I have neglected my dental care for years. It’s not a money issue, I just have never been comfortable at the dentist. Now, I’m paying for it because my mouth hurts all the time. I’m ready to bite the bullet. Is there any way for me to get a ton of work done at one appointment? I know I need several root canal treatments, some fillings, a crown, and one tooth to be extracted.
Elliot
Dear Elliot,
I am glad that you wrote. You are not alone in your fear of the dentist. One thing that can really help you is to see a sedation dentist. They can give you a medication that will completely relax you. In fact, your appointments will be both anxiety-free and pain-free. There are a few levels of sedation. You can check out the options here on this sedation dentistry page.
As for the amount of work you can get done at each appointment, that will vary from dentist to dentist. That being said, it is also the sedation dentists who can help you get the most work done in each sitting. This is because the medication will allow you to sleep. Sleeping means you are relaxed enough to tolerate more work allowing your dentist to fit more treatment into each appointment.
Most of the work you need is pretty straight forward. The one thing you mentioned that leaves you with some options to choose from is the tooth extraction. Unless it is a wisdom tooth, whatever tooth you extract will need to be replaced. If you leave the spot open, the other teeth will drift or tip into that space. This will throw off your bite and can lead to TMJ Disorder.
There are lots of choices in replacing teeth. The best tooth replacement will be a dental implant. It is the closest thing to have a healthy, natural tooth again.
This blog is brought to you by Libertyville Dentist Dr. David Potts.