Nitrous: What can I expect?

From: Gregory Bailey (nowhereman_at_nowhereland.org)
Date: 08/05/04 

Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 05:45:41 GMT

Hi, I started a couple of threads a few months ago, I think it was March,
about problems I'd been having with dental anesthesia seemingly becoming
more ineffective on me as I've gotten older, leading me to view the
dentist's chair in pretty much the same terms as the electric chair. Not to
the point of totally avoiding the dentist, I'm there every six months for a
cleaning and checkup, and if something needs to be done I get it done. But
again, because of the ineffectiveness of anesthesia, and the accompanying
pain from the drill, I wind up as a basket case to the point of literally
shaking with fear in the chair one moment, and clenched-up like I have rigor
mortis the next.

I made my posts when I was presented with the prospect of having two teeth
worked on at the same time, which had made me even more of a basket case.
However, I got some good advice here that I was able to use, and my dentist
went out of his way to work with me, so I made it through the two visits
needed to take care of my problems, and in fact on the second visit I only
needed one shot to get through it, and I was kind of proud of myself.

However, I'm back in basket case territory now because I'm going to need a
root canal on one of the teeth ... No. 15 ... that I had filled in March. My
dentist and I rolled the dice on that one, because he had to drill down
really deep, pretty close to the root, on that filling, but we ended up
snake eyes. I've had sensitivity problems with the tooth ever since then,
especially when any food at all got in between it and the surrounding ones
(I was flossing all the time), and it began to ache massively Monday night.
I saw my dentist today and he said it's root canal time.

I was really afraid that I might be in store for two, because I was having
pain in my lower jaw as well right underneath No. 15 on the other tooth he
filled in March. However, my dentist did X-rays and examined that area very
closely and found absolutely no problems with the teeth there, he said he
thinks it's a case of the area in my upper jaw being so inflamed that the
pain is radiating down around my jaw.

Anyway, I'm doing a round of antibiotics just in case, and am having the
root canal done next Wednesday (the top root canal specialist in town stays
pretty booked up, that's the soonest I could get in, although I was told if
the pain got really bad to call and they'd try to work me in earlier;
ibuprofen is handling the pain pretty well although my dentist gave me some
Tylenol/codeine which I'm using at night because the pain is worse lying
down).

Here's the deal, I'm back to the point of hypernervousness over this
procedure, even though this guy did another root canal on me several years
ago and I handled that pretty well. I think I mentioned this before, though,
he did one shot and started drilling and I still felt it, and he took his
drill and drilled into my gum underneath the tooth and injected anesthetic
underneath the root and that did the trick.

I was told today that this guy will use nitrous if requested. I think I'm
going to request it, because I feel it will cut down on the nervousness and
probably be a better situation from me all around.

I'm just curious, what can I expect from this as far as sensations, etc.?
How aware will I be of what is going on? And by taking nitrous, will it
reduce the amount of local that will have to be injected, in that I'll be
less clenched up and nervous? Does insurance normally cover nitrous? I have
MetLife, I don't see anything yea or nay in my benefits package and it
really doesn't matter to me if it does or doesn't, I was just curious and
would like to know going in what to expect?

I've heard that you recover so quickly and totally from it that you can
normally drive yourself home after the appointment. Is that accurate or
should I bring a designated driver?

Sorry to be so longwinded, just have one more thing.

I've not had a chance to sit down and talk at length with my dentist, but
he's sort of been along these lines in bits and pieces. But from talking
with lots of other folks, including others who dread the dentist's chair, it
sounds like I'm kind of out in the ozone as far as my dental phobias, fears.
Because it appears that a majority of folks fear the stick of the needle
more than anything else, but I don't. I could take 10 shots in my mouth if
need be, without a topical, and could tough it out. It appears a majority of
folks don't like the sensation of being numb and want it to wear off as
quickly as possible (my dentist has taken to given me a shot of Lidocaine
and a shot of something, don't know what, that is much longer lasting). The
thing is, that doesn't bother me one bit. I don't care if my lower lip is
hanging down to my ankles until Christmas 2007 and it takes 25 shots without
a topical to do it, I simply do not want to feel the drill. Is that out in
the ozone?

Thanks in advance for any help.

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