Dental Drama

I know I am not the only one that has some serious anxiety surrounding going to the dentist.  It's a rather common fear.  But situations like this certainly don't help me!

When I went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago for an exam and cleaning, I had a back molar that was broken (which I knew) and also had some decay at the gum line. The doctor recommended a root canal to save the tooth. To say that I wasn't happy about that would be an understatement! 

My dentist knows about my nervousness when I visit and suggested "conscious sedation" to help me through the procedure.  After talking with my husband (who has had this several times) and my primary care doctor, I decided that was certainly the way to go. 

I arrived bright and early Monday morning for my procedure.  I was feeling jittery, but ready to have this over with and behind me.  

I was given the medication to relax me, and given a blanket and made comfortable while it took effect. Once they were ready to begin,  I could hear what was going on but didn't feel any concern or anxiety about it at all.  Not even when I heard something along the lines of  "if we try to keep going, it's just going to crumble".

As it turns out, the decay was more extensive than anticipated from the x-ray and they were unable to do the root canal.  They put in a temporary filling for the time being and sent me home.  Not at all how I had expected the day to go.  Quite disappointing and frustrating!

The next day, the office called to go over my options.  It appears that I am now looking at having the tooth extracted and a dental implant put in its place.  Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to that.  I have shed more than a few nervous tears thinking about having to have even more extensive dental procedures. 

How do you feel about going to the dentist?