Good morning all! I had a dentist appointment yesterday to have an ancient filling replaced. Up until around 2007 I'd had a dentist phobia such that I hadn't been to the dentist since 1968, when we had to go prior to going over to Africa. After 2007 a lovely dentist just removed all the phobia in one visit! Just like that! But since then I haven't had to have any actual work done, and I was obviously subconsciously really concerned about it. By the time I got to the dentist (a 40 minute drive) I was shaking uncontrollably. My lower jaw was shaking quite badly when she was working on the upper tooth. But we got it done, and I really didn't need to be worried. Dentists these days are so very different from my experiences as a child and young adult (I'm now 77).
However, as I had to drive 21 miles to the dentist, which is on the way to my nearest town/shopping centre another four miles, I decided to go and get some shopping done at the same time. So after the dentist, I drove into the town. First to Asda, because they have a couple of things that Tesco doesn't have. Then to Tesco because they have a couple of things that Asda doesn't have. And then to M&S to get a little bit of lunch. By the time I got to M&S I was totally exhausted (not surprising) and waiting in the queue my whole body was shaking uncontrollably. I leaned on the little division wall, but a man behind me kept on coming within about six inches of me, which made me even more nervous. I was so exhausted I had to lean my head on the low wooden wall. Eventually another customer at a nearby table came to ask if I was OK. I could barely speak I was so exhausted. I told her I had a sandwich that needed toasting, and I wanted a drink, too. I was about to give her my card (I wasn't capable of managing it myself) when one of the assistants appeared and said, "Don't worry, it's on the house".
The very kind customer helped me to a table where I had to sit for quite a while before I could even make my hands work. My drink was brought over, and then my sandwich, and another customer came over to ask if I'm diabetic. As far as I know I'm not, but she was offering something just in case. Aren't people kind?
When I had almost finished my sandwich, the same assistant came over with a slice of carrot cake! Everyone assumed, I suppose, that I needed food! But that's the first cake I've eaten for maybe two years.
Diagnosed last October with just PMR, on 13mg at present.
Thank you for reading this. Maybe it will help other people.
Written by
ChrisinNam
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Yes the vast majority of people are kind….and it restores your faith in human nature doesn’t it?
..unfortunately a timely reminder for you that even though you feel okay at the beginning, and think, ‘oh I’ll just do this while I’m here’ ….you can’t - at least not with PMR.
Next time you fancy a piece of carrot cake 🍰 ..don’t make it quite so dramatic 🤦🏻♀️….and put yesterday down to experience (we’ve all done something similar)….
Dear ChrisinNamYou poor thing, what an awful experience for you but Thank Goodness for M&S 👏🏼
As you are now probably aware you over did it after the Dentist, going to the dentist is a problem for a lot of people, there is the stress the treatment causes & the stress of actually going.
Even though you’ve overcome your fear & you are not alone in that, l’d say your body was already reacting when you arrived.
What dose of Steroids are you on now? Some people think you can simply go to the dentist & not increase your Prednisolone, unfortunately that’s not the case for me, l too am not a fan but try very hard to conceal the fact.
If you are on 10mg Pred or above you should/could be OK but any lower than that you really need to consider increasing your Pred before going to the dentist.
I’ll attach you the Sick Day Rules which you may find beneficial.
That should hold you - take it steady 🙏🏼I’m booked in for a filling & rebuild in a couple of weeks but l’ll be adding an extra 10mg before l go - the last couple of times l’ve felt most unwell afterwards even just for a checkup & Crown Replacement…..
Sorry that you had such a stressful experience. I am also scared of dentists. My school dentist was a brute. How lovely that people were so kind and supportive. I hooe that the carrot cake was delicious!
I was totally traumatised by the school dentist, l think they were paid by the filling! Many years ago, l worked on Reception at the Nuffield & l saw this name in the admissions list that filled me with horror 😱And l though it couldn’t be could it? But yes it was! The School Dentist! 😱
Mine was called Mrs Knox or maybe Knocks? She visited in a little pink caravan. Very aggressive! My next dentist was called Lillicrap which was less scary.
They were sadistic - no local for a filling & that terrible ‘gas’ with the rubber mask to take teeth out! I was one of those who couldn’t wake up for hours!My brother was the same…..
She stuck something in my mouth to do an xray. It made me want to vomit. I said so. Her reaction was 'Shut up Stupid Girl.' Nowhere near as bad as my sister who had dental implants at great expense in Harley Street. The dentist must have messed up the anaesthetic because she could feel the pain. When she pointed this out he blamed her for distracting him and told her that it would be her own fault if the implants failed.
I am so glad that you were met with such kindness in your hour of need. I am not surprised that you developed a phobia about the dentist. It was a gruelling experience when we were young. I was once forced, at the age of about 9 to be gassed kicking and screaming before dental treatment. I know now that, that gave me PSTD until now. Of course you know that , that day was simply too much for you physically and mentally. We need to plan things out so that we can pace activities and not become overwhelmed. You will need a few days to recover. I think it is compounded by the fact that although we have synthetic cortisol, provided by Pred. It simply can’t respond to the ups and downs of life in the way our natural cortisol would. We just end up feeling shell shocked and exhausted. Have you been tested for steroid induced diabetes? A downside of Pred unfortunately. I should ask your doctor and describe the shaking episode.
Two of the doctors in our three-doctor practice aren't at all knowledgeable as far as I can tell. One of the nurses is, though. No, I haven't been specifically tested for steroid induced diabetes, but I believe diabetes was looked for early on. Asking for a blood test isn't the easiest thing in the world!
You should have your Hba1c checked regularly, every 3 months preferably but every 6 months will do at a pinch. That will start to creep up if you are having blood glucose problems. It will almost certainly rise because the liver causes the release of random spikes of glucose from the body stores and that contributes to the reading. You can't control that - but you can minimise the contribution made by diet.
Oh God, our parallel lives strike again! I had the same hideous experience but I was a bit younger than you, probably about 6 I think. Held down screaming while that black rubber gas mask thing came over my face. I could still taste and smell the gas/rubber years later whenever I thought about it. Shocking way to treat children...😢
That’s true. We were probably in the 'in between' generation who have managed to keep ours. I remember as a child seeing people with scarves tied over their mouths and being told that it was because they’d just been to the dentist to have all their teeth taken out, which lots of people had as a matter of course...
True... I had my wisdom teeth extracted as they came through - aged about 16/17...Jaw not big enough to accommodate apparently (just avoided saying mouth not big enough!)..no comments from certain people thank you.
It is, it seems almost everyone under the age of 25-30 wants to be something/someone else…very disturbing I think.
Fair enough, wanting to improve yourself, but it seems to have taken on a whole new level …must be getting old & crotchety! ..even my son &DIL who are still in their 50s - just - comment on it!
It must be so sad not to be happy in your own skin. It's taken my older daughter a long time to get there - me, I accepted being white at 40. I wonder how much I've saved on hairdressers since! And now it is even more - I'm embracing the curls as well now
Given that I'm off to the dentist tomorrow morning these comments on here have failed to fill me with great joy!!!!!!!!!!! I do have very definite memories of the school dentist whose sole task, I am quite convinced was to bash your teeth so hard and often with the probe that he could then turn round and say with great glee "oh dear you have a cavity there" Our own dentist used to put a bit of cotton wool on the drive belts of the drill in the hopes that watching that go round and round would take your mind off what was happening - not good days. I'm already on 10mg again so can't even up the Pred, suppose I could always up it to 50mg so that I didn't care about anything!!!!! It's only a check up tomorrow so should be fine, he's actually quite nice, assuming it's my usual one. You definitely overdid things that day, but haven't we all at times when we feel good, but what a fantastic attitude from those people at the shops. Take care and have a restful couple of days.
Hi, Bcol. I don't think I said in my original post how kind both the dentist and her assistant were. I explained that I have a very low pain tolerance - which was pointed out to me by my own GP when he was anaesthetist for my hysterectomy (that's how things work there) - and the dentist immediately took this on board. I had no pain at all, except in the joint while keeping my mouth fully open for about a minute or so. And then it was just a dull ache. I also talked to the dentist (she seemed to be about 12!) about the school dentist when I was a child, and how it put me off going to dentists for about forty years, except when in extreme pain with toothache. She was shocked. So I'm sure you'll be fine.
I love this story. First I laughed at your description of shopping, haven't we all had to do the chasing after what we really want. And then I was on the edge of my seat as I read about your inevitable post-dentist and shopping collapse. Then it was heartwarming to read how caring those around you were once it became clear you were in trouble. But, as Dorset Lady said, there are less dramatic ways to get a piece of carrot cake . Which I am now craving, can't remember last time I had one. Take care.
Well, all that contemplation about the dentist came to naught, or nowt as they say up ere, as I've just had a text from the dentists telling me they have stopped all check up appointments until further notice!!!!
The only reasons for that should be the dentist got the lurgy. How come here has managed fine well even last year in the early days when we knew so much less?
Maybe they’ve lost staff (temporarily due to Covid/self isolation etc or permanently due to people moving on) so are having to concentrate on emergency treatment until they get back up to full strength again? Would have been helpful to know though!
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