What to Do About Dental Work?

Hi all,

Has anyone with severe H & T found any ways to successfully deal with dentist visits? I use custom earplugs and isolating headphones for most loud situations that I need to be in, which mostly works - but as far as I know, there is no way to protect drill sounds through bone conduction from having my teeth worked on.

My tinnitus gets so much louder after exposure to noise - for extended periods of time, and if it's bad enough, it seems to make it permanently louder. Nothing in the past year has been as bad as a trip to the dentist to have some fillings replaced. Even the white noise I had been using to distract myself from tinnitus stopped being as effective.

I've had some really rough times recently and my sleep has not been good either ... I'm fairly terrified of it getting worse. Would much appreciate any feedback you all may have about this issue. I've had tinnitus and hyperacusis for 16 years, and despite doing just about everything I possibly could have to adjust to this situation and seek remedies both simple and elaborate, it has sadly gotten continually worse.

Thanks,
Ben

 

Hey @Benjamin Greenberg . I just saw your post and quickly wanted to say that I recently got back from Having my first cavity taken care of (I have mild H and moderate T). I have to go back for two more at the end of the month as well ( I guess ip when it rains it pours)

I have recently started TRT and was instructed by my audiologist saying that it would be ok (for getting a cavity taken care of) and that I wouldn't need any protection (I did use some over ear Bose headphones though just to make sure, plus I could listen to a podcast while it was happening) and that I should just turn up my sound generators on my ears.

Wishing you all the best my friend and I hope it goes well!

 

Look into places that do air abrasion dental work. No drill is involved, I have gotten two cavities filled that way since having h & t.

 

Thanks Demi, I didn't even know that existed! Have been looking into it - do you know if it's much different from laser dentistry? I had tried that but the waterpik still had a high pitched buzz that was really painful.

 

Umm, I'm actually not sure! Sorry! But I know there was still some noise but it was definitely pretty quiet compared to the likes of a drill.