Teeth scaling question

[PrincessY]

So I have to have my teeth scaled for the first time. Anyone else been through this? What am I really in for? The strongest pain meds I can take are Tylenol. I'm a bit nervous.

I have to have this done on the same week I'm having a root canal (now those I know about, so no horror stories needed ).

[TikiRoomLiz]

From what I read on Wikipedia it doesn't seem like it would be that bad. Seems it's when they scrape the outside of the tooth for plaque ... so I doubt it would be that bad.

Luckily I've never had any bad experiences with the dentist since I've never had any cavities or problems with my teeth ... and I hope to keep it that way after reading about a root canal.

[chickerz]

I had a root canal...all i can say is OMG!!! avoid it if at all possible.
Scaling is not bad at all...its part of the cleaning process

[MellyMouse]

I work selling dental supplies.. scaling is nothing to worry about. They are just cleaning your teeth. You wont even need the Tylenol.

The root canal, this could be a different story. It all depends on you. The more nervous and tense you are the more uncomfortable it will be. There really should be NO pain. If you are feeling any pain during the procedure, raise your hand and stop the Dr. Tell him so he can numb you some more.

If you are truly nervous, (I am a HUGE crybaby at the dentist, so much that I see a Dr who who only treats people like me) ask the Dr to use Nitrous on you. It is just a gas that they use to relax you. It gives you the feeling of a good buzz. Once the procedure is over they give you oxyegen and youre fine within a minute. There is no lasting effect. I use this whenever I have anything more than a cleaning done and I drive home right after.

My Dr is so good that even root canals are no biggie! I get the remote to the TV in the ceiling, headphones for the tv, a blanket, and a girl comes and massages my hands and arms. Everyone should have a Dr like this!

Good luck!

[Spidergrrrl]

Scaling is when they clean under your gumline, so you may feel some soreness, but it's not that bad.

I had one root canal done, and honestly, I thought the scaling was worse. Could have been because the person who did the root canal was just very good - I literally didn't feel a thing after the initial injection of painkiller.

[PirateMickey]

Same here.

No problem with either of the two root canals that I have had. No pain reliever needed once I left the office. Great Dentist!

Thank goodness for the gas though!!! hehe

I had the deep scaling done once and I am still paying for it.

They cut back/trim the gums to access the teeth and that creates more space for future food to get trapped in. Now I have spaces that collect food debris in that I didn't before, so flossing and thorough brushing become even MORE important than before.

It is very irritating when I am out for a meal and stuff gets caught in those spaces. Maybe I am overly-sensitive to it, but it is definitely a PITA for me. I now have to carry floss with me to avoid uncomfortable situations.

I have heard similar comments from friends and co-workers as well.

It's a necessary evil...

Good luck!

[PrincessY]

Okay.... they didn't mention anything about trimming any of my gums! I don't have gum disease - just some teeth with some high margin counts. So as I understand, they will be doing the scraping below the gums and then inserting some antibiotic stuff between the gums and the teeth.

As for root canals, I have had 5 of those and this current one will be a root canal on a tooth that has already had a root canal! I have very weird roots and sometimes they don't get it all the first time. (yeah for me).

Thank you, Dad, for the terrific teeth genes. I really do take care of my teeth - I just have bad genes. My mom and dad both had/have full dentures. I'm trying my darnedest to not have those! I had a really sucky dentist last year who did nothing in the cleaning department, and now I am paying for it. My new dentist seems more proactive. I hope he is not too over the top (money grubber type).

[NickCharles]

Originally Posted by MellyMouse

My Dr is so good that even root canals are no biggie! I get the remote to the TV in the ceiling, headphones for the tv, a blanket, and a girl comes and massages my hands and arms. Everyone should have a Dr like this!

OMG I want your dentist.

[HDAlien]

I have to have it done twice a year, I'm a complete chicken at the dentist and it's no big deal, honestly!

[PrincessY]

Originally Posted by HDAlien

I have to have it done twice a year, I'm a complete chicken at the dentist and it's no big deal, honestly!

Thanks. That does make me feel better.

[NeverNeverland]

I prefer root canals over anything else they do. I have also had 5 (with more on the way!) and have 3 caps (I think they're called.) Ugh.
I don't think I've ever had scaling down though. Good luck to you!

[cpdisneyprincess]

Originally Posted by MellyMouse

My Dr is so good that even root canals are no biggie! I get the remote to the TV in the ceiling, headphones for the tv, a blanket, and a girl comes and massages my hands and arms. Everyone should have a Dr like this!

OMG I need to have a Dentist like that!!! I HATE HATE going to the dentist....

[MissChristine]

I've gotten the scaling done. I'm a wimp, too, but it really wasn't that bad. They injected pain killers/numbing stuff (which was the suckiest part!) and then the rest was just them scraping below the gumline. You really can't even feel it, it's like a regular cleaning. I don't know how many teeth they're doing for you, but they did my mouth in quadrants (top right, top left...) and I had to go in four times to get it entirely done. Talk about ick. You may be a little sore afterward, so plan on eating soft foods just to make your gums feel better, but before you know it, your mouth will be fine, and healthier!

[wolfy]

It's better than losing your teeth later on.......

[MissChristine]

Exactly.