Seen dentist today, need opinions...???

[Christine]

like Ross, i too live in a dentist chair.. by the time i'm done, i'll have $20K mouth.. (ok, maybe not that much, $15K) - i had the scaling done, twice.. so now i get my teeth cleaned every 4 months, even though i end up paying for one of them.. $60 beats $600 for a root canal/crown.. of which i have plenty of.. I just blast my walkman when they drill

christine

 

[ccrawford]

Effectiveness of walkman/relaxation

Effectiveness of walkman/relaxation

I've been using a guided imagery CD for the last four or five days to reduce some of the drug side effects, at least temporarily. It seems to work pretty good and its the best 20 minute vacation I've ever had. Has anyone had any experience with this in the dentists chair ? I usually just wiggle my toes around alot.

 

[Guest]

Before you need to be given blood you have to lose more than two pints of blood. That is a quart. Does your dentist honestly think that you are going to lose more than a quart of blood? Maybe you should take a quart of milk to the dentist and ask if that much is really going to ooze out of your gums. It seems more likely that your dentist has no clue about this.

According to the American Dental Association scaling should be safe at an INR of 3.0 or less. With a St. Jude Aortic valve there should be little risk of a clot at an INR of 3.0.

I helped defend a dentist who was sued because the patient had a stroke in the chair. We got the suit dropped. However, the defense would be useless today because there is so much more information about not stopping warfarin for procedures. The main problem is dentists who do not keep up with the latest information.

Please look at http://www.warfarinfo.com/dentalprocedures.htm and feel free to copy the information for your dentist. I have permission from the ADA to reprint this.

 

[KristyW]

Not just Dentists

Not just Dentists

Al,

It's not just the dentists that are not up to speed on warfarin/coumadin management. My own cardiologist recommends that I withhold my warfarin for 4 days prior to a simple extraction!!!. I told him he was crazy, and I'd take my chances and stay on it! I haven't had the extraction done yet, but I'll be danged if I'm going off my meds for 4 days!!!

 

[Zipper]

I'm going to have to have a root canal done soon. It's on a tooth that's already been crowned but a 'leakage' or something has occured under the crown.

Removing the crown/doing root canal/ and replacing crown is alot of work it seems to me. I'm putting it off for a bit, but wondering what 'orders' I'll receive regarding coumadin and what I will feel safest at. They sure don't make it easy on us, do they? Not looking foward to this!

Zipper *~*

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Relaxatin in the chair

Relaxatin in the chair

My new dentist has TV/VCR combos at each station. Great for the kids. He offers me a headset or cd plus a pair of dark glasses. So relaxed I can almost fall asleep! Don't find a need to use gas with these helpful extras. Only took me 35 years to find a decent dentist!

Ps. Hi Joan, noticed your post after already submitting the above. You will not have a problem on the Coumadin with the root canal. Stay on it. Few months ago I had a triple canal with a crown. No issues. Remember to pre-medicate.

 

[Zipper]

Thanks Gina!

I just know they'll tell me to hold for two days and I'm scared to....so I think I'll lie to them and check my level at home before procedure. If it's too high I'll cancel....would you do it this way? Oh, yes..I'll premedicate..been doing that since I was a wee lass...heehee.

Joan

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Joan.

If they ask you to hold. I would inquire why??
Curious to hear the reasoning behind that for a root canal. Unless they feel it may go bad. I signed a paper stating if they run into complications they may have to pull the tooth. That's when I said. Ok, remember I am Coumadin!

Can understand CYA for an extraction, but not for routine care and fillings. If anyone has the American Dental Association guidelines for patients on Coumadin..please put up the link.
I would let them read it Joan. I also would not go against their wishes and tell them you held when you didn't. I would interview new dentists! Find out how they feel before you "hire" them. Remember they are working for you. If something is not right, move on!
Take care.....

 

[Guest]

Look back 6 entries. I put the link to the ADA guidelines on my website. I have permission from them to copy it.

 

[EVELYN]

Thanks, Al.....I'm printing it as I write and will give it to our dentist when Tyce goes in this week.

Evelyn

 

[Creed3]

Need To Vent!!!!

Need To Vent!!!!

Hi Everyone!
Sorry, but I just need to vent a little here. I called my cardio to ask about some of the things I had written about here regarding my dental appt I had last week. My cardios nurse called back and the way she talks to and treats patients is horrible. I like my cardio but I do not like dealing with his nurse. She gets defensive, and talks to you like you are a child. She sounded like she was scolding me this morning. We were discussing the fact that the dentist didn't have me take an antibiotic because he didn't do anything except look around. I explained to her that my gum bled slightly and she was scolding me because she told both me and my dentist that I had to be on something before he did anything. I explained to her that I asked the dentist several times before he started the exam, whether I should have taken an antibiotic and he had said no because he wasn't doing anything except looking around. She knows how careful I am about my health since my surgery. I later called her back to let her know that I had a slight fever this morning, and she was sarcastic with me and wanted to know why I take my temperature and who told me to do that. I told her that the docs at Cleveland told me to check it periodically and she just said,"hmmm, interesting, because we don't tell our patients to do that." She said she would get back to me. My husband also had a problem with her a couple weeks ago. She was very sarcastic with him. It's like I am bothering her or something. It is to the point where I hate calling there because I know I am going to have to talk with her. I am definately considering emailing my cardio personally to discuss this with him. I just don't know if his emails go directly to him or if they go through his nurse first. I know I have a tendency to overreact sometimes, but I feel that the things I was discussing with her were truely important issues that I needed answers to. I am fairly new with all of this since I just had my surgery 5 months ago and I have questions and concerns. Well, sorry about rambling on here. I just needed to get that off my chest.

Take Care Everyone!
Gail

 

[Phil]

I would send the e-mail and hopes that nurse reads it. I had a nurse like that right after surjury and I told her to back off and act professional or I would tell the doctor what she was doing and would find a new doc. It all stopped after that.

 

[Ross]

Perhaps you need to become a little more self assertive with this ***ch. They're supposed to help you with your questions, not belittle and berate you. I had one like that at my Doctors office and one day she pushed just a little too far and I went off on her. We are like best friends now. Sometimes they need a good wake up I'm not stupid call. The overall feeling I get is that she thinks your going overboard with your worrying, but it is up to us to look out for ourselves because God knows, these people are not on the same page.

 

[Granbonny]

Gail

Gail

do you have a script for Trimox or amox 500? If you are planning on having dental work for anything. You really should take 4 1 hr. prior. Like I said earlier, My 2 dentist wants me to medicate even for an exam..Just being safe.bonnie

 

[Creed3]

My husband agrees with you!

My husband agrees with you!

Hi Ross!
You are absolutely right. My husband just basically told me the exact same thing. He told me that I should be a little more assertive and discuss how she is coming across. If she has a problem with answering my questions, I could make arrangements to talk with the doctor directly or find a doctor's office who will be a little more patient with me. I probably am worrying too much, but this is all still so new to me. Thanks so much for your response. I really appreciate it.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[Creed3]

Hi Bonnie!
I do have one dose of 4-500 mg amoxic that I am to use when I go for my cleaning. Other than that, no, I don't have a script for an antibiotic. My dentist told me that he would give me one once I use what I have. I am beginning to believe that I should just stop asking so many questions and just take the antibiotic even if they tell me there is no need to. I am just so new at all of this and I have so many questions. I just don't seem to get any straight answers from anyone, except here.

Thanks and Take Care!
Gail

 

[Granbonny]

Gail

Gail

After your cleaning just ask him for a script..tell him you want them on hand in case of emergency...short notice to have to come see him for toothache., ect. I'm sure he will give you one. Bonnie

 

[Ross]

He may only give you one prescript for now, just to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction to it. Once you've taken them and show no reaction, he should give you an open prescription with refills. THE PRESCRIPTION WILL ONLY BE GOOD FOR 1 YEAR.

 

[JimL]

My wife, the dental hygienist, gets my amox from the dentist's office. They have a huge jar in the back room full of them.

 

[lcwhitney]

Good questions

Good questions

Gail,
My sister -in-law works for a dentist aho is also my dentist both of them have told me that if there is any chance for bleeding even with just an exam, for my own peace of mind I should take antibiotics. If you dentist has a problem with this concept, I would reccomend getting a new dentist. My family doctor gives me the antibiotics I need for any trip to the dentist. Before my sister-in-law began working for the dentist I use now I had a real problem with some dentists not thinking it was important that I have antibiotics. That is why my family doctor gives me my antibiotics. Any time I have a problem with any doctor not wanting to use prophylactic antibiotics I agree with them get away from them and let him know what happened. This usually means that person gets a nasty phone call from my favorite doc.


Lettitia