The Dentist

@PeteJ Even though I didn't have my NC headphones, I did survive the drilling with only a day or two of higher tinnitus. Whether to go or not, that's an individual choice. I prefer to go.

 

Just an update: My tinnitus was quiet yesterday but today my ears are buzzing again. My tinnitus increased right after the dentist visit. I would suggest all you guys get manual cleaning done.

Strangely I had a cleaning done with full blown ultrasonic machine 3 years ago and had 6-7 cavities filled 7 years ago. I had no spike whatsoever. This time ultrasonic was used only for 2 minutes and also at a very low setting and the sound did not bother me. This sure doesn't make any sense!

Just posting so if anyone else is going to the dentist they should opt for manual cleaning.

 

No replies?!?

 

Ultrasonic cleaner is no way as loud as drilling right?

 

Who are you asking? Just in general?

I don't know but enough people say not to get the ultrasonic cleaning. I got a manual cleaning last time and it seems to be a universal recommendation here.

If you can pay for dental work or have insurance and can shop around, try to find a dentist who offers electric drills.

I think they aren't as noisy as air powered drills. I had no choice and the dentist I went to has air powered.

They are awfully loud.

 

My tinnitus was caused by ultrasonic scaler and then made 10x worse after a second cleaning 7 months later (didn't realize at the time scaler caused my T since I am musician everyone blamed the music including myself). Those things should be outlawed. It literally changed my life forever.

Also, it was probably nerve damaged from the scaler that caused my hearing loss and not the sound itself as my audiogram is not indicative of noise trauma.

 

I am asking in general. I am in super panic mode. After lot of research I found a dentist that does manual scaling. I did get manual scaling done, but only towards the end for just 2 minutes they used a ultrasonic cleaner and suction which was loud.

I have a spike and it’s so damn distressing! It’s 2:50 AM and I have been up for the last 2 hours!
Just can’t seem to grasp the idea that 2 minutes at a low setting can cause a spike.

I had cleaning done with a ultrasonic cleaner 3 years ago and it was for full 20-30 minutes on a regular setting and had no spike. Had 6 cavities filled in 2012-13 within one day and had no spike!

Just 2 minutes of cleaning can cause a spike... just unbelievable!

 

6 cavities? Did you take breaks?

I think it's almost impossible to determine what will cause a spike - at least, there are loud sounds we think might cause it but it's difficult to avoid all loud sounds and also, spikes can have delays, right?

I think I did the break routine incorrectly. I don't know if this is a spike now because it's common for my tinnitus to go to 10/10 levels.

What concerns me is the multiple tones and whether this particular tinnitus state is from the dental visit.

Can anyone comment? I am so stupid. I asked for breaks but maybe I didn't stop the drilling enough? I didn't have a spike immediately after the appointment and the tinnitus spiked last night and is still this horrible multiple tone 10/10.

 

It's only supposed to be 5 seconds?!? Each time? Drilling and then stop? Repeat?!?

Oh no. ;-( I want suicide. I don't want to go through this anymore. I don't want to endure this spike anymore. I don't want to be alive with this tinnitus spike. I don't want this life anymore.

 

People just ignore me now. I know, no one can do anything.

 

How many breaks did you get?

I should know that it should be 5 seconds drilling and 10 seconds break but somehow I forgot. :-(

I think I got confused from another post. :-(

 

@PeteJ Whether I ask to my dentist take a break or not, she still needs to get the job done and it's still going to take the same amount of drilling. I just let her do her job as she sees fit. The way I see it, the sooner she gets done, the sooner I'm out of there.

 

Ultrasonic dental cleaning almost destroyed me, the lady contacted my rear upper molars on three occasions sending high noise and vibration straight to my head, the spike was not instant, I woke about 3am in the morning with high pitched dental drill noise in my head. I was a wreck, four weeks off work and more medications to try and relax and sleep.

If you ask me its just not worth the risk. We already suffer enough without risking further damage. Dental fillings are necessary, ultrasonic cleaning is not. Get it done manually.

It even gave me tinnitus in my right ear which I did not have previously.

The damage has been done and I now suffer with increased ringing in my brain all because of this damn treatment.

Read up on it, it is a high frequency vibrating tool, don't risk it.

 

We're talking about drilling. I think everyone can agree that ultrasonic cleaning is worse than any kind of drilling and we have a choice of manual cleaning.

How about having a sticky of dental recommendations?
If possible, choose:
MANUAL CLEANING > ultrasonic
ELECTRICAL DRILL > air powered
(Electric is not as common as air powered so will have to call around and may have to accept air powered?)
Request breaks: 5 SECONDS DRILL/10 SECONDS BREAK - REPEAT TIL FINISH

Does that look accurate?

 

I re-read your post. I agree 100%.

I wonder if the ultrasonic cleaning is worse than any drilling since the drilling is much shorter and you can request breaks but the ultrasonic cleaning is used for the entire visit - obviously.

The drilling involves vibration too and various pitches and frequencies. Even the simple polishing was horrible.

Trying to find a dentist who uses laser drills or electric drills is essential - at least, try.

 

I would avoid ultrasonic drilling like the plague after everything I've read here...

 

But, enough breaks and shorter drilling intervals seem to help a lot and some people here who have used them claimed they didn't have a spike afterwards.

I knew about the intervals but I had so much anxiety the day of my appointment and I wanted noise cancelling headphones so I became confused. :-(

 

I have had both an ultrasonic cleaning, and a drilling with an air drill, and it thankfully did not spike the tinnitus. I will consider myself lucky. I have to say that it was done at a newer office, and the gear seemed quieter than at some other places.

 

I don't know. Might be but both are excessively loud. The ultrasonic cleaning can be avoided by requesting a manual cleaning. The ultrasonic cleaning lasts for virtually the entire visit or is a much longer duration.

The drilling has less choices. If you have dental insurance or money, you can shop around. Most dentists have air powered drills but if you can find a dentist who uses electric drills, they are supposedly quieter. I don't know how much quieter but anything quieter than air powered is better, trust me.

Laser drills are the newest tech. in dentistry. Good luck finding that. :-( It is really expensive and only high tech. dental offices will have it. I.e. few.

 

How do you know if it's a newer office? That seems to be the optimum choice to try for if one can. I am not working so I was limited to where I can go as only a few accept coverage via the government.

I wish I could come up with the funds for a more modern office. I suspect electric drills would involve a better experience.

 

I could see that all the equipment was very up to date, including the digital x-rays displayed on the large HD screen. This dentist also had everything disposable, including the clips for the bib, which impressed me as I am always concerned about infections from these procedures.

 

Just an update: My spike has some what subsided. It not as quite but at least it's not driving me crazy.

 

Good to hear, Sean.

My tinnitus just started spiking. I don't know why. I came inside after a long walk with my dog. I had to walk up flights of stairs because the elevators are out of order after the fire alarm went off.

 

I chipped a tooth 3 weeks ago and it turned into the worst case scenario ... where I was hoping for a simple bonding job - of course that was not to be - and I needed a two part root canal and have been to the endodontist twice and the dentist three times since I chipped the tooth. I will be doing the root canal and crown regime.

Oddly — my T is completely silent leaning back in the dental chair. My feet are even with head leaning back - as I get dizzy if my head is lower than feet.

I developed T 9/16/19 out of no where. Left ear only (please do not go into both).

My ENT ruled out Ménière’s disease because I do not have several instances of vertigo several times per year but I do have some. I had a slight dip on audiogram at 8,000 MHz in my left ear; but my T was roaring during the test. ENT said my hearing was very good (I’m 49). The ENT declared I was “high frequency hearing loss” and that was my diagnosis. Ent said to deal with it as best I can. But, I don’t believe it. I can hear a pin drop if no active T ... I am redoing the test with a new ENT in January.

We did the dental cleaning today. The hygienist used manual technique and a water flosser. I have no idea if it was ultrasonic??

My T is silent during all dental
appts; and for 1 hour after all of the dental appts but does come back after an hour or so. My T comes and goes. It’s a high pitch kettle whistle/morse code type.

At the 3 month mark I’m protecting my ears and my non T ear like they are platinum dipped. I did not wear ear plugs for dental appts due to didn’t want to trap sound ...

I am avoiding loud places at the moment, have ear plugs with me at all times and the quieter I am and my soundings the more the T ties to peeter out. But I can’t live in silence I have kids in sports and a job and dogs ...

For now, I have some T free moments. Which I cherish beyond words. As each moment of silence could be my last.

I’m wondering if anti inflammatory-nerve-ear tubes issue is whats plaguing some of us here. As I have never been exposed to loud noises. Never wore headphones. No firecrackers, no motorcycles. Nothing but standard daily noise ...

I’m rambling. But I want to say. Clean your teeth. Ask for manual. Let them use the water flosser. If we spike we spike. It will putz out. I’ve had some spikes due to lawn cleaning ups and the dreaded leaf blower .. the Spikes are panic inducing for sure - and what I do When I spike is put noise canceling headphones on with NO sound and really protect the ears as long as I can and upping magnesium. Drinking a ton of water until the spike dies down.

I’m sorry for all of us here. It’s dreadful. And I hope it ends for us someday SOON!!

 

Hearing loss & tinnitus rates among dentists are doubled compared to the general population.

• A correlation has since been confirmed between the use of the HP [high-speed dental handpiece] and elevated rates of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus within dentistry. Since the 1960s, regardless of the engineering improvements in all HP types, the noise intensities have not decreased in any appreciable way.3,4
• To address the concerns of workplace NIHL, dentists have the option to either wear hearing protection or subtract/reduce the use of the HP.
  
• Since the removal of the HP would hobble any dental practice, dental lasers are, at present, the only instruments that ensure the provision of the same services without excess noise. Regardless of type (hard- or soft-tissue), wavelength, duration of use, settings, or proximity to either the main unit or the unique handpiece (Fig. 1b), their quiet operation does not pose any risk to aural health.5
• The rate of tinnitus prevalence among dentists is double that of academic and laser dentists, medical doctors, and the general population

 

Y'all I'm getting a cavity filled in half an hour... I'm bringing NC headphones but I doubt I'll wear them due to the occlusion effect. Please send me good vibes because I am literally sobbing out of fear from permanently spiking my tinnitus haha.

 

Update!!!! Turns out I actually don't need a filling today! I might need one in a few months or something but I don't have to worry about it for now. I could die from relief!!

 

Hi @Foamearplugssuck ! Glad to hear that you don't need the filling right now. Don't forget to floss and use mouthwash with fluoride

 

NC headphones helped me a lot when I had mammoth amalgam filling. No spike.

 

I believe you'll be fine. The ultrasonic tool (for scaling) makes a loud shrieking sound, but the other tools are less noisy and should not do any damage when used for short periods of time.

I would recommend to avoid the ultrasonic cleaning if offered. It's the only thing that gave me a scary spike in 14 years of tinnitus. Never had any problem with the other dental works though (fillings and wisdom tooth removal).