I will be the first to say this is all my fault, as I got scared at some point in my younger years and have not been to a dentist since I was 17. (I'm 42 now). So I know I have bad teeth. Here is my problem... I have had severe facial pain off and on all winter, I go to the doctor and they tell me I have a sinus infection and treat me with antibiotics, it works for a while but then the pain comes back. I know I sleep all tensed up for some reason, I don't think I grind my teeth but often when I wake up, I can tell my jaw was tensed. Now since Thursday of last week, my back teeth (before my wisdom teeth area) have been too sore to bite with, so I chew on the right side. This is the same side where my jaw hurts. I put myself on a soft diet, which is not making the pain go away, Ibuprofin is not working, Excedrin migraine is not working. So I have made a dentist appointment for next Tuesday. But now I am noticing my throat on the left side feels funny, almost like tense muscles, and hurts if I try to swallow food. And this morning my fingers are tingly and I am very shaky. It could be all in my head since people are trying to scare me into going to the dentist, telling me that I have a tooth infection that is moving into my brain and stuff like that. So anyway, all this looooong explanation to ask, what should I expect for my first dental visit? They said I would just see a hygenist. Thank you for any help you can give me. Thanks!!