WARNING! This is written by a tired Swede on painkillers at 5am. May contain bad grammars, spelling errors and nonsense.
I'm afraid of dentists. I'm extremly sensetive to pain and different sounds (hypersensetive) and the sound of the drill almost gives me a panic attack.
Anyway, here's a little history:
I have a severe overbite (according to me.) My upper jaw is 1.8-2 centimeters infront of my lower jaw.
Like this:
(yes, bad drawing, but it was the best I could do atm)
I got bracers for this. First nigth bracers where you sleep with a hat on. I couldn't breathe because I had this big plastic thing in my mouyh, so that idea went to hell.
Then I got the
Frankenstein Nightmare bracers. No wonder I got bullied in school. That didn't work either, because the "pumps" kept scarring my cheeks.
After that I got regular bracers with elastics. Which of course didn't work.
Then they gave up on me :P
Then I stopped going to the dentist, which was stupid because it's free until you turn 20 here in Sweden.
***
Seven years later, not having been to the dentist once since the bracers-thing, two teeth bitten off and not being able to eat hard things or chew properly the welfare office offered to pay for me to go the dentist. A special dentist, trained in handling people who's afraid of the dentist. Anyway, the welfare office lied and refused to pay for it.. which meant I went back to not going.
Luckily for me I had a nice dentist. He called me up at home and offered to help me for free, because he felt sorry for me.
He made an evaluation and came to the conclusion that I needed help fast and applied for a "green card" for me, which means he gets paid my the state for his work.
Now I get valium, some cream, anaesthetic and I try to not sleep the night before I go so I'll be next to uncounscius when I'm there. I also bring a minidisc-player and crank up the volume so I won't hear the drill.
This isn't working very well though, due to me being hypersensetive. Often I just start shaking and crying because of the pain and they are forced to restrain me.
Okay, on to the questions:
1) They suggested nitrous oxide for my next visit. How does it work? I have ADHD and I'm not sure if it will have the effect they're looking for on me.
2) How do I tell my dentist that I need more than the double dose anaesthetic that I already get without him viewing me as a junkie? I'm thinking I'm gonna need anaesthetic + nitrous oxide to cope.
3) He removed three teeth (the three furthest back) on the right side of my upper jaw. I think I need teeth there, because chewing with gums is not fun. What do I need?
4) How does anaesthetic work? A syringe in your gums, yes, but how does it go into the teeth?
5) Why does teeth have roots? :P
6) What can be done about my overbite?
7) After I've gotten fillings etc, it seems my teeth have lost their "feeling". Like they are dead. It like the difference of touching someone else or touching yourself. A one-sided sensation.Will they ever feel the same?
Okay, I'll stop now. Thanks for doing this popo.