? Wait, Iâm not a total basket case!!??
He said âIf youâre feeling the way you do when you drive down the highway and see a cop put his lights on behind you, thatâs the ephedrine.â
WELL DAMN! - Iâm not a basket case after all! (haha ok save your jokes for the comment section.)
The biggest thing that I realized yesterday, was that I had that feeling at almost every dental visit for nearly 30 years of life on planet earth, and because no one had ever explained it to me, my mystical pisces brain just thought I had some deep psychological and emotional damage that caused me to hate going to the dentist. Every time I even THINK about going into that chair, I felt that panic feeling, the way a certain smell brings you right back to that familiar place.
What I never realized could be happening, was that my body was just prepping for that biological reaction and that experience had been reinforced through association. I just never had the data to understand it, so my default was bad feeling+no data=fear.
My dog trainer Mom giving me a pep talk the night before said this...
âWhen Iâm working with dogs who have a certain fear and act out in aggression, we work with them to expose them gently to the thing theyâre scared of, and make sure it ALWAYS ends in a positive experience.â
It's ok doggo, you'll be back from the vet before you know it! <3
So, if youâve got a dental visit, or any hurdle youâre trying to get over today hereâs my advice.
+Set yourself up for success, by doing anything you can think of to help make it a more pleasant experience.
+Remember youâre in control of anything that happens to you or your body. Be vocal, stand up for yourself, and let the Dr. know if your uncomfortable.
+Ask questions and get as much data as possible, so you can understand whatâs happening.
+Remember, if youâre feeling anxiety- it may just because youâre given straight up DRUGS that are going to make you feel amped up. Itâs normal, and you can request another type of numbing agent which doesnât have that effect if you think you may have a reaction.
I hope my story helps you step through any procedure you may be about to undergo. At the end of the day itâs scary stuff, that I wouldnât wish on anyone, but if you HAVE to endure it, I hope this little post gives you a bit of ammunition. I'm rooting for you, you can do this!
<3
A fellow anti-dentite
Dayleeo
 |  |  |  |
|---|
