Terrified of getting fillings.....

I went to the dentist today for the first time in about 10 years, I was absolutely dreading it and really scared, but I have pain in one of my teeth when I bite on it that's been getting worse and worse, so I had to force myself to make an appointment - I had to wait 8 weeks to be seen at an NHS dentist because I can't afford a private one.....

Anyway, the verdict is that I need a root canal on the tooth that has been causing me pain, but I also need fillings in virtually ALL of my molars, I think the total was 9 fillings in addition to the root canal. I've actually never had any fillings, I had 3 teeth extracted for braces when I was 13, and I saw a dentist regularly until I was 18, and didn't need anything done. Once I moved away from home I never got around to registering with a dentist, and then once I noticed that I had my first cavity I was too scared to find one, and since then things have just got worse........

Most of the fillings I need are for pretty severe cavities, there's only a couple that are small, but I'm absolutely terrified to get any work done. Can you get fillings done under GA on the NHS? Otherwise I don't see any way of me getting the work done.......I really need some support and advice as to what I should do now. I didn't make a follow up appointment when I came out the dentist, I told the receptionist I didn't have my diary with me and I would phone to arrange some appointments.........

Hi and

Firstly, well done on going to the appointment. That's the hardest part for many people, but you've done it and now you have a better idea of what needs to be done, so it's now a question of finding out what you need to enable you to feel more comfortable with going to the dentist and having treatment.

In answer to your question, unfortunately no you can't get fillings done under GA - it's only really used as a last resort for extractions (when other options such as sedation haven't worked or wouldn't be suitable) and even then, it needs to be done in hospital, so your dentist would need to refer you.

If you really feel unable to have treatment whilst awake, it might be worth asking whether the practice you go to is able to offer sedation and if not, whether they can refer you to another practice who does offer it. There are various types of sedation available and we have a page about it here:


The one thing that many people find helps them, is building trust in their dentist. To do this, you need to find a dentist who you feel comfortable with and maybe have a chat to them about what it is that you're scared of and see what they can do to help. Many dentists are used to dealing with nervous patients (it kind of goes with the job - even 'non phobics' don't tend to like going to the dentist, even if they don't admit it!) and have ways of helping you to overcome your fear(s). Examples include putting you more in control through the use of stop signals, talking you through treatment as they're doing it (if you're the sort of person who likes to know what's going on) and desensitisation (taking things in smaller steps to help you get used to things). We have more information here:


Sometimes fear of going to the dentist can feel overwhelming and so it can be useful to have a think about exactly what it is that you're scared of and why. Sometimes it's down to a previous bad experience or maybe it's fear of the unknown. Perhaps there's a specific thing that you're scared of when going to the dentist. Whatever it is, once you know what you're dealing with, you might find that you'll have a better idea of what it is that would help you to feel better about it.

Hello Jen2605

As Vicki has said the first thing is to build up a trust with your dentist. Try to break up the treatment into small steps, just one filling at a time. Personaly I always take a mp3 player with me with a relaxation cd if I need any drilling done I find this helps drown out the noise and helps me relax. Keep in touch abd let us know how you get on.