I went to my dentist today to start the preparation for a crown on one of my molars. I've had crowns before, although by a different dentist, and I never had any problems.
Today the sound of the drill bit/burr removing the old tooth was excruciatingly loud. It was so bad I stopped the dentist a few times, and I could kick myself for not stopping the entire procedure because I knew even as it was going on that it was damaging my hearing and would worsen my tinnitus.
I just don't understand why I didn't stop the whole thing and leave. The sound transmitted through my jaw bone to my ears was just unbelievable. I've never experienced any dental work so loud before. I wonder if it was because of the type of drill bit/burr the dentist used. I just don't know.
But if you are ever in a situation you think is damaging your hearing, just stop and get out! Don't hesitate and be regretful like me. It's not worth it. I had reached the point with my tinnitus where I could mostly ignore it, but now I know it will get worse again.
Today the sound of the drill bit/burr removing the old tooth was excruciatingly loud. It was so bad I stopped the dentist a few times, and I could kick myself for not stopping the entire procedure because I knew even as it was going on that it was damaging my hearing and would worsen my tinnitus.
I just don't understand why I didn't stop the whole thing and leave. The sound transmitted through my jaw bone to my ears was just unbelievable. I've never experienced any dental work so loud before. I wonder if it was because of the type of drill bit/burr the dentist used. I just don't know.
But if you are ever in a situation you think is damaging your hearing, just stop and get out! Don't hesitate and be regretful like me. It's not worth it. I had reached the point with my tinnitus where I could mostly ignore it, but now I know it will get worse again.
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On the other hand, my dentist is not a new dentist. He's been doing dental work work for many years. When I made it clear how much pain I was experiencing I think he should have realized what was happening and offered me the option to stop or found some way to reduce the noise (different drill bit?). I don't know, but I think he has some unquantifiable level of responsibility in this also. I'm on my way to see my primary care physician so I can get a referral to see an ear doctor, not that I believe anything can be done at this point to mitigate the damage. At the end of the day, I'll have missed time from work, spent money on co-pays and gasoline just to be told "What's done is done. There's nothing you can do about it now." I read online that researchers may have found a way to mitigate hearing damage by injecting something into your inner ear, but the injection has to occur within hours after the trauma to your ears. I think it's just in research.
. I'm trying to decide whether or not to file a complaint with whatever agency handles that sort of thing. 
I did get an appointment to see an ENT doctor next week. I'm going to ask the doctor about the steroid injections or extending the oral steroid because the pack my PCP gave me is only for 5 days. Of course, if the microscope hair cells were damaged, which I imagine they probably were considering how brutally loud and painful the noise was (it was like having that dentist drill right in my ears), I don't really have any hope of recovering that hearing. The dentist office finally called me back today. They told me the office had been closed for a few days. Anyway they said it was too late to stop the lab because they'd already done the work. So now I'm out $400 because I'm not going back to that &$*#@.