Question:
I have FMS/MPS and lost a filling over 6 mos. ago. It's a deep
one, and when my dentist attempted to refill it the drilling was
much more than I could take. It's still unfilled because I'm too
frightened to face that pain again and I think it's soo deep that
I'll have to have a root canal (OUCH!!) I wonder if anyone has
found a dentist in the Boston area who is familiar with FM
patients, or if anyone anywhere knows of dental procedures where
the pain is minimal?
Answer:
I am not familiar with Boston but in general you could ask the dentist to use
gas anesthesia (nitros oxide?) or ask your primary m.d. for a single dose of a
tranquilizer so that you are not so tense and frightened. Pain is much more
intense when one is very nervous or upset. For me it happens the minute my
butt hits the dentist's chair! ;-)
I can *really* identify with this. I wnt for a check-up recently and the
dentist complained that I hadn't been flossing. We have this conversation
every time. I tell him I can't because I find it painful and difficult but
I do use dental sticks when I cn/when I remember.
This time he decided to show this idiot how easy it was to floss, even with
tight, close-together teeth. He forced the stuf between my teeth, saying
'everyone's teeth are this close together' and couldn't get it out.
Eventually he yanked it hard enough and it tore out and he took up a
'flossette'. This was no easier. About half my teeth were done when the
tears running down my face convinced him I was actually in real actual pain
and he stopped. he agreed that perhaps for me a visit to the hygeinist
every 3 months would do.
My mouth was left bleeding, and by the evening my gums were so swollen - I
couldn't believe it. All my teeth were jangling and uncomfortable andtook
about 2 days to recover.
I told him, this is why I don't floss. I also told him that ppl with
fibromyalgi, which he'd nev er heard of, had lowered pain threshholds. He
was not particularly rough, and he is a nice man, honest. He was
sympathetic, but honestly hadn't realised that he was hurting me, or hat it
would have that effect on my mouth.
I dread fillings - but infact this flossing experience was worse than the
last filling I had. I'm thinking of posgting him some literature on fibro so
he knows more about it next time.
I feel for you in your predicament, but would sya, you really need to get
that hole plugged or you may lose the tooth. And if you really need a GA,
for goodness sake get referred to a hospital with a proper anaesthetist.
You might want to find someone who offers conscious sedation. This is given
through an IV but is relatively painless and safe when administered by
someone with experience and the proper equipment (This is important -several
people have died because their dentists didn't know what they were doing).
It is impossible to do a root canal on me- "locals" do not take and it just
hurts too much. So I get sent to a oral surgeon who administers the IV while
the endodontist does the root canal. I make a point to tell them that I need
extra sedation in order for it to work.
As a result I feel no pain. You don't feel yourself falling asleep or waking
up. The tooth is just suddenly done.
I have a new dentist to cleans my teeth with a machine that only takes 10
minutes! No harsh scraping or picking is necessary- this drill-like machine
does it all. The only down side here is that this apparatus sounds like a
drill.
While you're screwing up your courage and looking for a dentist/anaesthetist or the Fibromites' Impossible Dream, I have a couple of suggestions that might help you save the tooth.
First there's a mouthwash product called Biotene. Everyone's probably going to scream because I'm always singing the praises of this stuff. It's actually for treating dry mouth. It has enzymes in it - a kind of fake saliva, and you know saliva kills germs. At least when it's there.
Anyway if you use this stuff with your toothbrush four or five times a day - not brushing hard or anything like that - you'll be able to clean up your mouth really well. I mean this stuff actually does work. But of course you have to use it.
The other thing is that teeth are bones, and broken or damaged teeth can heal to a certain extent. I don't mean that dental caries can disappear or anything ridiculous like that. I just mean that damaged bone is capable of healing.
We probably need more vitamin D anyway. Supplements are available now in 1000 IU format. This isn't halibut liver oil or fish oil - this is straight vitamin D. It's an immediately effective therapeutic.
The other thing we definitely need is a mineral supplement - preferably in citrate form which is the most directly absorbable form available.
These really can't hurt and could help, especially when you're nursing a tooth along, trying to get things lined up for a filling that hopefully isn't going to end in a root canal or an extraction.
Since I know it'll probably take a little time to get something lined up, I always say one should "improve the shining hour" by doing something useful in it.
