#but all the other dentists ive gone to by someones recommendation suck

[deathisamotherofbeauty]

nawt the one tooth I had gotten fixed one year ago suddenly loosing some of the material that went over the cavity hole or whatever

[autism-asks]

(Time sensitive, please answer before 11/4/2017) I'm getting a root canal and I'm having a lot of anxiety and depression type symptoms, any advice for dealing with that? I'm going to be under and I'm hoping someone could give advice for dealing with that sensory wise? Also if anyone knows what the process for that is like? How do I deal with the change in my mouth? Currently there's a chunk of my tooth missing and it's obviously going to feel very different, and I have a feeling that's (1/2)

going to be really bad. Also how to be ready beforehand? Like when I wake up? I’m 13 if that changes anything. Sorry I didn’t send an ask sooner but this took me a lot of energy to write and was a huge trigger. Thank you for all that you do. (2/2)

*hugs if you want them* Any kind of surgery, particularly when it involves anesthesia, can be really scary. I’m going to explain some of my experiences in the hopes that this will help you. 

I’ve gone under anesthesia six times throughout my life for a variety of medical and dental procedures, so I have a fair bit of experience in this area. 

In my experience, and what I’ve heard from others, once they put the anesthesia in you, you just fall asleep and then you wake up and it’s over. If anything, it’s a little jarring because it feels like no time has passed at all. Like, for my last surgery, I remember feeling like I had blinked, simply closed my eyes and opened them and it was somehow already done and several hours had gone by (this was for a surgery for my endometriosis. A root canal shouldn’t take nearly as long). 

Depending on the place you go to and exactly how they choose to do it, there are two main ways it might happen. The first is that you’ll be given laughing gas through a mask and then they will put in the IV to administer the anesthesia. Most of the time, however, at least in my experience, they will just put an IV in you and then administer the anesthesia. 

The IV can definitely be scary. It’s a pretty big needle. However, it shouldn’t be too painful (if they do it right), and even if it hurts when they put it in, the pain should be very temporary. If it continues to hurt for more than a minute, let them know because they might not have gotten it in right. 

Once the anesthesia is administered, you’ll very rapidly start to feel tired and then go to sleep. As long as nothing goes wrong, the next thing you will be aware of will be waking up with everything done. 

When you first wake up, your mouth will likely still be numb. This is good and bad. The good part is that you shouldn’t be in much pain when you wake up. The bad part is that it makes it very hard to use your mouth to talk or drink or anything because your lips won’t respond normally. 

Your jaw will probably be sore, potentially very sore. When doing the root canal, they have to open your mouth up really wide and hold it open like that for awhile which can strain the muscles in your jaw thus leaving you with soreness in your jaw, possibly for a couple of days after the root canal. 

While your mouth is still numb, everything will “feel” weird because you’re not really feeling much of anything. Your tongue may feel too big for your mouth or it might feel awkward inside your mouth. These feelings will pass as the anesthesia wears off. 

Most likely, you will be given pain medicine for afterwards like Percocet or Vicodin or something similar. I strongly recommend taking these as directed. You’ll want to take your first dose Before the numbing wears off to avoid the pain as the pain after a root canal can be pretty terrible. 

Follow ALL instructions your dentist gives you, even if they seem silly. 

One of the most important things to follow after a root canal is to not suck anything. Don’t use a straw. Don’t do anything that would create suction inside your mouth. This is super important because while your mouth is healing, the clots aren’t solidly attached and can become dislodged if you create suction in your mouth. This is Obnoxiously Painful. Like pure hell. It happened to me after I had my wisdom teeth pulled and...ugh. Yeah, just make sure you follow any instructions you’re given. Don’t make my mistakes. 

If you wear glasses, tell the people at the dentist that they need to put them back on your face before you wake up. After one of my surgeries, they didn’t put my glasses back on so I woke up and I couldn’t see and I started freaking out so bad that they had to sedate me again. You are likely to be a bit confused when waking up, so make sure there are things in place to make that easier. 

Most likely, whichever adult is going with you for the procedure will be there when you wake up. If you’re nervous about waking up alone, ask someone if they can make sure your adult is there when you wake up. 

For me, I don’t think I’ve really had any sensory issues with anesthesia. It doesn’t really feel like anything. Plus, generally, you’re going to still be out of it for a while after you wake up. Most people have hazy memories of the hour or two after the procedure was done because, even though you’re awake, the anesthesia is still wearing off. 

Be prepared with all of your favorite soft foods (ice cream, freeze pops, mashed potatoes, soup, smoothies, yogurt, etc.). If the numbing stuff is still wearing off, you may find that your favorite foods taste different than usual. This will pass. 

Then, I suggest, make a nest of blankies and pillows and stuffed animals, put on a movie, and just let yourself zone out. If you’re on narcotic pain killers, you will likely be pretty dazed and easily confused. Watch a comfort show/movie. Listen to your favorite music. Plan to do things that will make you happy and comfortable. 

A few of the other mods mentioned this which helped me remember that I have experienced this too: the pain meds can make you really emotional. You might find yourself happy crying over things even if you’re not normally a happy crier. You might just cry a lot in general over all sorts of silly things. This is ok. It will pass. I promise. 

Talking is probably going to be painful or uncomfortable for a day or two. Take this as an opportunity to text with people or test out an AAC app for communicating with your family when necessary. 

As for the difference in mouth feels, I’m not going to lie, it can be really tough at first. The texture of the tooth will feel different. The landscape of your mouth will feel different. This can be hard to adjust to and I don’t really have any advice to make it easier. The only thing you can really do is just give yourself time to adjust. 

For me, I find that purposefully feeling it a bunch can help me deal with it because I’m taking control of the sensory feel as if my tongue were an explorer learning the landscape of my mouth. I’ll rub my tongue over the area again and again to get used to it. This might not work for you. You may need to try to avoid touching the area for awhile and that’s ok. Do what you need to do to deal with this change. 

I also suggest seeking out good sensory experiences for yourself during this time. That might be body stimming, but it could also be surrounding yourself with good feels to touch or listening to pleasing sounds or staring at something visually pleasing or whatever else feels good for your sensory system. 

As you recover, remember that you are your first priority. Do your best to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself includes following the dentist’s orders, doing things that calm your sensory system, letting yourself express whatever emotion you’re feeling even if it doesn’t make sense, resting!, relaxing, and whatever else you need to do to soothe your senses and ease your mind and allow your body to heal. 

I know that you’re scared and that this is a Big Thing, but you’re going to do great! You’re going to find that the actual experience is so much easier than all the anxiety and depression you’ve been dealing with leading up to it. And, for the parts that do suck, remember, they are temporary. The should only last a couple days at most. The strange sensory feels should go away within a couple days. You’re going to be ok

If information helps you reassure yourself, you can read more about root canals here. 

-Sabrina