We all need to be heard for a little while.

Pyxis

That's the trouble with not going, you end up having to have more done than if you went regularly!

I hope you've all told your dentists you are terrified of going! If they know, they can put strategies in place to help your fears, but they've got to know!

I'm lucky........I was terrified of dentists as a child, but not because of anything specific. In those days, the parent had to wait outside the treatment room. (!)
After one particularly horrid dentist told me to stop being so silly and to stop crying, at which I cried even more and my mother came in and angrily whisked me out, we found a super dentist a bit further away, who laughed and joked with me and let me play with his 'toys', (the equipment), and was soooo nice that I always looked forward to going! After that, I had absolutely no problem with dentists!
If I ever needed a filling, etc, I didn't mind at all, as long as I had an injection to prevent any pain. Once I knew I wasn't going to feel any pain, I could relax and let them get on with it!
Several years ago, I even elected to have gum grafts to repair receding gums. This involved them taking pieces of tissue from the roof of my mouth and grafting them in place on the gums. I think I needed about half a dozen appointments, including prep work, etc. Obviously, they injected me with local anaesthetic every time, so didn't feel a thing. When I am half upside-down, I start to feel sleepy, so after a bit I shut my eyes and became very relaxed........the dental surgeon asked if I was ok, as I think she thought I was feeling ill, due to shutting my eyes, and I told her I was fine, just sleepy! I don't think she'd ever had such a relaxed patient!

I go every 6months for a check-up and scale and polish. Occasionally a filling or the crown gets to the end of its life and needs replacing, but otherwise, so far, so good!

I would urge you to tell the dentist about your fears.
Do remember, that apart from teeth, the dentist can pick up on other things, other aspects of health that might show up in changes in the appearance of the gums and mouth linings, etc.

Waves_and_Smiles

I don't want to freak Birdie out before the appointment but I had a very bad experience and reported it. It turned out I wasn't the only one and the dentist was stopped from practising. Since them I am totally phobic about going, so much so that I have looked at private dental practices that specialise in nervous patients and can offer general anaesthetics.

The annoying thing is I was fine before this experience, I had to visit the dental hospital a lot as a child because my mothers illnesses meant my adult teeth didn't all form and some that did had no enamel so they had to paint it on. I used to look forward to going because the lovely dentist was great with children and used to show me the xrays and point out where my new teeth were coming through. This one dentist totally put me off for life.

disabled_NCIS_fan

Morning everyone. You guys can call me Mel. Pretty much everyone in my life does. Except that silly GP, "my dear" I'm not your dear! Lol I understand getting told off by medical professionals lol. My old GP would tell me off for not going in when sick. Which then turned a simple throat issue in to a full blown throat infection. Yeah it wasnt pleasant been a grown woman getting read the riot act lol. My dentist is great. He's really nice, it's a NHS and private clinic. When I used to go to the dental hospital they used to say my teeth were really bad and I needed all this stuff doing and then refused to get me in soon enough so we went to the one we are in now. He said nothing wrong and all you need is a scale and polish! So the dental hospital had wanted me to have all this unnecessary stuff. My current dentist is French and is super nice and I always end up leaving with copious samples of new tooth pastes lol. I mean I have 4 mini tubes of oral B from the other week lol

Waves_and_Smiles

Morning Mel! I don't go to my GP/dentist when I should either. The best (worse?) example was when I had limited hearing in one ear. I used oil and it didn't get better, I used ear medication and still the same. Then I developed earache which quickly developed into stabbing pain all down my face and still didn't go. I waited 6 weeks until I couldn't sleep for pain and it turned out I had a raging infection. I now have partial hearing loss in my right ear as a result of not getting it treated. Wow, did I get told off, and I deserved it!

Georgiegirl256

tea_lover wrote: »

Feel like I might burst with stress at the moment. Got a horrible feeling that P cat is picking up on that. Then the thought that I'm making him feel bad and upsetting him makes me even more stressed! Is there a human equivalent of feliway??

Kalms? Loving the alternative suggestions though....wine, cookies and biscuits! :rotfl: Lavender also is meant to be very calming. I guess it's maybe a love it or hate it scent, but personally I love it! Maybe get a candle or a tart if you have an oil burner.

Has P (very apt atm unfortunately!) cat always done this? Or do you think he's picking up on the tension? Like WaS says, cats are very intune with human emotions.

Waves_and_Smiles

As soon as you said tart, Georgie I thought oooh, big strawberry tart with cream! Then I realised. Not that I'm craving something very unhealthy or anything...

Georgiegirl256

Re dentists, I don't really mind them. Like WaS above, I too nearly fell asleep once! I have to have the maximum does of anaesthetic available (as I could still feel things) and I close my eyes and nearly fell asleep! I bet it does happen! Our nice dentist left to start up his own private practice miles away....you don't know who you're going to get now as they have new dentists all the time.

Welcome Mel btw!

Georgiegirl256

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

As soon as you said tart, Georgie I thought oooh, big strawberry tart with cream! Then I realised. Not that I'm craving something very unhealthy or anything...

:rotfl: Am I weird in that I'd just pick the strawberries out and leave the rest? Actually, don't answer that!

My pudding of choice atm is rice pudding with nutmeg and sultanas....mmmm yummy!

Waves_and_Smiles

I made the phone call and managed to get £13 off of my current internet package plus a Tivo box thingy which I have never had before. Now I am sulking because I thought I had a really good deal last year but they obviously could have gone lower. Oh well, at least it is cheaper for the next year. I couldn't bring myself to say I was leaving right that minute so instead I said how do I go about cancelling my account? That was close enough for them to offer a deal so I am happy! Apparently it is even cheaper if you go through with the cancellation and then they call you within 30 days but as I don't answer the phone that wouldn't work.

tea_lover

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Kalms? Loving the alternative suggestions though....wine, cookies and biscuits! :rotfl: Lavender also is meant to be very calming. I guess it's maybe a love it or hate it scent, but personally I love it! Maybe get a candle or a tart if you have an oil burner.

Has P (very apt atm unfortunately!) cat always done this? Or do you think he's picking up on the tension? Like WaS says, cats are very intune with human emotions.

Am trying a mixed approach - Kalms and biscuits :rotfl:

He didn't do it at all for the first year we had him. Did it a few times last summer. He had a vet check last year and physically was fine. He hadn't done it for months again but it's been twice this week - including once when I was in the room with him!

He doesn't go out during the winter (useless with cat flap, so relies on back door being open, and never seems bothered about outside in bad weather) so am wondering if it's somehow related to him being outside. Although he's been going out again for a few months and it's only just kicked off again. There are a few other cats around the neighbourhood but none that close, and he's never been in a fight or anything.

Hate knowing my baby is feeling worried and insecure about something and I can't put it right