Ah, the time for firsts..

[per_solo]

At age 32, it is now time for my first Root Canal.

Went to a new dentist today, to fix the filling that fell out, and instead of fixing it, he looked, then took X-Rays, and said that I need a root canal before he can fill that.

Infection...yay, fun. So, I'm on a wonderful drug called...Hmm...yup, it's Penicillin. Have to take 1 at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, and then before bed...RC will be done next Thursday, and I should be able to drive home from it (Me, the boy who continually wants to be put under for such, doubt I will be this time)...and, while taking the Penicillin, I have to take 2 Motrin IB with each "dose".

Jokes about "Pill Freaks" can commence in 5...4....

seriously, yeah...scared. But, the Dentist had a good manner, joked a little (Well, Chris, you only need to worry about flossing the teeth you want to keep), and I plan on recommending him, assuming nothing catastrophic happens. After the RC, I'll end up talking to him about what has been diagnosed by friends as TMJ, and see what can be done about that.

Now...I'm tired. So I think I'm going to go lie down for a bit...have fun.

Comments

[awe-struck.livejournal.com]

Root Canals aren't so bad. More tedious than anything else. You do tend to bob your head for a few hours after.

[per_solo]

Yeah, I'm sure it's gonna be ok, but as someone who has ALWAYS been terrified of going to the dentist, this is a hit. :-P

I think I'll plan on coming home and going to bed afterwards...just the fact that as of now, I don't think he plans on putting me under for this, and I feel I qualify for an amazing award for that. :-)

Of course, I'll be letting everyone know how it goes.

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

OK, I bite. TMJ? Am I supposed to know what that stands for?

[per_solo]

It's something about the joint in the jaw...I can't recall right now what it stands for, but basically, when you move your jaw and it snaps...the person who has it can always feel it snapping, and sometimes it's loud enough that when you eat, the people next to you can hear it quite well. :-)

[per_solo]

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/103/107116.htm

Ok, found the Webmd page on it. :-)

[awe-struck.livejournal.com]

There are some home treatments for TMJ. One thing you can do is place your tongue against your upper teeth. Another thing is no gum or really chewy food. I know there are others, but those are the two I remember. The tray thing they make for you isn't too bad and after the first couple weeks you only wear it at night. Your speech gets a little slurred when you wear it and it is a pain to eat with it. I always took mine out to eat.

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. Are you in pain?

[per_solo]

No pain, just loud noise...well, VERY occasional pain..not enough to worry about. It's a tad annoying....having a "click" when you move your jaw.

[confusedjew.livejournal.com]

root canal's not bad, i've had four. it's the novacaine shot that can be a bitch, but depending on what tooth it is, it's not always bad.

tmj is usually more oral surgeon territory rather than denitist. i have the beginings of it and my best friend's had jaw issues her whole life. i can hook you up with her number if you want advice. let me know.

[per_solo]

Well, yeah...I've always found NOvacaine to be a bit of fun...we'll see...I can't remember the last time I had a novacaine shot...

Will see if I need the OS number...as is, if it's not that big a deal, and is just an annoyance, I may just continue to live with it. :-)

[the-pixie.livejournal.com]

Per, when it comes to the dentist, you're the one who is charge. I think that a lot of people forget this. They normally will not put you "out" for a root canal unless they specialize in sedation (I can attest... I think I've had one on every tooth... bad genes). They will normally be willing to give you laughing gas if you ask for it. If you're anxious, don't r afraid to ask for it....some dentist are good at reading when you need it, some are not. Remember, this is your life, thus don't expect to wait to see what they're going to do. If you do plan on asking for laughing gas though, I would suggest having someone pick you up though after the appointment (if you need me to, I can talk with Bear and see if he can possibly pick you up). You can wait at the dentist office until it wears off, but usually you want to get home and into bed after a dentist appointment (or at least I do). If you don't plan on asking for something, bring some tissues with you. It was one of the things I found a while ago that helps me. Ball them up and place them in one hand and focus on them when you're uncomfortable (squeezing as hard as you can). It allows you to focus on something else and get rid of a lot of pent up anxiety while in the chair.

As for the pills, penicillin is good if you're not allergic to it. It'll take care of the infection, and the Motrin will take care of the pain.

[per_solo]

*nod* Thanks for the advice...I think I'll just try to go through this with the standard anasthetic, and yup, going home to rest afterwards. I talked to him about the procedure a bit, and have followed up on WebMD (What did I DO before the internet?).

Will take the tissue idea and run with it...sounds like a plan...and yes, I think the penicillin will be good, once I adjust to it. Have now read that it generally takes about 3 days to adjust, and the motrin was a good suggestion...I'm appreciating this dentist..his comment was "Well, I could prescribe you a pain killer, but wallet wise, it'll be easier for you to get a bottle of Motrin..it comes 200mg, and what I'd prescribe would be a 400mg dose, so two pills of it is easier for you". :-) All fun. Could be worse, will be better.

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

What did I DO before the internet?

Ha! I'm not sure. I really don't know how people found where anything is.

[per_solo]

Found where anything is, wasted time on an epic scale (well, except for MineSweeper or Freecell)...it just amazes me the research that can be done on the web...along with trivial facts (RE: IMDB).