having teeth removed, frightened to death :(

Yes they can put dentures in right away. Or may wait for it to heal first, they will probably discuss this first or refer you back to the dentist for dentures. It's really no big deal,it'll be very quick and you'll know nothing about it. It's a shame you can't let the dentist do it, it's really a quick, painless and easy procedure these days, but I know being frightened of the dentist is no easy thing to get over

I had all of my wisdom teeth out just last week, in hospital. It's dead easy, first appointment they just check your general health and suitability for the anaesthetic then you go in for your op, they put you to sleep and you wake up less a few teeth!

The only hard bit really is the recovery afterwards. You'll be in pain, usually the more teeth you have out the more it'll hurt, but it's really only for a few days. It's been almost 6 days for me now and other than the occasional ache I'm pretty much fine. They will however wait until you're all healed to give you dentures, your gums will be too sore for the first few days anyway, plus you might have (dissolvable) stitches which the dentures would probably interfere with.

There's nothing to be worried about, you're just psyching yourself out over nothing. I have an utterly debilitating fear of hospitals but even I have to admit it was a bit of a doddle. Go in, put your beautiful backless hospital gown and sexy compression socks on, wait for them to call you and then have a nap while they pull your teeth. It's all quick and fuss free, quite honestly I found the worst bit by far was the disgusting bread they tried to make me eat before I could go home. Chill out, you'll be totally fine.

hi nikki -

just to wish you all the best and also to say how 'knocked out' i am with the replies you've had.. absolutely spot on!

i've not had to face quite what you are but perhaps comparable, and certainly involved dentists big-time.. after 30+ years of misery from bad tmj damage they finally took the lot out (tm joint and part of jaw bone), replacing it all with plastic and metal.  well, i was in and out of hospital in 2 days for that - also, in the years i waited i shattered or knocked out several teeth along the way (jaw snapping sideways + epilepsy) which had to be removed in hospital; the good news is, if it wasn't a breeze it was all pretty darn close to it.

thing is, it showed me that i had absolutely no reason to fear what they were going to do - i've come through this and now my dentist is my 'new best friend'!

with proper pain control (which they WILL give you) it gives your body the chance to get on with healing but to be honest i remember little pain from any of it. swollen, yes but putting up with looking like a hamster for a few days is a small price to pay.

my life was transformed - i suspect yours will be too.

how about getting back to your gp or the hospital ahead of the treatment and explain your fears and concerns?  you won't be the first and the time is long gone when they'd just 'put you through it'.  you're about to have what isn't a minor job done and YOU are the one that needs to feel on top of the situation.  it's a whole lot easier if you know what's coming and they can work with that.

explain your fears and concerns; ask them what will be done, timescales etc.. ask what you can expext post-op.. there's nothing unreasonable about wanting to know.  you are the important one in all this.

last thought.. what about afterwards?  do you have people around who'll be there for you in the first two or three days?  also consider what food to have in and ready.

it must feel as though you're about to leap off a cliff, nikki ..but they will be there to catch you!  you won't regret this.

keep us posted, won't you?!

Hi everyone

thanks for all your replies I feel a bit better about the whole thing now.

I have been scared since I was a child, i had to have a tooth pulled out and I felt every bit of it.

they kept telling my mum I was numb and in the end she held me down whilst he started, I've never in my life felt pain like it and I've never been able to get over that experience.

that was the last time I visited the dentist, that was around 16-17 years ago.

it ended with me kicking and punching and running out of the place leaving my mum still there.

I'm really worried about being left with no teeth at all I've Googled n Googled over the last week and some say they will put immediate dentures in at the hospital some say they might not. I know if they don't it's not going to be for long but how will I be able to cope without them?

I can't just stay at home and hide until they are fitted as I've got children to take to school and all the other things that come with being a parent I wish I had the guts to do it a few year ago when my life wasn't so hectic.

hopefully I will get more details at my first appointment next week about the whole process, which will hopefully put my mind at rest.

I'll keep this post updated incase anyone else is going through the exact same as there's not much information on the Internet about it.

thanks again xx

I had all my teeth removed in October last year. 22 teeth in total. Things I wish I had been told pain is a given but not too bad. After about a week or so post op little bits of bone break through the gums causing great discomfort, a very active tongue and occasionally ulcers. I had bits that moved around under the gums and believe me you can't stop fiddling with them. I felt like I was just a mouth completely distracted to the point of not being able to drive. I had my fingers in my mouth all of the time wobbling the bits of bone trying to speed up the process of them coming out. Some people have dentures immediately after the dental clearance. I would have like that but I don't know how people manage them with all the little bits coming through and the gums shrinking with the healing process. My nutrition was awful affecting my nails and hair. I advise you to make sure that you maintain a healthy balance of foods. I warn you that this is hard with painful gums. My nutribullett was very handy and protein porridge was a godsend. I've got a metallic taste in my mouth. Cleaning the tongue and cheeks is good. I'm up for dentures now. I'm having normal ones for the top and I have 2 implants in the lower. The denture will be screwed in. Apparently the bottom set are the most difficult to adapt so having them firmly attached hopefully will help.

The first appointment for me was just a consultation and treatment planning. I already had an x-ray. You will need one. You will need to get measured up for dentures so if you are having them straight away they will be ready. You will be swollen and sore so I can't tell you what it is like having them immediately post op. I'm on antidepressants and mood stabilisers. Unfortunately due to my medication for chronic pain I suffered hyperalgesia. That made the whole situation extremely awful for me. My gums have healed well apparently so I've been given the ho ahead for dentures but not having teeth is emotionally, cosmetically and physically awful so I would push for having dentures immediately as the units can be altered as your gums heal. Good luck it is major surgery. I had 22 teeth removed the others had been removed sporadically. I thought that because I found the odd extraction easy that the operation would be as well. I was wrong. Good luck and all the best,

Hi there I still dont have dentures and my teeth were removed in october. I cant allay your fear coz quite frankly its been the worst time of my life. Im on psych meds as well. I had a general anaesthetic. All was well for 5 days and then BOOM 5 weeks of utter desperation followed by bad management and misinformation. I really dont know what is normal or not now.

Question everythoing. Get a second opinion. Talk with the anaesthetist. Discuss time of recovery and til dentures, Be as annoying as you can be because you need the information, the options, the definites and to be in control of what they want to do to you.