Bad experience?

[Katiepie]

Does everyone here who's dental-phobic have some sort of bad experiences they can point to as the cause? My mom took me to the dentist twice a year every year while I was growing up. When I was old enough to drive myself, I stopped going because I was also starting to get cavities and I hated having them filled. I didn't go for 10 years and finally, I had to because my teeth were hurting really badly. But my point is, that I can't think of a single thing that ever happened to me to make me so terrified now of going to the dentist. When I finally went 10 years ago, I had a root canal and several cavities filled and several crowns put on...all in 2 appointments. She didn't do anything bad to me, but still, I cound't face going back to her after those appointments were completed. So for the past 7 years, I haven't been until recently. As soon as I sat in the chair, I immediately started crying and my dentist was very nice, promising not to touch me, and staying across the room from me. She said she didn't know what had happened to me and we didn't need to talk about it then, since I was so upset, but that she would get me back to a place where the crying wouldn't happen. I told her I couldn't pinpoint anything at all that happened....and now I think she thinks I'm crazy. Am I the only one who is just scared, with no good reason?

[archaeodani2]

I have two good reasons for anxiety

1. I'm an abuse survivor and having someone "of authority" hover over me is tremendously frightening. Plus my abuser is the one who took me to the dentist. My "reward" for being good at the dentist was being abused.. Nice, huh?? >

2. The smaller, high-pitched drill for fine cavities has a vibrational frequency that just plain chaps my a## = it's like a "nails on a chalkboard" kind of thing for others, for me.. Drives me batty

I've worked where I am for 4 years now. It's a basement office where the major tenant is a dental office. You can imagine the anxiety I felt all the first week I worked here - with the smells triggering alllll manner of anxiety, and having 3 busted teeth to boot, to deal with. It's only been this year that I've noticed the smells no longer trigger the anxiety, and being able to see and get to know the staff of the dental office makes dealing with (not getting over, but dealing) the anxieties above much more manageable. They are VERY VERY accommodating to my fears and acknowlege them..

I think for the most part, finding out the deeper cause of the anxiety is the best way to go about punching it down and dealing with it..

I honestly thought my fears were pain-based = they aren't. I have two children I gave birth to without anaesthesia. I hate needles, always have. Thinking of getting a dental shot is anxiety producing, but I've only had one "bad" shot. The breathing techniques used in childbirth, and discussed in other threads on this board (breathe in for a count of 3-6, slowly breathe out for twice that count, for instance) also has a calming effect for me = it's all individual.

Did that help in any way??

[brit]

From months of hanging around here *, I would say the majority of older posters do have at least one bad dental experience in their past but that's maybe because techniques weren't so good as they are now when they were growing up and dental health was generally worse across the board so more invasive treatment was involved from a younger age.

There is however a significant number of posters who say like you do, that nothing that bad has really happened to you so why the fear? *I would guess that the younger posters in this category are basically suffering from 'fear of the unknown', it doesn't help that everyone is supposed 'to hate going to the dentist' so it must be 'a place where bad things do sometimes happen, so maybe I'd rather not go there if I don't have to; and people would think I was weird if I said I actually like my dentist and trust them to keep things comfortable for me during treatment.'

It sounds like you did recently have some invasive treatment, maybe the dentist wasn't quite the ideal one for you...and the experience was just ok; or maybe you don't realise how much you dislike being 'out of control and having to trust another individual to work on you' .....there are lots of reasons why you may feel the way you do...most people have some level of anxiety around dental treatment (even if it's only that you worry about the dentist's competence).

As for me personally, yes I did have bad childhood experiences but they were so bad and painful, I find modern treatment almost pleasant in comparison provided it's painfree. I had nothing but good experiences as a teenager. I have never avoided care however I do always try to choose a dentist with a good chairside manner because I find that aspect very important to reducing/eliminating latent anxiety. Maybe you'd be happier in a 'dental spa' type environment..any near you at all?

[scaredstiff]

I'm one of the older posters (young in heart though just happen to have been born too soon). I have never really been able to understand my fears because I have a high threshold of pain, and normally a confident, sensible person afraid of nothing else and yet, this irrational fear. I can't remember actually being hurt when I went to the dentist as a child but I can still hear the sound of the drill and believe me in those days they were loud and big. I can still smell that awful antiseptic smell (which I suppose was good it meant everything was clean), I can still smell and feel the mask as I had gas for a tooth extraction and worst of all the taste of the metal thing they put in my mouth to keep it open. I also remember the taste of the mouthwash - still hate mouthwash today. And of course the seemingly uncaring attitudes of the dentist then. I also remember it was like a conveyor belt system, loads of us kids in the waiting room waiting to be marched in. So really can't say I remember a particuar instance where it was particularly horrible but it is just a whole lot of memories conjuring up what dentists used to be like.

[Imnotbetty]

<~~younger poster

I did have bad experiences as a child. Mean dentist, lots of cavities that at this point I'm not even sure existed as badly as he claimed. I was so scared that my parents simply stopped taking me when I was 12.

[ReallyScared]

I'm not sure whether I would be classed as an older poster or not... but my fear defintely started from a bad experience as a child - I was badly traumatised, and still find it very difficult to talk about now, almost 30 years later...

[mikey]

Mine was going to get three teeth out when I was 10 and didnt get numb all the way. I'm also needle phobic.

[puppypusher]

I,like a lot of us, also had bad experiences growing up.each visit to the dentist was a bad experience.The cleanings were fine.Loved the flavor of the toothpaste they used although it felt a bit gritty.When i had fillings done it was 'sit in the chair and take it' no numbing at all.The first few years weren't too bad as he had a nice slow speed drill.Took longer but didn't hurt as much.then came the day I was introduced to his new toy.It was a high speed drill that whistled.he was so proud of that dam thing.I let him try it once and a few major ouches later I was asking to be able tp have the old drill which was fine until one day he no longer had it.from then on I weren't too happy.Still remember the pain,burning,and the burning smell.Fast forward to the present.Great dentist,no pain,and lots of nitrous....My how my attitude toward the dentist has changed.Good Luck with your appt.

[Purple]

Not a phobic but thought i would post.

Always wondered why are ( in my experience) female dentists/nurses/doctors etc etc so impatient with children..... i remember when i was a kid had this female dentist, didnt like the look of her from the start, she looked manly............ and i cant even remember what i had done to be wriggling around but she told me to stop whining. me, a shocked 7 yr old , proceeded to slap her and when and told on her! ha, she didnt like that.

so over all male dentist and doctor asn nurses etc etc etc i have always found to be more pleasent

[scaredstiff]

As you say.... in your experience, but as in anything you just can't generalise. As you will know from reading the various postings on this forum, we have all found good and bad in both male and female dentists. It's just a question of luck I think in finding the right one, whether male or female.