Dentist - I'm terrified!!!

craftingmad

I'm not sure where to post this so I'm gonna put it here.

I think my filling came out today whilst I was eating some crisps (serves me right as should be on a diet!).

However I am absolutely terrified of going to a dentist (the last time I went was about 4 years ago and that was only for an emergency!).

I know my teeth are in a real state (think rotting, gum diesese and all that) but I am absoloutly terrified. I think it all stems from when I was younger and the dentist drilled through my gum when trying to fill one and then I had real problems with my wisdom teeth which eventually resulted in them being taken out (another traumatic experienece because of the dentist at the hospital!).

I also know that I've got to see a dentist but am so terrified. The last dentist I went to has no sympathy at all about my fear and ended up bawling me out in a big way making me even more afraid!

My hubby has no sympathy at all, i can't let the kids see how frightened I am as I don't want to pass my fear onto them and I have absolotely no-one who will come to the dentist with me tomorrow to hold my hand (god I sound like a little kid but I really am scared - I'm shaking & having palputations just mentioning the word!) (as long as I can get in).

I have tried looking for a NHS dentist on the net who is near me & specialises in nervous patients, who will also treat me on the NHS (as I really resent paying private rates and probally could'nt afford them anyway!) but had no luck.

Does anyone know if one exists in Norfolk or can give me any words of encouragement to overcome my stupid fear?

Thanks xx

mrcow

1. It's not a stupid fear, it's very common.
2. That dentist should be ashamed of themselves.
3. You don't have to have any work done if you're not up to it - you can go to the dentist and just talk about the procedure and see how you're feeling.

tanith

Just remember the dentist will have seen mouths worse than yours many times and if you tell them you are a nervous patient they should be able to calm your fears.. if you don't feel comfortable then try again to find someone who deals with nervous patients good luck! been where you are but eventually overcame my fears .

craftingmad

The only dentist taking nhs patients in my area at the minute is the same one I went to for the last emergency - oh god - now I'm really, really scared!!!

Thanks mrcow - at least you have made me feel a bit better by telling me its not stupid - thats what my OH and family always say to me!

Thanks tanith - I'm sure my mouth has to be one of the worse - for a 37 year olds anyway! but thanks again. xx

crazyguy

craftingmad wrote: »

The only dentist taking nhs patients in my area at the minute is the same one I went to for the last emergency - oh god - now I'm really, really scared!!!

Thanks mrcow - at least you have made me feel a bit better by telling me its not stupid - thats what my OH and family always say to me!

You are not alone here as I to do not like them and even for very minor things they give me gas and freeze my mouth the Dentist say's that I like a big baby when ever I go in, :rotfl::rotfl:

I just hate them rooting round in my mouth and I think the main problem for me anyway was the fact hat I did not go for a number of years.

pigpen

Mine sounds worse! ..If that helps.. aso purely down to a total terror of going.. I was pinned down and forcibly gassed for a filling when I was about 6.. the thought of going now makes me physically sick.. it is awful.. You are very very much not alone.. I also hate having people anywhere near my face or touching me or breathing on me.. I LOATHE being breathed on! all a recipe for disaster. I havent been for 14 years.. maybe more.

Id offer to come with you if I lived closer.. but I would be no help as Id be as scared as you!

I hope you manage to overcome your fear and get it sorted.. nothing worse than a sharp broken tooth (says me with 5!!)

And just to add.. I am so scared I darent even ring and make the children an appointment.. *glows with embarrassment*

spicyprawn

I had a filling replaced on thurs. Was eating a chewy sweet hehe. He put a metal instrument around the tooth and filled it. That was it bit of a buff on the filling after I think. I was thinking all sorts having to go and I didn't even have to have an injection! Im in norfolk will pm you

Kay_Peel

If you post your concerns and questions on the Health sub-board you will get your answers - that's where the dentists reply and that's where people with fear of dentists support each other.

If you do a search for 'dentists' on the Health, Beauty and Fashion board, you'll find dozens of similar threads that will help you enormously.

Good luck!

bedpotato_2

I am exactly the same as you; I'm absolutely terrified. My advice if you can't find one that specialises in nervous patients is that you find one who is used to dealing with children. Let's face it: there's not much difference between an adult "nervous patient" and a child. I don't know about you, but I start panicking and crying in terror in much the same way that a child does. The difference between a dentist who will try to talk to you as an adult equal and one who will be firm and soothing and confident and fatherly/motherly is amazing. I had a "normal" dentist try to take out my wisdom tooth but every time she started trying to do anything I sobbed in panic. She kept stopping in frustration and talking to me rationally and saying things like "please keep still - you do realise that it's going to get a lot worse than this - there's going to be a lot of tugging in a minute" and none of that was any use. It only made me ten times worse. I had to abandon the extraction and walk out in tears.

A senior dentist who specialised in children heard about it and offered to have a go and having made me a new appointment he had the tooth out in about five seconds of tugging (OK, maybe it was thirty; I can't remember now). His approach was to order me to close my eyes so I couldn't see any of the instruments or the awful syringe, do everything calmly and firmly, and instruct me "right, now we're going to do this or that, so keep still." Instead of stopping and trying to reason with me, he just went ahead and DID it. The fact that all my fear and sobbing did not make any impact on his calm demeanour was incredibly reassuring! I suppose I felt "well, if he's not bothered about any of this, I shouldn't be, either."

purple45

I'm really sorry for you. I feel the same way. Bad experiences, scared of the pain, and totally hate having someone in my personal space.

I didn't go for about 10 years, and then eventually because it was on my mind so much decided that it would be less scary to tackle it head on and go and register with one and get a check up. You can tell yourself that you're just going for a check up. One little step at a time. Once you're having the check up you might find that you're brave enough to have a filling...after all you're there in the chair, and you could get it over and done with rather than worrying any longer. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, you are in charge!

It is a real shame that you haven't got a sympathetic person by your side though because I think that would make you feel a bit braver.

I think that the fear can be alot worse than the reality. After all if you go and get things sorted out and then keep on top of it, that has got to be better than ongoing toothache and decay and pain that could last for years as you get older. In the end that is how I try to view it. Also I don't want to be slurping soup when I'm a pensioner ;-)

shorelines

I'm scared of the dentist and went a few months ago....after about 14 years! (I did have orthodontic treatment so didn't go to my usual dentist.) I had to have all the crud cleaned off my teeth and had 2 fillings. Had injections but the dentist was very gentle and put me at ease. It was worth me being scared just to stop the pain I was having.

ETA: I don't open my eyes so I don't have to see the instruments/them looking at me. Works wonders!