Dentist Appointment

Today I had my appointment with the dentist to have 1 Molar pulled and Root Canal Work on 2 more Molars done. The appointment was at 10 am. So Kenny and I left at 8.30 and got to Van Nuys around 9.30. We decided to get into the dental place and that way I got a head start on the paperwork. Around 10 am they called me into the Operating Room. I laid down on the operating table and the nurse connected the monitor cables to my chest. After that Dr. Gottschalk, the anesthesiologist mad sure that I didn't have anything to eat or drink from midnight on. Then he started the anesthesia IV. The last thing I remember was he telling me that the next thing I will remember will be waking up from the anesthesia. I just heard the nurse telling me that she will take off my glasses. I never even saw my dentist. With that I was completely out for the next 2 1/2 hours. The first thing I remember was my hubby talking to me while being rolled out on a wheelchair from the dental place. I still have no clue what my hubby was saying to me. I must have slept for most of the travel... as the next thing I remember was getting of the freeway in Santa Clarita and driving to the CVS to order the Meds I had been prescribed. My dentist prescribed Vicodin against the pain and Amoxicillin (an antibiotic) for the extraction. After that we headed home, where I just hung out on the recliner.

At that time I was still so groggy that the extraction site didn't even hurt. The only thing that I felt was having a sore throat from being intubated while under anesthesia. 2 hours later the effects from the anesthesia wore off and I was in way too much pain. The pain from the extraction literally drove me out of my mind. I could have screamed or jumped onto the ceiling if I hadn't been afraid of ripping suture. Luckily we had still Vicodin from my last tooth extraction at home. So Kenny got me one of the Vicodin's and an ice-pack and that took the edge of the pain within the next 15 minutes. Kenny then left to pick up the Meds in Santa Clarita. By the time he got back I was looking way better and in a way better spirit.

For me it's meanwhile the 4th time going through that kind of pain. That's the thing with having a molar pulled. It irritates the nervus mandibularis (the jaw nerve) and that leads to an incredible amount of pain. Somehow I expected that this would be happening and it did. But there's nothing you can do about it, than endure it.

Around 8 pm I took another Vicodin, but this time the pain had not been that bad than in the afternoon. It was mostly normal postoperative discomfort and a some pain from the swelling of the extraction site.

The 1.000 bucks I paid extra for the anesthesia were definitely well worth it. It was the most 'enjoyable' dentist appointment of my entire life. If you have a hard time dealing with pain during dental procedures, I would definitely suggest it!!!