I wrote in January 2013 about conscious sedation and dental cleaning. This March I had another cleaning with Dr. Christopher Kazor in East Lansing Mi. under sedation. He discovered I needed two crowns possibly a tooth pulled with a bridge and two fillings. I was terrified. I have the TN 2 ache in my teeth plus the TN1 zigging.
Dr. Kazor does not do fillings and crowns. He is a periodontist. In order to be out while the work was done I needed a dentist to come to Dr. Kazor’s office so Dr. Kazor could put me under and then the other dentist would do the work. I consulted my old family dentist. He had no interest in traveling to another office to do the work. Dr. Kazor arranged with a dentist in the building next to his to come to his office once I was under. Dr. Daniel J Derksen is my new dentist for dental work and Dr. Christopher Kazor for dental cleanings. On March 31 I had two teeth ground for crowns with temporary crowns placed and I had two filling all on top left. I went under at 8:00 am. I was given numbing shots. I don’t remember getting them. They used the kind of shots that are the least irritating to the nerve. I was home by 10:00 and don’t remember anything about the day until about 3:00 in the afternoon. On April 12 I had two permanent crowns placed on the top left and another filling done on top right. I have no memory again until later in the afternoon.
The dental work did not make the TN pain worse. It did not help the TN pain. I have had cleanings every 6 months so why did my teeth go bad all at once? Chemo. In 2011 I had breast cancer and chemo. The pills I take now for cancer and TN state ‘may cause dry mouth’. Pay attention if any of your drugs warn about dry mouth. Dry mouth means we don’t wash away the bacteria and hence our teeth rot. I now use a rinse during the day, Biotene and put an OraCoat tab on both sides of my mouth before bed. This has helped with my dry mouth.
I highly recommend Dr. Kazor and Dr. Derksen. Dr. Kazor told me I was his first TN patient and now he has five. I am happy those other four have found him. It is worth the drive if you don’t live close to have a team that understands our pain.
Cost. 350.00 each time I was sedated. This is not covered by my insurance. Knowing I have this option is priceless.