Do You Anxiety About Going To The Dentist?

Anxiety – I seldom have anxiety about anything, but I most certainly do about going to the dentist!  Maybe because I have had several issues with my teeth, and especially with pain.  I feel I have a high pain tolerance, except when it comes to dental work.  Now, I do happen to be a natural red-head (I like to refer to myself as a strawberry-blonde), and it is a published fact that red-heads often do not respond to Novocain the way everybody else does (they metabolize it faster).  This is certainly true for me!

 A Dental Crown Appointment

My dentist had recommended at my check-up 6 months ago that I should get a crown on one of my lower molars.  I ignored this.  When I went in a couple of week ago, he showed me an x-ray image of my tooth.  It had a crack, and he was surprised I didn’t have any discomfort.  He again recommended I get a crown, before something more serious could occur.  I decided I could no longer ignore this advice, and scheduled an appointment.

Essential Oils for Tooth Aches

I applied Clove Essential Oil to my lower jaw, applied Balance Essential Oil to my wrists and even took an ibuprofen prior to this appointment (and I have not taken an ibuprofen in over 2 years)!  Clove Essential Oil can help with mouth pain, and is a strong anti-oxidant.  I applied Balance to help me relax before this stressful event, and I took the ibuprofen to hopefully, prevent pain and reduce inflammation.

I would like to say this protocol worked, but I would be lying!  In fact, this appointment was much worse than I imagined.  After 8 injections of Novocain in various spots, the dentist admitted he simply couldn’t get my tooth numb.  He had already started drilling, so I couldn’t just walk away.  I am proud to say I endured 45 minutes of drilling without any pain reduction or numbing.  While it was awful, I got through it and got a temporary crown.  Whew!

My tooth was quite sore for the next couple of days, and I applied Myrrh and Clove essential oils to my gum and tooth to help with the soreness.  I avoided eating on that side of my mouth for the two weeks until my permanent crown came in to make sure my temporary would stay in place.  I did NOT want any extra tooth work or appointments if I could help it in any way!

My Tooth Story

When I went in for my permanent crown, I was surprisingly relaxed.  I have had a crown before, and I remembered the second appointment involving much less than the first.  Simply take off the temporary, apply some adhesive and put the new crown on.

This appointment is by far the worst pain I have endured in my life!  My dentist again tried to numb my lower molar with no success.  He had called other dentist friends of his and gotten some suggestions, none of which worked.  It can be difficult to numb lower teeth.  As a last resort, he tried injecting straight into my tooth with the temporary off – it is the sharpest pain I have ever felt, and tears were slipping down my cheeks.  I could not sit still.  My dentist admitted he had nothing else to try, he couldn’t leave me with nothing on that tooth, and he did not know what else to do but proceed.

I agreed, and told him I just wanted it over as quickly as possible.  He then applied the adhesive (which was excruciating) and next put the crown on.  I had to bite down hard to get the crown set correctly, despite the immense pain I was experiencing.  This was the hardest thing I have every done!!!  Luckily, the crown was a good fit, and he did not have to drill down any high spots.  He removed some extra adhesive from surrounding teeth, and I was on my way home — finally!  Before I left, he mentioned if the pain did not settle down in a couple of days, I would need an antibiotic in case the tooth had become infected.

The pain level I had at that point was a 9 out of 10.  I stopped at my husband’s nearby chiropractic clinic, and asked him for ibuprofen (the second time I have taken ibuprofen in several years).  I took the ibuprofen, drove home and then started using my essential oils to help with the pain, inflammation and hopefully, prevent infection from settling in my tooth.

My Protocol For Tooth Aches

I took Myrrh, Clove and Oregano in a veggie capsule twice/day, applied Clove and Myrrh to my jawline and tooth, took the new Turmeric supplements from doTERRA as well as ibuprofen every 6 hours for the first 3 days.  Today is the 4th day after getting my crown, and I am happy to report my tooth is feeling good.

My hope and prayer is that I will never need a crown or dental procedure again, except for routine cleanings.  To say I have anxiety about going to the dentist is now an understatement!  I also hope and pray that none of you experience what I did.  I plan to continue using Myrrh, Clove and Peppermint Essential oils with coconut oil in my mouth daily in what I call Oil-Pulling.  It helps keep your mouth clean, toxin-free and naturally whitens teeth.

If you have a protocol that helps with tooth aches and preventing teeth issues – I would love to hear them!

Hugs & Health – Michelle