Newest Dentist Visit Recommendations for a Person with Pre-Existing Tinnitus / Hyperacusis?

I have a dentist visit coming up due to a cavity. Haven't been to the dentist in 10+ years. I used the search on the topic, but some of the discussions are 4+ years old.

What's the latest to consider/avoid or when going to the dentist with tinnitus / hyperacusis?

 

I had root canal done a few weeks ago. Told the dentist about tinnitus + hyperacusis and put foam earplugs in when he drilled. Also informed him that if the noise got too much I might ask him to quickly take a break. He was very understanding.

Subjectively, after treatment I asked myself whether wearing an earplug had made things better or worse. For me it felt like the right thing to do (conductivity means the drill is still loud but I think the foam earplug deadened the proximate environmental noise to an adequate and bearable level).

I guess it all depends on severity but post treatment my tinnitus + hyperacusis were unaffected. Hope it goes well man.

 

People tend to avoid ultra sonic cleaners and opt for more of a manual cleaning. Some people also go by the drill for 5 seconds, rest for 5-10 seconds, and then repeat. I would avoid wearing hear protection when they are drilling due to the occlusion effect.

If you can find a laser dentist, that might be a better alternative to normal drilling.

 

Yeah I was a little worried about the occlusion effect, especially having potential drilling right near the ear along the jaw.

 

Looking into that in my area. There are a few that mention laser dentistry on their website, but not very specific as to the procedure. Def looks a lot quieter.

 

Update: Unfortunately the laser dentistry offered in my area is really for soft tissue, and not for cavity filling. So, I guess this is a no-win situation. Time to face the drill.

 

Keep us informed and good luck. Please note that there are some quiet electrical drills, maybe you can find one in your area.

 

Perhaps you should go beyond your area, a long drive and a night or 2 in a hotel might be worth it.

They can do everything except removing amalgam fillings.

 

I’m in a large city already. I’d be driving many hours to another state, multiple times. Then, my insurance becomes a factor too.

 

If it’s not a front tooth, I would just get it pulled.

 

I asked my dentist to do 5 seconds of drilling followed by a 5 second break when I had a filling/cavity done in January. The dentist was very understanding and did it. I also asked for a manual cleaning which they did.

 

This is what I’m thinking.

 

Hi @Diesel,

How did your appointment at the dentist go (if you already had it)?

Same situation here, due to a cavity I have an appointment coming Tuesday and I'm very nervous. Trying my best to stay calm though. It is my first cavity since having hyperacusis, so I found a laser dentist who was very kind and told me he will calmly go through the procedure and explain everything to me. Really hoping it's not gonna be that loud.

 

I had an appointment yesterday to have an extraction and an implant put in. The air coming out of the suction tube when left aside was more bothersome then the drill, but then some of the drill bits for the implant that was put in vibrated my head. Had a crazy spike after but today it is kinda so so...

 

What's the issue with ultra sonic cleaners at the dentist? I've never heard of this, but this looks like it may be better at cleaning your teeth than regular cleaning at the dentist.

 

I'm really interested in this too. As I'm really F'd. F'd really good. I had a cleaning recently with some X-rays. Looks like a root canal and a cap needs to be done to a broken tooth I've had for a couple of years. And I need like 6-8 cavity fillings. I'm really F'd.

It's my fault I guess. As I've been severely ill since I was a child, and my fatigue and joint pain, etc. would get worse each year. I had a positive blood test for Lyme Disease, and then later when I got real bad dryness. I got diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome, which is an autoimmune illness.

Anyways, as the years went on, I'd brush less than less. Like once a week. And then when I stopped working like 15 years ago. I'd brush less and less as I was just so ill that I didn't do anything that didn't have to get done to get me to the next day.

Then I'd start going months at a time without brushing. Also because the toothpaste at times would mess up my tongue/taste and cause food to taste weird. Anyways, I had a lot of cavities filled a few years ago before my tinnitus started. And just didn't brush my teeth and now need a root canal and several fillings.

I'm going to see if I can find one who does electric drilling.

Other thing is I'm on Medicare and don't have dental insurance and can't afford any of this. So I'm going to try and see if there is a charity dental program. Or maybe I get this done at the large hospital and hope my bill would get taken care of via their charity program for the uninsured. Though don't know as I have Medicare, but no dental insurance. Looks like my journey in life will be coming to an end soon.

Though most of my body is partially paralyzed and that's been real hard as I almost died 5 years ago when I had a disc herniation and went 90% paralyzed and lost the ability to eat for over a week and no one did anything. And my arthritis has gotten so bad the past couple of years that I've had to scream in the back of my throat a lot just to move my body as it's like being cut by a thousand knives a thousand different ways. It's so much worse than I can describe as all I've known is severe sickness and decay.

I plan to wear earplugs. As I know my tinnitus will get worse if I drill something and forget to wear my hearing protection. With a drill inside my head, I don't know if earplugs will help or hurt. But I'm going to put them in and hope for the best.

Does anyone know of any dental charities?

Thanks.

 

Many people have complained that the ultrasonic cleaners spike this tinnitus because it uses sound waves to break up plague. This sounds very loud via bone conduction.

 

Okay, thanks. Looks like I'll have to do more research as I like the idea of an ultrasonic cleaner cleaning my teeth as I've been bad about not really brushing my teeth much in the past decade due to horrible disabling illness that causes me to be bed ridden 24/7.

So you say manual cleaner with their powerful tooth brushes is quieter than the ultrasonic cleaner? I've only had my teeth cleaned via their powerful polishing toothbrushes.

I'm so ill and it's difficult to lie there with your mouth open not moving as I also have breathing problems, and so can have a panic attack from being claustrophobic. That I started many years ago when I'd go to the dentist. I'd take a couple of Ambien like 30 minutes before they start. And that's really helped with the anxiety as I generally would start falling asleep. And afterwards, it would feel like it was just a dream.

Are there any ultrasonic cleaners that may be designed to not be as loud via bone conduction that dentists may be using? Like anyone have a model number? Or are they all the same?

Thanks.

 

My dentist used ultrasound last week on me... the spike still hasn't come down :/

Don't do that!

 

I do my cleanings in a private room and with no sonic cleaner. I just tell them to do manual cleaning only, if they are somewhat competent, they shouldn't have a problem with that. My last dental hygienist actually had a son that had hyperacusis (he was autistic) so she really understood the condition and was very considerate. Unfortunately she has since retired and I need to find another one.

Avoid getting cavities...

 

Any updates? Has your tinnitus somewhat calmed down at the level it was before the spike?

 

Thanks for asking.

Yes the spike seems to have calmed down.

However - up until a few months ago, i had massive (extremely intrusive) fleeting tinnitus each day (5-10 times each day, and that was besides the normal tinnitus).

The fleeting have returned, and hasn't gone away. This curse is so god damn random...

 

I agree. Some days, it's calm, it's still there but manageable. And, some days, it's pure hell. Best of luck to you, the success stories on this forum provide huge support for me, I recommend to check it out when it's one of those days.