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Epilepsy and going to the dentist?
Sun, 03/08/2009 - 11:59i'm planning on going to the dentist this week because its been a while since i've been to the dentist. (a year and a few months) i know its a long time. thing is i was diagnosed with epilepsy a lil over a year ago and i was worried to go back. the thing is i had surgery a few months back and when i woke after the surgery i had 4 grandmals because of the anaesthesia.. what i was wondering is does the anaesthetic injection they give you to numb the area they're working on at the dentist can that also have the same effect as the other anaesthesia? two months ago i went to see a dentist and he kept telling me i needed to be one month seizure free then i came back he said i had to wait to be 3 months seizure free then when i came back he said 1 more month?! so it was 4 months and i didnt do anything and i ended up having seizure again then he told me i had to wait another 3 months. its been 2 months since i had a seizure but i'm seeing a different dentist now. just wanted to here peoples experience and what to expect. and should i be a lil worried?
Comments
Re: Epilepsy and going to the dentist?
Submitted by jderry on Sun, 2009-03-08 - 17:02
Re: Epilepsy and going to the dentist?
Submitted by 3Hours2Live on Mon, 2009-03-09 - 06:25
discussion/982054 Epilepsy and going to the dentist? Sun 03/08/2009 7:59am - |15views|3comments
Monday 03:25 AM PST USA
Before I was officially labeled with epilepsy, I had a seizure in a dentist's chair minutes after an
anaesthetic injection (way back in early 1977). The dentist told me I would have to get all future
dental work at a hospital (all the hospitals demanded referrals), and he refused to see me again.
For the last 32 years, all dentists' offices I tried demanded to know why I was unemployed, and then
why I was on Medicaid. If I didn't tell them I had epilepsy, they said they didn't take adult Medicaid
patients and/or patients who couldn't prove they could pay; if I told them I had epilepsy, then it was
too dangerous for people with epilepsy to receive dental care in non-hospital facilities and that I
should get a referral from a neurologist for dental care at a hospital, but I can't find an accessible
Medicaid neurologist for epilepsy, let alone one for dental referrals.
In a hospital after emergency brain surgery, I was told that epilepsy takes priority over dental
concerns and that my seizures would have to be well controlled (which hasn't happened) before any
dentistry.
To me it seems as if dentists hate Medicaid (like everyone else) and are uncomfortable with people with
epilepsy (like most everyone else), and epilepsy provides a good excuse for denial of services because
of the health risks involved with dentistry.
discussion/982054 Epilepsy and going to the dentist? Sun 03/08/2009 7:59am - |15views|3comments
Monday 03:25 AM PST USA
Before I was officially labeled with epilepsy, I had a seizure in a dentist's chair minutes after an
anaesthetic injection (way back in early 1977). The dentist told me I would have to get all future
dental work at a hospital (all the hospitals demanded referrals), and he refused to see me again.
For the last 32 years, all dentists' offices I tried demanded to know why I was unemployed, and then
why I was on Medicaid. If I didn't tell them I had epilepsy, they said they didn't take adult Medicaid
patients and/or patients who couldn't prove they could pay; if I told them I had epilepsy, then it was
too dangerous for people with epilepsy to receive dental care in non-hospital facilities and that I
should get a referral from a neurologist for dental care at a hospital, but I can't find an accessible
Medicaid neurologist for epilepsy, let alone one for dental referrals.
In a hospital after emergency brain surgery, I was told that epilepsy takes priority over dental
concerns and that my seizures would have to be well controlled (which hasn't happened) before any
dentistry.
To me it seems as if dentists hate Medicaid (like everyone else) and are uncomfortable with people with
epilepsy (like most everyone else), and epilepsy provides a good excuse for denial of services because
of the health risks involved with dentistry.
Re: Epilepsy and going to the dentist?
Submitted by rikk on Sun, 2009-03-08 - 12:37
i didn't have a problem. had several procedures. the dentist i used did not have any requirement of being seizure free, to treat dental problem. i am not even sure the dentist you were seeing has the right to refuse you medical(dental care) because of the seizure. that is something i will have to check on. i have been seen by three different dentists and no such requirement. i didn't have to have anyone wait in the office just in case. no problems, but i did make sure the dentist was able to handle the seizures. some of the dentists, still think the bite block is still used, they still think that they have to hold people down. hope it helps. rikk