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First visit today.........and scared

V

vanquish

Junior member
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
16
After reading posts for months and viewing people taking the first steps i feel the need to share my journey.
I am 40 years old, male, good job etc and have not visited the dentist in 15 years
About a year ago i broke a molar after about a week of it giving me pain, and the pain was gone, great
Few weeks back it has begun to ache and i can move it in my gum so the time had come to thinking about the first visit......
I have never had any pain as such with my teeth and no real receeding gums but i have had gingervitis since i was 20.
After looking at my teeth i think they will need a hell of a clean and what ever else and i assume i will need the broken tooth extracting.
As many of you out there the fear is getting into the chair.
3 weeks ago i rang for an emergency appointment and it took me 3 hours of pacing outside to get thru the door to reception........but then hot footed it and left.....
The dentist is my parents dentist and my Dad had to phone to explain i have phobia and inturn they have set up my appointment with my Dad who has phoned me to say today 3.30pm
For the last few days it has been going thru my mind,....cancer...pain....imminent death...passing out....loosing control...never seeing a sunrise....never seeing my wife and kids again....etc as many of you have and do feel the same.
I am scared and can think of a thousand reasons not to go.
I am no way calm, i have told my work colleages who are trying their best to support me and i hope by posting this you will send me calming thoughts.
I will report back:hidesbehindsofa:
 
Just took my own first step and let me tell you, most dentists are nothing like it used to be. The technology is WAY better and most dentists understanding of phobia and fear is WAY better. Remember, your first visit will LIKELY just be exam and xrays. Maybe they will do more but most of the time the first visit is the most scary but also the least invasive. It really helps when the "not knowing" is gone. Because he will tell you whats going on in your mouth and the diagnosis is highly likely to be WAY better then your mind has built it up to be. You can do it!

You can also request some anti-anxiety medication and discuss how bad the problem is with the dentist.
 
I got to my appointment at 3.30 on the dot and was asked to fill in a form.The receptionist phoned poped her head round the dentists door and said your NP has arrived.....
Waiting room was full, then empty then some more people came in got seen and went.
At 4.00 pm i was called in to be greeted with smiles and how can i help you.
I explained i had a broken molar ( towards the front) and he said can i take a look. I got onto the chair and opened wide.
Yes is is bad and will need some work. He then began to check the rest of my mouth i was abit alarmed but kept my head.
Next he wanted to xray the back.............Again i was a bit alarmed but managed to get thru that and that was that.
Off the chair and on my feet.
He said he was concerned about the molar been infected and it would need to be extracted......:cry:
2 options, the first been sedation that could be done in next few weeks after some............'Whats the second option?' i said.
I can inject your gums to numb you to remove it, I said 'when', he said 'NOW' so i said YES,YES,YES.
Got numming gel, 3 injections( not nice but no pain) and he said while we wait could he clean my front teeth. Hell i had made it this far so why not.
Not pleasent at all but was told raise my hand and he would stop. Was hard to keep my hands down, but did.
Next extraction, was told i would feel pressure and pulling/pushing but no pain and that was correct.
All in all 30mins in the chair, was great to get up out of the chair.The dentist showed my the xrays and said some fillings need so i am back in 2 weeks.
:jump::jump::jump::jump::jump::jump::jump::jump::jump::jump::jump:
As most others on here say IT IS NEVER AS BAD AS YOU THINK.
 
Yesterday was 5 days after my extraction and the swelling has just about gone. My gum is still a little tender but have managed to get back to normal foods including crisps.
I have not used any pain killers since having it removed and other than the odd ache now and again i have felt fine.
Million times better now i don't have a rotting tooth in my mouth.
I am back at the dentist next thursday for a couple of fillings so i will see how nervous i am before i go and report back

I would have never thought i would be able to do this, and i have and any of you reading this you have the strength too :cheers:
 
yay I'm so glad for you! You did it :)
 
Hi all, well the time has come for my 2nd appointment today in less than 5 hours..........:confused:
I am nervous but not quite as bad as the first visit and i am trying to keep my mind off any negative thoughts.
I know that this trip is fillings and due to be not been in 15 years and only ever had one as a kid i am nervous and am looking forward to getting back out of the chair.
I will report back when i return back home.
Wish me luck ( hands already shacking)
 
hey, you'll be fine, my first ever visit was the one I've been most nervous for out of any appointments that required treatment! you'll feel so good once you come out and you can post on here how well it went :) good luck!
 
Just got back from my second visit and had a filling
I got 3-4 injections and was asked to go sit in reception for 5 mins to get really numb.
Went back in to have the filling and felt no pain, just the noise of the drill and a pushing sensation on the tooth
I think when i go back ( more fillings in 2 weeks) i will take ipod and play some music when he is drilling.


I was scared even though it was my second visit, hands shacking, sweating etc and thinking the worse and yes it was difficult to get thru the door and just as difficult to get in the chair, but i thought of all the posts i have read on here over the last few months, all the storys of success and i think it helped.

I cannot write how scared i felt, words could not describe the fear etc and anyone reading my post
If i can do it, SO CAN YOU
 
Hi all. I had my 3rd visit yesterday for a couple of fillings. I was as before shacking sat waiting to get in but managed to get in the chair.
3 injections, upper, no numbing gel and i felt nothing...:)
I had a clean again, 3rd time round now and then he began to drill. Not a nice feeling, but pain free and i just closed my eyes and thought of what i would watch on tv that evening.
He then began to fill the teeth and push the stuff in and using the light to set it, bit more of a polish round the two filled teeth with a quick vac round and done.
last bit was he polished all my teeth very quickly and i was back up out of the chair.
To my surprise he then said........see you in 6 months...all done for now.
Wow.......
I need a front crown doing at some point as the tooth is dark, i broke it when i was 12 and it has a plastic type glued on about a 3rd of it so it looks multi coloured. He had xrayed it and said the tooth was dead but fine so when i feel ready he will sort it.
I decided to wait untill 6 months checkup time as i can pay Band 3 ( NHS) plus christmas is here so will give me time to save up.
Lucky or not 3 visits and work has been completed.
the years wasted, the pain i have had on/off and the complete fear of the dentist, the nights worrying, the nightmares,the shaking, the been sick with worry, and every thing else as the list goes on.
Fear is fed by fear and yes it is easy to write and say but for anyone reading this you can overcome it, you can deal with it and you can be strong.
I would never have thought i would have joined a group like this let alone get to the dentist and with support you will also get through the journey
Good luck to all of you and thankyou to all that have supported me:)
 
Well done, this is fantastic to read, you should feel very proud! :)
 
i'm so proud of you - well done !! read this and it started me off being tearful again, i really need to go back to the dentist and sort my 2nd lot of iv sedation to get a sore wisdom tooth removed and top back tooth too, i am praying i can last til after xmas when i have more cash to spare, as it will be around £240 for the iv and 2 teeth extractions. thats a lot on top of xmas !
well done for overcoming your anxiety and dread and for putting your oral health in good stead for the start of 2011. i really am so pleased for you

merry christmas xx :grouphug::sleepyjuice::jump:
 

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