Dealing with Mental Illness in the Dentist Chair

Just a weekend:

The dentist office called my husband's cell phone to say there is an emergency with Kristine. My husband speeds back to the office while speed dialing me at home.
My youngest daughter is home for the weekend for her birthday.
Our first thought: Kristine wigged out in the dentist chair when they gave her a local anesthetic. My youngest envisioned her sister talking out loud to her friendly voices, freaking out the office staff.  It made us laugh, if that's ALL it would be.

When Kristine was seriously ill, she did not want her teeth touched. Her teeth have since deteriorated from lack of care; if not, from the drugs that dissolve in her mouth. Although she had dental insurance a few years ago, I canceled it when she would not go.

Now that her Clozapine is kicking in and she is more aware of her appearance and health, she wants her teeth repaired.  I renewed her dental plan within a few days and surprisingly, the same plan was $42 less than it was a few years ago.
Go Figure. Unfortunately, she will have to have veneer and cavity work. Fortunately, I found a dentist that does work on Saturdays, so it will not interfere with her school week.

On her second visit, my husband decides he would go with her since it's on a Saturday. The dentist tells him it will be a 2 hour wait; so he leaves looking for a Starbucks. I figured since I did all the prep work: giving the dentist her list of medications and her psychiatrist's name on the first visit, it should be a piece of cake for my husband. 

Upon getting the call from my husband, the first thing my youngest daughter and I think: why was he looking for a Starbucks. The point of going with her to the dentist was to be with her; as if he would find a Starbucks in the barrios of the out skirts of the suburbs.
Although, the dentist was approved by Kristine's insurance with excellent reviews and it was conveniently located on her way to school just off the freeway, I did not know it looked like a truck stop. The office was very clean and so was the bathroom. I checked.  I just hope the teeth come out O.K.

Twenty  minutes into his Starbucks search, Kristine lost blood pressure. Later, Kristine laughed when she told us that her eyes were rolling back in her head and she felt dizzy. She said that she kept telling the dental staff that she felt she was "dying." They panicked and douched her with water, wetting her shirt. By the time my husband got there, they had a blood pressure gauge on her arm while holding her hands.
The dentist had used "Epinephrine which is added to dental anesthetics to increase their effectiveness. It works by shutting down the small blood vessels (which keeps the freezing in your gums longer). Anesthetics without it wear off much faster and you may feel pain before the procedure is done."

I also had fainted in the dentist chair a few months back. The latest dental anesthesia that my dentist used on me that was different from before was epinephrine which caused me to pass out for a few minutes. My dentist freaked out and would not touch me for half an hour.
THEN she tells me that other patients have told her that they feel a slight surge in their heart rate when she gives them that extra drug.

Well. Duh!  Is there a clue here?
Maybe the dentist just thinks it's a roller coaster ride for the patient; until they pass out in their chair.  What kind of cat and mice game is That?

I told my husband to tell the dentist not to use epinephrine on Kristine because of the experience I had from it. This same article above stated that it's crucial for dentists to be aware of pre-existing medical conditions such as"anyone who is prone to psychosis," which could easily be a euphemism for "anyone who has high anxiety caused by past negative dental experiences.  I found out later that the receptionist never gave the medication information to the dentist because they did not look at the paper work I handed them; but they quickly took the information over the phone this time. I blame myself for not handing it to the doctor myself; I should know by now everything has to be spoon fed.

So while my husband is out of town, I will be going with Kristine next Saturday for another "shot" at it.    Stay Tuned....