Wearing Earmuffs to the Dentist for Dental Cleaning

[999]

Has anyone worn earmuffs to the dentist? I have heard that we need to avoid 'ultrasonic descaling' at all costs. I confirmed with my dentist that they are willing to do manual descaling.

I want to protect myself from all the other noises like the suction hose etc. I also have read on Tinnitus Talk that we also have to avoid using earplugs because of the occlusion effect.

So, has anyone worn earmuffs to the dentist? Tinnitus has caused me embarrassment from having to plug my ears if a motorcycle or some loud noise suddenly crops up. Now I have to be the weird guy at the dentist. (I need to get a teeth cleaning because I lost my job and am going to interviews, and my teeth are coffee stained, plus they probably need to be cleaned anyways).

 

[TheDarius]

Has anyone worn earmuffs to the dentist? I have heard that we need to avoid 'ultrasonic descaling' at all costs. I confirmed with my dentist that they are willing to do manual descaling.

I want to protect myself from all the other noises like the suction hose etc. I also have read on Tinnitus Talk that we also have to avoid using earplugs because of the occlusion effect.

So, has anyone worn earmuffs to the dentist? Tinnitus has caused me embarrassment from having to plug my ears if a motorcycle or some loud noise suddenly crops up. Now I have to be the weird guy at the dentist. (I need to get a teeth cleaning because I lost my job and am going to interviews, and my teeth are coffee stained, plus they probably need to be cleaned anyways).

I haven't worn earmuffs at the dentist; however, when my tinnitus first came on, I did come in a little late for my dentist appointment. At the time, I just blurted out the truth when I told her I wasn't feeling good and sleeping well due to getting tinnitus recently at the time. I thought she was very understanding about it and made my day easier despite the short appointment. I think some are willing to be very accommodating if you need some extra support and if you have to ask them to be careful with noise around you.

Don't worry about looking like the "weird guy," as you won't be seeing some of these people ever again. People move on and forget about whatever they saw in public very quickly anyway. I hope your time at the dentist goes well, and good luck with your job interviews.

 

[nomorenoise]

Lots of dentists wear earplugs themselves; don't worry about it. I wore earplugs to my last appointment; I had a drilling, which didn't affect my tinnitus at all, but that's just my personal experience. Explain your situation, and hopefully, they will understand.

 

[rhiannon]

I got dental cleaning done yesterday, and I don't think earmuffs would make a difference (personally, for me, at least). While they were doing the back teeth, the sound felt like those Oidz toys when it reacted with my ears via the bone. So far, there doesn't seem to be a lasting impact on the tinnitus, but I probably wouldn't risk it again because it really wasn't nice

 

[PeteJ]

Are the ultrasonic tools that dentists use still loud? Many people here have advised asking the dental hygienist to do a manual cleaning instead. Is this still the recommended procedure?

 

[Tim Hogan]

I just ask to have it done manually. It's not as efficient as the ultrasonic method, but at least it's completely silent.