I live in CT. Before I agreed to implant surgery, I told the implant surgeon that I was afraid of dental treatment, and he assured me I would be sedated and fully asleep. Instead, I woke up in the middle of the procedure in pain. When I tried to sit up, they held my arms down and didn’t give me any more pain medication.
When the procedure ended, I immediately noticed that my upper teeth sat too far forward. My lips no longer close comfortably, and I now dribble saliva during the day and all night. The doctor said this was “common,” but no one warned me I might deal with chronic bad breath.
They also had to check an area where something was poking through my gums. They restricted me to soft foods, yet even those get caught inside the implant.
I’m still in pain, and my treatment isn’t finished. Had I understood the discomfort and complications, I would not have agreed to treatment with this dentist. I now have nightmares about being restrained. I wake up with saliva on my face, and the odor on my sheets and pillows embarrasses me. Some days, I feel like running away from all of it. However, my next procedure is in three weeks. – Thanks. Gideon from CT
Gideon,
Find a dentist you can trust to do quality work while you’re sedated
Resistance to sedation isn’t rare. The sedation partially worked for you, but it didn’t reach the level needed to keep you asleep, so you woke prematurely. In that situation, I would have increased the dosage. With IV sedation, that takes effect immediately; with oral sedation, the wait can be 30 minutes or more. Their reluctance to give more sedation suggests that the doctor gave you oral sedation.
It’s difficult to perform high-quality work on a patient who feels pain or moves during treatment. You may have shifted your head during treatment, and they may view that as justification for stopping.
However, a deeper level of sedation would have prevented this from happening. With proper planning and enough time, they could have fully sedated you before continuing.
Before your next procedure, you can talk to your implant surgeon about your concerns. If the response isn’t satisfactory, consider consulting one or two implant dentists to discuss your sedation needs and transferring your dental implants case to their practice.
The Monroe, Louisiana, dentists at Bayou Dental Group sponsor this post. Please read how Dr. Finley and his team strive to offer some of the best dental care in Monroe.
