Dental Hygienist — Is It Safe to Do Cleaning?

[Shaullazar]

I have an appointment with my dental hygienist scheduled for next week,
Usually a session of cleaning the teeth takes up to an hour.
The hygienist uses all sort of tools that are noisy.

Is it safe to go using earplugs?

Thanks in advance

 

[glynis]

Yes you should be fine.
If you get a little spike it should be short lived and settle soon.

Good luck... lots of love.

 

[Shaullazar]

Thank you Glynis

 

[Tweaker]

Be cautious. I went to dentist yesterday. I had an hour long appointment. In the evening my tinnitus spiked very badly. It has stayed like it all day today. I hope it settles down soon. I believe it was the ultrasonic descaler the dentists use. The high frequencies go right through my ears and it sets off the high frequency noises. I asked the dentist to resort to the old fashioned manual descaling. It hurts a bit but no noise. Next time I go I will avoid the ultrasonic descaler altogether. The noise wont damage your ears but it certainly makes mine react and seems to disturb my inner ear hair cells. Kinda sends them into a frenzy. Some folk may not be affected at all. You may be fine but I would ask them to minimise the length of time with the ultrasonic. Now I can't sleep. It's torturous. Hope it goes down a bit. My usual tinnitus is bad enough.

And regarding earplugs, they will likely intensify the sounds you hear as the noise is being generated inside your mouth. I think better without. A simple test you can do: try scratching your tooth. How loud is the scratching sound? Then put earplugs in and scratch the same tooth. You will still hear the scratching sound, likely even more loudly.

 

[Shaullazar]

Hey @Tweaker, thanks for the update, did you use earplugs?
I hope it will settle down soon for you.

 

[Tweaker]

No, I figured it would only intensify the sounds of the instruments in my mouth, like when your ears are blocked you hear your own voice a lot louder. Try my little experiment an dlet me know what you think.

 

[Telis]

I agree, do not wear plugs, way louder.

 

[Nucleo]

Do not wear ear plugs. Dental work sounds are transmitted by your teeth directly to your skull, which has the cochlea embedded in. They won't do anything.

 

[Karl28]

You could wear earmuffs instead.

 

[just1morething]

I had my teeth cleaned yesterday and now my left ear noise is very loud and disturbing. Could be related to a tooth that needs a crown and possible tooth nerve root irritation. I needed that tooth worked on in June according to the dentist, but I thought the dentist was getting a little carried away with all the dental work I had already done including a implant so I delayed it. That side of my mouth has some TMJ problems too, so I am confused. No pain, just some crunchiness from crepitus in that joint.

Edit: Just called dental office and the person I talked to said that my increased noise was more likely from TMJ irritation than upper left tooth nerves. She had never heard of tinnitus before though so I may need to speak directly to the dentist.

 

[LadyDi]

I have had many cleanings and even serious dental work since I developed tinnitus three years ago. Never any permanent increase in noise.

Also, the thing to wear for dental work is noise canceling headphones, not earplugs.

 

[racedy]

So have any of you had experience using noise cancelling headphones, specifically @LadyDi? I was thinking of using my Bose ANC headphones. I think Peltors might be overkill and I think bone conduction would be very pronounced in those.

My main concern is the frequency of the hissing/squealing suction tube my hygienist sometimes leaves dangling in my mouth, inches from my hyperacusis ear. (I will ask my hygienist to shut that off or let me hold the suction tube outside my mouth -- had to yank it out last time in a panic.) She does manual cleaning so loud tools aren't really a concern.

I also am thinking of taking a Xanax, last time I went for a cleaning I was on edge because of coronavirus, which may have made me a little more sensitive to sounds. I really have to time it right though so I am not falling asleep in the chair.

Any thoughts?

 

[racedy]

Just wanted to update anyone who may stumble across this thread.

1. No need to wear any ear pro for a cleaning
2. Manual scaling only -- that ultrasonic scaler is pretty loud and high pitched. I could hear it down a hallway thru the closed door. It's worse than a drill IMO because it's used for like a minute straight at a go. Avoid. (To think I once loved that thing because it was less painful than the scraping!)
3. My hygienist gave me control over the suction tube -- she let me hold it and told me how to turn it off and on, altho she ended up just taking it from me and turning it on when she needed it. Wasnt a big deal at all (The last cleaning she had left in my mouth while scaling some of my top molars and that irritated me (not because of loudness, but hissing sound)
4. Request to play music you like, or a channel if they have a radio on. And ask to turn down volume if loud (or turn up if you don't want to hear the ultrasonic scaler down the hallway haha)
5. Ask hygienists to talk to you while working on you if you feel nervous. (Or just ask them things about their life -- my hygienist and I were neighbors so she likes to chat and give me updates while she works.) They are very sympathetic if you mention you have tinnitus. Guaranteed they know someone who has it.
6. You will be fine! Remember to breathe!

I also did not take Xanax. I had it with me just to feel better knowing I had it in case I needed it. Even though timing wise it wouldn't have kicked in till the cleaning was nearly done. I will save that for dental work.

Also to avoid cavities:

• Always use toothpaste with fluoride.
• If you use "hippie toothpaste" (I was guilty of this for a year), use a fluoride mouthwash.

Seriously, fluoride is your best defense against cavities. It's more important than flossing at preventing cavities if you review the peer-reviewed literature on it.

Electronic toothbrush with rotating head (Oral B / Braun) seems to be best at cleaning (better than a Sonicare and a regular toothbrush). If this is too loud for you, a regular tooth brush will do. Soft bristles, light pressure.

If you get a cavity that is way in the back (molars), you can actually get the cavity treated with fluoride rather than a filling, but it will turn the area treated black (which is why you want to make sure it can't be seen when you smile -- although I guess if you don't care, then go for it!). I had a tiny cavity on a molar that was treated this way -- no drilling involved.