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How not to deal with a phobic patient

E

Eddy10

Junior member
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Messages
15
Location
Sussex, UK
Just need to vent my spleen and to get a bit of support. This is my recent experience at a dentist to whom i was referred to, not my normal dentist, it isn't meant to frighten people as i know there are lots of lovely, patient dentists out there but i just need to vent!!

I was referred to a dentist to have a tooth extracted under IV sedation. The tooth has been giving me a number of problems since the original root canal failed (its a molar). I have always had teeth out under GA (wisdom and one other molar) and so my own dentist didn't think i would be able to cope with just a local and for it to be taken out.

I can just about cope with the dentist for routine stuff but i am very, very phobic of needles and therefore need lots of patience, time and numbing gel for the dentist to come anywhere near me with a needle, this is something that i have got totally tied down with my own dentist so i know there are good dentists out there. I also struggle to cope with major work (root canals, extractions etc) and will freak out in the chair if rushed.

The dentist today is supposed to be a OS but was just awful. The tooth has been feeling a little better past couple of days (might be because i was so nervous about having tooth out?) so when i went to the clinic i really wanted some time to chat about it first before just getting straight in there and having the tooth out, if it can be saved i would much rather have that. The OS clearly didn't want to spend time and just said "OK, don't have it out then" rather than discussing all options with me. He also did not allow me to fully read the consent form he just said "please sign this" while he kept hold of the form. He took an X-ray but when it came back he stated that the tooth would need to come out at some point so i decided to have it taken out now although i still was not entierly sure and was feeling very rushed.

He then stated as we had used up about 10mins of a 30mins appointment already he just wanted to give me locals and take out the tooth!!!! No chance!!! I told him that there was no way he would be able to get the tooth out with just locals which was the whole point with me being referred at which point he agreed to sedation "but we have to be quick". I had already told him a couple of times that i was needle phobic (and it was on my referral records) but he just came at me with this great big needle, no numbing gel, nobody else in the room with me (no nurse, just me and the OS), no time and of course i freaked out completely. The OS was not at all patient just saying that i needed to calm down, i'd had fillings before so what was the problem and it wouldn't hurt, all very good but when i'm phobic it does hurt!

Needless to say i was in such a state i just told him i couldn't go through with it :cry:. I have come away with a tooth that hopefully is getting better but will need to come out at some point before it starts giving me tons of pain again and i have lost a lot of trust i had built up with dentists by an idiot that should not be allowed near phobic patients. i now have no idea what my options are anymore, limited i know as i think i will only be able to have GA for which there is a huge waiting list on the NHS and i can't afford private GA.

Sorry for the ramble but i'm so upset as i feel a failure for not going through with it and don't know whether i'll ever be able to have it out. Help.... :(
 
This continues to enforce my belief that all health care professionals should be forced to attend sensitivity courses.

That sounds horrible. I'm so sorry. :(
 
omg you had a terrible time ! i am so sorry to hear you were treated in this way .. and they wonder why we are PHOBICS !!!!!!!!!!
i send you lots of healing energy, good thoughts and a hug for being so brave. you had nothing to feel bad about, you were there to get yourself some help and that man was supposed to be the one to do just that !!!
i am appalled there can be so many bloody crap dental "surgeons" out there who can instill such fear and panic in us ! :grouphug:
 
There seems to be quite a lot of this going around lately. It's really depressing. :mad:
 
Errmm....I think the answer is staring you in the face...let your own trusted friendly dentist take it out for you...at your pace...with a comfy injection....with just local. And if you think you can't cope with that, then get some meds from your medical GP to also relax you a bit.

'Dealing with strangers' is rarely the answer although this guy does seem to have been appalling...as you say the whole point of seeing him was to get the sedation.
:grouphug:
 
Have you checked if there are any dentists in your area offering The Wand / STA? A lot of people with needle phobias swear by it. This is assuming that the needle is your major stumbling block!

I find it a bit odd that there would be just the OS with you in the room and no nurse or anything. Good job you walked :thumbsup:.
 
You Didn't have to pay for services not rendered, did you?
 
Huge thanks to you all for your comments, i'm so grateful that this site is here!

Brit - thanks for your suggestion but i just don't think i'll be able to cope, its not just the injection but the noise and blood, just thinking about it makes me feel sick. I have taken Valium before and have some in supply because i need it for flying (i have a number of anxiety problems) but i know from experience that my brain overrides it if i get too stressed! Having said that i have only taken 2-4mg grams before, i guess if i take a fair bit more i may just go to sleep. At the end of the day i just don't know what to do at the moment....

To make matters worse one of my upper molars is aching like mad today, it's on the same side as the one i was meant to have out (lower molar) so hoping its just referral pain....

I just paid for the consultation and x-ray yesterday but i was so desperate to get out of there i would have paid just to leave! i have written a review on the web about him and it appears that i am not the only one that has had problems with him, don't think he's moved with the modern times. Should have googled for reviews before i went and saved myself a trip out of town, i'll know for next time.
 
Valium does not work for everyone, especially if the patient is extremely nervous and agitated. For me, it might work for a few minutes but then goes away, and there's nothing left. I say this from personal experience--twice. Not sure why I agreed to the second try. I'm opting for nitrous next time, as I think the writer should try it too. Gads, the guy (OS) sounds hideous. And I'm sorry, but personally I've never experienced a comfy shot.
 
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I feel your pain, Eddy. Dentists love to schedule appointments tightly and hurry everyone through to make more $$. I guess the average 500% markup that dentists charge for everything (fact: that's what it really is) is not enough of a profit maker, so they need to do big volume, too.

I've always suspected that there are a fair amount of dentists out there who went into it purely for the money. Sounds crass, I know, but when you think about it, it explains a lot of the behavior one reads about on forums like this.
 
Some dentists are dentists because they didn't make med school. (I've had several students apply to both "just in case".) I wonder if they have big chips on their shoulders because this field is a second choice. Too bad if they pass it on to their patients.
 
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