I needed two fillings before I moved, but thought getting a filling would be the same anywhere. Boy, was I wrong. I’m now three days from my appointment and my jaw is still in massive pain. Plus, I’d never had a more painful shot in my life. I think he even bruised the gums. I’ve never had an appointment like this. He was so rough and everything took forever. He kept yelling at me to stay still but how could I do that when he was yanking my jaw from side to side? Is there anything I can do to deal with pain? It’s not going away and I’m worried something else is wrong.
Lena
Dear Lena,
I’m sorry you had such a terrible experience. It’s hard finding a new practitioner. Then, when you add it to the stress of having a disastrous appointment, it’s tempting to just give up. The first thing I want to help you do is get out of pain.
Jaw pain is usually from inflammation. I’m assuming you’ve already been trying anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen. The next thing to add would be warm compresses to help get down the swelling as well. If you’ve done all of that and still no relief, I’d call your doctor. Tell him what happened. He’ll probably run some tests and hopefully prescribe you a prescription strength anti-inflammatory.
There’s another possibility as well. Sometimes trauma to our jaw can lead to a TMJ problem. Or maybe you’ve been grinding or clenching at night without realizing it from the stress. If so, a simple mouthguard could solve the whole thing.
Finding a Gentle Dentist
If TMJ or clenching is the issue, you’ll need a dentist to help make it right. That means we need to help you find a gentle dentist who won’t exacerbate the pain you’re already experiencing.
First, do an internet search using one of the following terms:
- Sedation Dentist
- Gentle Dentist
- Cater to Cowards Dentist
Generally, a sedation dentist is only used for patients with dental anxiety or for procedures which are more invasive. You don’t seem to have anxiety, but I listed it (as well as a cater to cowards dentist) because they are used to dealing with fearful patients and therefore tend to be on the gentle side with their patients.
Take one additional step after you make a list of dentists. Check their reviews. You want to make sure they back up their claims of being compassionate gentle dentists.
Please don’t let this discourage you from your dental care. Those types of experiences can sometimes keep patients away. But, you end up suffering more because of that. The last thing you need is a dental emergency.
Best of Luck to you.