newbie

Hello everyone.

Im 20 have 2 children and am completely phobic of the dentist i havent been since i was about 4-5years old. I dont like things in my mouth n i dont like not being in control ie if it gets too much i wouldnt be able too jump up or say anything i hate gagging im just so scared. Im sat here in tears writing this i get panicky and i cry lots just when thinking about going. I dont know what too do help me please as i know i need my teeth looking at this week one of my bottom wisdom tooth has come through so have been in alot of pain n on my top wisdom tooth its dead i think.......

What do i do too get over this wish this fear would bugger off
Help

Hi and

First of all, congratulations on posting on here, that's the first step to overcoming your fears. Being scared because you're not in control is quite common, so you've definitely come to the right place . We have a page about loss of control here:


Some people find it helpful to make a list of everything that scares them about going to the dentist and then use it as a starting point for a chat at the appointment (particularly if it's a first appointment with a new dentist).

There are lots of things that dentists can do to help you feel more comfortable including many of the things listed on the page above. But the key thing is, they can only respond to what they see in front of them, so if you don't tell them what's worrying you, they'll only be able to guess. If you can tell them that you're scared, that enables them to come up with a way to help you. For example, when meeting a new dentist for the first time, people often feel very worried about what the dentist will say when they look in their mouth. If this worries you, you can maybe ask them to have a quick look first - perhaps without even sitting in the chair and then once you feel more comfortable, take things from there.

One of the major keys to dealing with a fear like this is to have positive dental appointments where you go at a pace you're comfortable with, then as your confidence grows and you build up trust in your dentist, your fears will gradually start to lessen.

Agree with what Vicki says but if it is wisdom teeth causing your issues, you could probably ask for a referral to hospital for GA or i/v sedation and save tackling plain dental fear until afterwards for going along for 6 monthly check-ups.