Dentists=Question&Rant

Ok, I am not going to complain on how 'scary' the dentist is. (I am actually ok with going to the dentists)

But how do you feel when going to the dentist... knowing you get migraines...?
Does it change your experience or does it not matter...?

Lillian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last month... I had some (somewhat) Major work done and that started a Migraine that last about 3 days.

Yesterday, unfortunately, I went again. I thought it was just a check up, until the assistant came in with those numbing shots. (i love this part) I told her 'my mom said it was a check up of the last visit' she said 'nope we are gonna do some fillings' With A Smile!!!

Well, still my mouth hurts like crazy. I feel kinda loopy from the meds. And have a feeling like a migraine is going to start
(with all my pre-symptoms and all), but has not yet and it has been that way since I left the dentist.

Ps. My mom did not know either. She really thought it was a check up. I am the one at fault, I said I could be strong and do it.... now I am paying for it........

Lillian

I have not gone to the dentist since my migraines became chronic (funds are limited, dentistry is EXPENSIVE!!) but I do get testing done for my miggies like MRI (the loudness of the machine and stress sets me off) my specialists office sets me off big time (he makes me wait 2 bloody hours in that waiting office!!) and the EEG (flashing lights in my face), general check-ups when they like to check your eyes with the light, and just the stress of any test gives me a major migraine. I am not looking forward to the bubble study, I am anxious about it now and it is a test where they give me an IV of shaken saline, then follow the saline with an echocardiogram. I know a dentist is different because of the lingering pain in your mouth afterwards...I hate dentists.

I think it has changed my overall experience because now whenever I walk into an office my blood pressure goes up. In fact, my specialist was concerned last time because I was on the high side. I know what is coming so I usually have pills on hand. I DO NOT TAKE THE PILLS UNTIL I NEED TO! I am so scared of becoming dependent on my pills so I never take them unless I feel a migraine already or get an aura, plus my pills are precious to me..my life savers. If I didn't have an addictive medication, I might take them prior to the appointment though.

I think it is very important to let yourself relax before these types of things otherwise it will make it 10X worse. I am working on that..it is very hard for me to do since I am high strung when it comes to things like that as it is. Don't let it get to you because not every dentist appointment you have will give you a M., just like not every appointment or test I go to will give me one.

When I was going to the dentist frequently and had a good one, most of the time whereas it was uncomfortable, the pain wasn't really that bad. I think a lot of the migraine for me would come from tension and stress(a theory as I haven't been through it yet). I would probably take some OTC medication BEFORE the appointment and bring it with you just in case they suprise you again to ward off a migraine. Tell them before they start the work you have to take it.

I hope you are feeling well after your dental work. It is great to get them taken care of before they turn into worse things like root canals or extractions. You should see both mine and my husbands mouths..my god, its a horror show.

I have had constant pain in my head since a botched wisdom tooth exptraction 2000.
I never had dialy pain before that. It has nover completely gone awayt.

I had cured myself of a dentist fear from a bad experience when I was 18, and had a nice dentist.
He treas all the chldren...like me

When the wisdom tooth thing arose he was gone for Christmas and I was stuck with the millennium break.
One of his colleagues did a root canal and made it much worse. I ended up at A&E New Years Eve, but they sent me home told me to take Dihydro codeine, which I already had for my IBS.
Eventually the tooth was pulled January 6.
I had more pain than they would believe subsequent to the extraction.
Being a miggie didn't seem to cut any ice with them.
So 10 years later, I still have to deal with it.

I am not best fond of dentists, my experience has not been great, and if you can find one that is migraine friendly I imagine it can make quite a difference.
Sorry you have pain.

Pen, Have you been checked for Trigaminal Neuralgia? The botched extraction may have damaged the nerve.

I have gone to many dentist appointments wearing my sunglasses. That light they use is horrible when I feel ok and torture when I have a migraine. I've asked him to inject the numbing agent into my forehead but he wouldn't do it. My dentist is wonderful and very caring.

Alli

Oh how I used to hate dentists. I have some horror stories from my childhood. I did find one in my teen years who is wonderful (I still see him). Very gentle and is willing to give you drugs so you are loopy through a procedure. He's my mom's dentist too and her teeth are horrible, she has to be drugged just for a cleaning. If this would be an option for you, it may be helpful. Just because stress can make things so much worse - you just have to find a dentist that has the credentials to do this as not all of them do. Also, I request certain hygienists as well. There are a couple I wouldn't send my enemies to. You do have a right to request certain ones and I know which ones are careful and gentle. Also if you tell them what's going on, they will try to make it more comfortable - the lights they need to see but sunglasses are okay then.

As soon as I walk in the hygentist gives me the big dark sunglasses. They're really cute, they're actually for the kids, so I'm sure I look adorable.

I'm very vigilant about going in every six months and don't have any problems other than the lights.

Charlotte

paradox wrote:As soon as I walk in the hygentist gives me the big dark sunglasses.

That's a good idea!
My dentist always makes me wear glasses but it's because of the water squirter thing (there has to be a name oh well) his assistant is not really good at working with it and I guess for safety.
But dark sunglasses...hmmm. Now that would help me some.
I was even thinking about that yesterday. He put that light thing directly in my eyes.

Lillian

The dentist himself doesn't bother me but the bright lights they have to use do. Not as bad as the eye doctor though. And you can't wear dark glasses when you are getting your eyes checked. Unfortunately I have bad eyes or I wouldn't go to the eye doctor. Hate it.

alli wrote:Pen, Have you been checked for Trigaminal Neuralgia? The botched extraction may have damaged the nerve.
Alli

I thought I had Alli, but maybe not. How would they have tested me please?

I am about 1.5 years late in my checkup b/c of chronic daily headache/migraine. Going to the dentist a) I usually have a migraine or b) it will surely give me a migraine. Because my migraines have recently turned near daily I have put it off. But I can tell that my teeth need to be cleaned and have been trying to motivate myself to make an appointment to go. When my migraines get bad (as they do) the dentist visit is one of the first things I skip as I feel like I have a zillion medical appointments already.

Lillian (and you too Pen),

I have a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS) or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in my left hand. Even though it is currently in remission, it could, potentially, flare-up or spread to other parts of my body, including my head or mouth. Both RSDS / CRPS and migraines have neuro-vascular components. It is my opinion (not necessarily a fact) that having one could predispose a person to the other.

While I am not saying that you definately have this (and I do not want to frighten you), it is something to look into, if you have continuing pain from the dental procedures.

Here are some links to a few articles on a very comprehensive web site that I found during my research on RSDS / CRPS:

http://www.rsdrx.com/rsdpuz4.0/puz_97.htm
http://www.rsdrx.com/rsdpuz4.0/puz_42.htm
http://www.rsdrx.com/rsdpuz4.0/puz_3.htm

This one is about someone with headaches diagnosed as migraines, but that are not migraines.
http://www.rsdrx.com/rsdpuz4.0/puz_133.htm

This one is about migraines, scroll down the page to get to the article.
http://www.rsdrx.com/rsdand.htm

I hope you can use some of this information.

I haven't had time to look at the articles but I had RSDS following an injury (darn cow!). I was told that once you have this, it can come back and to be careful with future injuries. Will look at the articles. Just rather amazing, the more I learn, the more there seems to be in common with others. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

having spent more of my life in dentist's chairs than most others i betcha, because of a third set of teeth, 5 major oral surgeries and 8 years of orthodontia, i feel qualified to say this.

look for a "holistic" dentist. my city of 180,000 has two of them i'm aware of, and i've been to both. they UNDERSTAND about chemical sensitivity (smelly stuff), eye sensitivity, and all the rest. the entire staff is well trained in making the patients as comfy as possible, with little pillows, blankets, etc.

they don't make me wear a rubber dam, and are willing to work around all my weirdnesses. i've been to all 3 dentists in the family group, but prefer one of the ladies.

at my advanced age, now my expensive teeth are starting to disintegrate fast, which makes me very very sad, as i was determined to keep them. i'll have to keep working until i drop, just to pay the dental bills for the current root canals, crowns, and extractions (lost 2 already). and whatever partial plates i get later.

and YES, i do brush and floss faithfully, but still things are not lookin' good. i eat very little sugar, and my diet is full of the nutritious, non-chemicalized foods. i believe i'm getting the best that dentristy has to offer, but they are not magicians, either.

as for TM (trigeminal neuralgia) i've had it twice, from deep drilling. the good news is that it only lasted 2-3 months, and tylenol worked for this pain, when it works for nothing else (for me).

i hope my current dental group is far from unique. has anyone found such a caring bunch as i have? dianne