Day 111..#Do You Want to See Your Implant?

My "Goodies"..

Okay..so the Nimed is to prevent pain and inflammation..I have to take one twice a day for 5 days..the Nolotil is my go to “SOS” medicine..so if I get pain..I take one of those..with food..the Augmentin Duo is to prevent infection and that has to be taken exactly every 12 hours..the dentist was very particular about the timings for this one..for the next 8 days. The packets you can see are sterilised pieces of some sort of absorbent material that is used to stem the bleeding coming from my gum..and if I have one in..it has to be changed every 10 minutes..I started off with 6 packets..I have two left..each packet contains 4 little squares..luckily the bleeding stopped by lunchtime this afternoon.

Just want to say a big thank you to everyone who offered me their prayers and checked in on me yesterday..sorry I couldn’t respond to your messages yesterday..I was out for the count after I took the medicine..the pain was intense..but I’m actually quite good today 🙂

So let me give you the overview about what happened..

So I get to the dentist..late..*somehow having been in the country for the past 7 months you can apparently forget where you are supposed to get off the train and then take the bus and get off at the wrong stop..* and walk in and approach the reception.

The dental assistant greets..smiles..looks at my face and says..”awww..don’t worry..” (they are very much aware of my dental fears) and she slipped back to the offices to tell my dentist I was here. Moments later..she came back and told me to come through. I just stood there..then I realised I wasn’t moving.

Usually when I’m nervous..I laugh..when I’m scared..I talk..a lot. Yesterday I was completely silent. I think I’d scared myself into silence. Seriously. Even the dentist told me I was really quiet..*he’s used to me talking at him to distract him from the fact that he’s supposed to be looking in my mouth..never works.*

So, I put my bag down..took my jacket off and my glasses..placed them on the side and sat in the dentist’s chair.

I was totally mentally freaking out..but I knew if I said anything I would definitely start crying..so I just sat there. So the dentist came in and commented on the fact I hadn’t said anything..and asked me why.

“Google” I responded..

He started laughing..”You googled the procedure didn’t you?”

I nodded.

He started talking to the assistant in Portuguese telling her that I’d googled the procedure and in turn managed to scare myself into silence. She thought it was funny too..then he said “You know most of those articles are exaggerated..and always give worse case scenarios?”

“It’s too late” I responded..”The information is engrained in my mind..”

He chuckled. I looked straight ahead at the door covering of purple gem covered lips praying..yes seriously. I was praying.

Then he proceeded to explain to me what he was going to do..and in case I felt anything what I needed to do as my signal for him to stop..then we began..

I’d have to say the application of the anaesthesia was actually the worse part. I got 3 injections. One into my cheek and two into my gums..one of which was painfully sharp. I closed my eyes.

The procedure seemed to go on forever as I lay there with my eyes closed..one hand on the arm of the chair..the other under my gown. He talked to me throughout the procedure..I was too scared to respond at the fear that one of his tools would cut, slice or injure me in some way.

40 minutes later..after he pulled out my pre-historic tooth..it was HUGE..seriously..and very disgusting..eyes still closed..he asked me “Do you want to see your implant?” I shook my head and kept my eyes closed. “Just have a  look at what we’re going to put in your mouth..it’s just the implant..I want you to see it..”

I opened my eyes. It looked like a screw..because it was a screw..I reminded myself..duh! I didn’t like the way it looked..and I closed my eyes.

about 15 minutes later..all was complete..the screw went in and I didn’t even feel it. I did however feel some snagging where he was putting in my stitches..but I just closed my eyes real tight and tried not to move.

When he said “finished”..I was pretty happy..he told me I was very behaved and he thanked me..lol..

I was given a cold compress to apply to my cheek..then he came back and asked me if we could still be friends..I said okay..lol. He placed a sterile square in the space and told me I needed to change it every 10 minutes until the bleeding stopped. I nodded.

I collected my belongings and wandered back to the waiting area where my house mate sat waiting for me..and waited to be called to complete some of the paperwork.

As I sat waiting..I felt the anaesthesia wearing off and the feeling coming back to my gums..it was pain that I never even knew was present in the world..like seriously..I thought that I was dying..and yes..I said that. Several times *covers her face in shame*

I’d been waiting for so long that I hadn’t even gone to the pharmacy yet to pick up my prescription. I looked at the time. It was 7:18pm. I then started freaking out that all the pharmacies had already closed to I would not be able to get my meds.

I think I almost started crying. Anyway..I walked to the pharmacy..cold compress (that was no longer cold) on face onwards down the street. When I got to the pharmacy I asked the woman behind the counter if I was allowed to have the medicine now (then)..she told me if I hadn’t eaten it was not a good idea to take them because it would really hurt.

I felt like I was being punished. And I was swallowing my own blood. Awesome.

I got home and my house was extremely noisy..when I’m in pain..I cannot tolerate noise..so I went to the kitchen grabbed some food and went to my room. It took me 25 minutes to eat a quarter slice of “pizza” I had made the night before because I had to cut the pieces so tiny and try to keep it all on one side. I finished it..took the medicine..climbed into bed and fell asleep.

 

I woke up a few hours later..and the pain was gone..but my pillow was covered in blood from my mouth..*I really didn’t know gums could bleed that profusely!* (also, sorry if that’s too much info..I’m trying to be as less graphic as possible!)

I stayed up for a little while longer..and then went back to sleep.

This morning when I woke up..I felt fine..ate..took my medicine and got on with the day. I started to feel twinges of pain around 1pm..and grabbed some soft fruit, ate it..then took the painkiller..after about half an hour..the pain was gone.

 

Despite a “successful” visit to the dentist..they still scare me.

Nothing like having an implant embedded into your gums to help get over fears eh? 😛

I hope everyone has had a good day!

Related articles

• Dentist Acworth, GA: The future of Implant Dentistry is now. (therightsmile.wordpress.com)
• Day 110..#Dentist Update (originalapplejunkie.wordpress.com)
• Day 105..#Why Do I Feel Impending Doom?! (originalapplejunkie.wordpress.com)
• Day Thirty-Two..#Dentists.. (originalapplejunkie.wordpress.com)
• DENTAL IMPLANTS….FAQs (firstdent.wordpress.com)
• Oral Implants: Get Back Your Dazzling, Wonderful Smile (graceabonillo.net)

~ by originalapplejunkie on April 20, 2012.