Petrified of dentists but have no choice

loulou123

Well done on the 1st step :-D

I used to have a major phobia of dentists, after a bad experiance in my childhood, and during my older teens, i just didnt go at all. But after terrible toothache i realised something had too be done, and i found a lovely dentist on the NHS who specialised in treating nervous patients. He really was fantastic, and exactly what i needed (his attitude to me was very truthful, which is what i needed - i once asked him if something would hurt and he said 'yes its likely too a bit!' but thats what i needed someone to tell me the truth!)

After his help i actually had braces fitted to my teeth and jaw surgery (due to a medical problem) that i had needed since i was a small kid, and managed to cope with it all. Im still nervous of the 'normal' dentist (the orginal one has left the practice) but i can go there alone now and get through it, so it can be done.

skipsmum

I was terrified of dentists (after a bad experience as a child) and hadn't been back since I was six. Like other posters it got to a stage last year where I had to go. I was reccommended a dentist and she is the lovliest person in the whole wide world. I was so nervous the first time that I was actually sick in the chair but she was great.
She has a button I can hold in my hand and push if I want to stop, that cuts the power to the sucky thing. Once Id tried it a couple of times I found I didnt need need to use it, I just needed to feel in control. Now I don't hold it at all. She also is very clear about how long each thing will take. I have felt comfotable enough that I have gone on to have orthodontic work and now I have a beautiful smile to be proud of, even more so because I got over my phobia to have it.
Its never nice in the dentists chair, but you can learn to tolerate it without panicking.

Violetta_2

Well done Cookiee I do hope you are proud of yourself. It does sound like you have found a good dentist there.

bellodharma

kudos to Cookiee for facing your fear :j its better to go to the dentist and let her/him see what is really the problem.

i had two of my wisdom tooth already extracted and its already considered a minor surgery. the last time i went was June 18th.

it took them almost 2 hours to extract the tooth. :rotfl: but i feel fine now since they suggested it to be extracted since its aggravating my TMD.

everything will be fine and in the end your problem will be solved. just think of it that you're a participant in the reality show FEAR FACTOR! once you've conquered your FEARS you'll end up feeling better!:T

erdd2

Toothsmith wrote: »

Therefore, doing 'atraumatic' extractions by loosening the teeth prior to actually removing them is by far and away the very best way to do the job, rather than just ripping out the teeth with however much bone still attached.

I have only ever experienced the "technique" of freeze and rip and often wonder how my now very uneven gums could accommodate dentures if i were to need them.

Cookiee

Hi lovely forum members x Another update for you all.

Well yesterday was my 2nd appointment and I knew this one was going to be an issue. There was a male dentist in the room who wanted to assist my dentist in my 1st filling. I am sure this gentleman was nice but I was petrified! Luckly my dentist said no that I am a "special" patient and that she would prefer him to leave and have some dinner. I didn't have to say anything and she made sure that I felt completely safe before treatment :-D

I knew I had to have this large filling and was scared about the pain when they inject the needle. However, the nurse started to talk to me about italy (going there in 2 weeks with work lol) and my dentist started to rub some gel into my gums (tasted like jelly). She then put the needle in my gum. Now I am going to be truthful and it did hurt a little BUT! nothing like I was fearing. She made me sit in the reception until it got to work.

When I went back in she showed me all the tools she would be using and then she laid me back and they got to work. She allowed me to wear my headphones to keep me calm. The only things I felt where a bit of tugging and a bit of coldness. After 20 minutes she was all done and I was sitting up.

Phew! I know I am still not anywhere near being a perfect patient however they are really great in helping me. I hope that you reading this and suffer from dentist phobia are encouraged to see a dentist after my experiences. Unfortunately I have to go to the hospital as I need to have my rear wisdom tooth removed as she was hoping to save it :-( But on the brightside I will soon be able to have nashers to be proud of :-D

I will post next week after my 2nd appointment :-D x

Doshwaster

Interesting thread.

I too have an acute dentist phobia. I haven't seen one in over 10 years. My teeth are in a terrible state and I'm ashamed of them (I always keep my mouth shut for photos) yet I'm petrified of making an appointment. The cost isn't that much of an issue but like others I had bad experiences as a child and worried about what a dentist would say about my teeth and how I allowed them to get into such a bad state - which, I know, is irrational as I fully accept that it is 100% my fault.

Sometimes I think the easiest thing would just to pull them all out and have some low maintenance false teeth installed.

Red_Doe

I too have had dental phobia for years stemming from the days when the dentist would shove a gas mask over your face and you'd wake up in pain, covered in blood and being carried out the dentist chair by your dad!
Took me years to go back, but my teeth, like others, are in a state because of stress....I grind my teeth at night and have three broken molars which have to be removed as abcesses keep occuring.
So, I have an appointment at the dental clinic at the nearest hospital (some one hundred twenty miles away from me) and will go there for sedation. The dentist explained this is an injection which doesn't knock you out so you are aware work is being done, but simply don't care about it...a kind of happy drug, if you like.
Afterwards I'll be taken to recovery to rest up a little and my OH will be there with me all the time. Once I'm back on my feet again I go back to the hospital accomodation for the night as I live so far away.

Even before this, last year, I had to have a filling. Terrified, I was actually in tears, but the dentist, a lovely Polish woman (oh boy we couldn't understand a word the either said though! ) numbed my gums before the injection and I honestly never felt a thing throughout. I do think a lot of the phobia problem is a fear of lack of control (dating back to the gas incident) but most dentist will let you stop the procedure at any time during the process, so once you get your head around that, it lessens.

Cookiee

Update ... round 3!

Well went in on Friday for my second filling. Unfortunately I had broken my tooth which was going to be filled and I felt really embarressed. I walked in and explained what happened. Thankfully my dentist was sympathetic and had a look. She said that she will do her best to pack and fill it so it can be saved however she did say that it might not hold and it might have to come out with the other 2. I am gutted as I had been trying so hard to try and keep as many teeth as possible :-(

Anyway after the last time I was not as nervous about having the injection as last time it was not too bad. How wrong I was this time! The needle was a bit bigger but again the nurse was jabbering away so I tried to pay attention to her but this injection did hurt. It was not the needle in my gum what hurt though, it was the anthestic numbing my nose and cheek. The dentist had to give me another injection after the 1st due to her attempting to fill the broken tooth so again more pain. I knew I was going to have to go through a bit of pain to get to my goal and I would feel devistated if I pulled out now after all I had gained to get where I am.

After 15 minutes, bam, I was a dribbling idiot! I had my earphones in and off she went. Again no pain and apart from some pulling and weird sensations of someone putting putty in my mouth, it was all done in 25 minutes.

Afterwards, she explained that I will need to go to the hospital to have the 2 teeth out. She explained that she would feel better if I was under to have these out and that once it is completed we can start talking about filling in the missing teeth.

So thats it. My first big step is over (well until the hospital appointment). I have to go back in 6 months for my check up and see how my gums are settled and talk about either having a bridge or implants.

Now I know I have to face the truth and realise that I will have to have false teeth but I am coming to terms with this. I need to realise that these are my chompers and it is no-ones business to comment otherwise if I have false teeth.

To all who have commented, thank you. You have given me support when I needed it and stopped me from running away.

To all those who still have a fear... Only you can make the 1st step. There are so many options and new treatments available. It might take you 1 visit or 10 or 50 but only when you can face your fear then you an move forward to being happy.

I will keep you all posted :-D xx Love Cookiee xx

suki1964

Thanks for soming back cookiee, bet you are helping loads who are in the same boat

The injections are the worse bit of the treatment - no doubt about it. I read somewhere that its the acid used in them that causes the burning stinging. I concentrate on taking huge breathes letting them out slowly through my nose. Most times it works but sometimes the adrenalin hit is so much Im out the chair bawling and getting worked up to hysterics. Its the skill and compassion of the hygienist and dentist that keep me in the surgery and back into the chair

False teeth are a bummer but I use mine as a reminder to clean and floss the best I can. I have three on a top plate and I have four gold crowns and two missing teeth altogether so for me its imperative I work with my dentist and hygienist in keeping them

Good luck with the rest of the treatment. You are doing fantastic getting this far xx