How to Protect Against Dentist Sounds?

I recently dealt with this after a long layoff. This was my experience:

1. I bought my own ultrasonic cleaner on Amazon and got caught up on the worst teeth using short sessions at home with earplugs and phones.
2. I asked the hygienist to only use manual tools and I held the suction tool away from my mouth myself and only used it a couple of times.
3. For my fillings he used the laser, aluminum oxide abrasion and the low speed drill for everything except the final shaping at the very end.
4. I wore foam earplugs and large ear defenders.
5. No permanent increase in tinnitus or pain hyperacusis, just a spike for day or so.
6. All in all, it went OK so I went back for the second round of two more cavities and will handle the remaining two exposed roots next month.

George

 

I did not notice a spike when I had a ton of dental work done in my 20s.

 

I would not use foam earplugs because of the occlusion effect. Open earplugs for me are the best balance between protection from the machinery around me, and the work being done inside my mouth.

 

What do you mean by open earplugs?

 

I've never protected when having dental work done in the past. I've had multiple fillings and drilling and I never noticed a spike or change in my old tinnitus level. In all honesty I never thought I'd had to protect as it never even crossed my mind that it may make my tinnitus worse. Ignorance was bliss. Now when I go the dentist, I worry!

@CRGC, I think by open earplugs he means filtered earplugs, perhaps? The ones that let noise in but not fully, while also avoiding he horrible occlusion effect that the foam earplugs produce. Correct me if I am wrong @Mister Muso.

 

I just read the suction tool can produce noises up to 100 dB!

I always did get a setback after visiting the dentist (and that was mostly only cleaning, not using ultrasonic). My tinnitus never went back to baseline.

I'll stick to pulling the tooth next time.

But then again, dentists use (or used to use) Lidocaine. Apparently @Olly132's hyperacusis went away after getting Lidocaine injected in the soft palate, and he experienced no side effects afterwards. That would be a great way to get dental work done.

 

That's right. Something like Mack's Hear Plugs, where there is an optional filter you can either put in or leave out, depending on how much of a sound barrier you wish to create. With the filter in, there is still some sound allowed to enter, preventing a full occlusion effect. (Other brands are also available.)

It's funny that this post should be at the top of my alerts because I'm lying awake at 5 am with new tinnitus sounds after getting new dental implants placed yesterday. It must have been all that drilling into the bone. Earplugs would have been no help there. I did ask for the rolled-up towel behind my head, but what they provided was more folded than rolled, and I didn't like to complain because they had been so nice in trying to accommodate me...

I've had various tones come and go over the years, though, so I've just got to take it on the chin - no pun intended - and carry on regardless.

 

UPDATE:

My new tinnitus tones from my dental work yesterday have been fleeting.

One was like a tuning fork note (E4, close to my existing middle tones), and in my other ear, it sounded like distant fire alarms. These lasted about an hour initially and came on again briefly during the day for a few seconds. I played various sounds on my phone (e.g., "Tinnitus Works" YouTube channel) to scramble and confuse the new tones before they embedded themselves too firmly in my brain.

Here's hoping!

 

It's the drilling that gets me. It's super loud. The suction tool has been a non-issue at my dentist.

 

Does this actually work?

 

Drilling will be impossible for me in the future; they will have to pull. It is what it is.

 

Time will tell whether my new tones have been neutralised, or simply deferred. I remain hopeful.

 

I asked for a rolled towel behind my head to dampen any vibrations reflected back through the chair. The dentist nodded and said that's a good idea; he hadn't heard of it before. It did seem to make the drilling significantly quieter than the previous two times I've had implants placed.

I certainly understand if you feel more inclined just to have them pulled, depending on your dental experiences.