Why am i still so scared?

[Patti]

I am almost 49 and my parents never took me to a dentist. I have pretty good teeth and have never really had pain with them (with the exception of 2 upper wisdom teeth which I chose to suffer through back in my 20s which have over time broken off, went under the gum and don't bother me anymore).


Six years ago I broke a visible tooth and went to the dentist who filled the tooth quickly and painlessly and even went back for another filling. Then I stopped going.


Back in April I went back for what I thought would be for a filling and was told root canal and I doubled up and hyperventilated. The only other option was to extract the molar which I did. It was fast and painless. N20 was a sanity saver!


I need to go now for another cavity and full exam and X-ray and I am absolutely paralyzed with fear!


If nothing has hurt so far, why am I so afraid?


I am deathly afraid of a root canal too.


Could someone please chime in on this? I'm not afraid of injections or anything. Just pain in the chair even though I've felt none yet.


The anxiety is taking its toll on me.

[carole]

Sorry Patti you are feeling like this, I think until you see Uncle Bob, you are going to be like this, I really hope he can put your mind at rest.

[Patti]

Haha, he's not my uncle, he's my uncle's friend. I WISH HE WAS MY UNCLE!

I just feel like I shouldn't be so afraid now? Maybe it's just being afraid of hearing a whole bunch of bad news and then having to face it and deal with it. I know it's all in my head but that isn't helping.

Sorry Patti you are feeling like this, I think until you see Uncle Bob, you are going to be like this, I really hope he can put your mind at rest.

[carol999]

Hi Patti just wanted to say that fear and anxiety are not always logical and yes the fear may not go away, I certainly dont think my will. Phobia's can lessen if you face up to it but I dont think they ever truly go we just learn techniques for dealing with it. Patti you are dealing with it even though it might not feel like that right now. Stay strong and think about the strength that you do have after all you have come this far.......sending strengthening and empowering hugs your way

[Patti]

What I cannot FOR THE LIFE OF ME figure out is if I had fillings that didn't hurt and an extraction (with Niterous) that didn't hurt, WHAT COULD HURT??? But yet, I'm afraid of.....??? Long, extensive, painful procedures perhaps?

And also, hearing I need 10,485 things done in my mouth, get overwhelmed about it and RUN!!!

And not do it.

Are my fears rational/logical? Is modern dentistry these days not painful at all??? I guess that's the big question.

The only thing they say when they talk about pain is the injections (which don't phase me). Is that all the pain there is involved?????????? The injections??? I don't care about a sore mouth afterwards. With pain killers, I can handle that in the comfort of my own home! Just not in the chair!

Hi Patti just wanted to say that fear and anxiety are not always logical and yes the fear may not go away, I certainly dont think my will. Phobia's can lessen if you face up to it but I dont think they ever truly go we just learn techniques for dealing with it. Patti you are dealing with it even though it might not feel like that right now. Stay strong and think about the strength that you do have after all you have come this far.......sending strengthening and empowering hugs your way

[bisja]

Anxiety is a very strange thing sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for it, example many times people do not have an anxiety attack till after the stress of what they went through. Why I am not sure but has happened to me, but I have also had anxiety before the actual stress, but honestly I think it is my own thoughts that have built it up to be terrifying and wham anxiety, fear and anxiety just walk hand in hand , and I think that fear of the unknown is maybe even worse then fear of knowing whats to come, hmmmm I hope I have not confused what I was trying to say

Dental fear is one of the most common, but I think people who suffer from this probably have other fears also, I hate bridges, (Mackinaw Bridge!) had to drive over that one time and honestly thought I was going to have a heart attack!

Some fears are just worse then others, some we conquer, some we do not. Maybe something way back when you were young that set off your fear,something you heard and do not even remember.

[Patti]

OMG! I hate the Mackinac Bridge too! I love going to the island but I hate the bridge. I don't like the ferry over there either (afraid it'll tip). (And you must have heard the story about the Hugo that went over the side of that bridge, right??? I heard it, never forgot it, and don't like the bridge now! LOL) I do have other fears (doctor procedures, bees, cats, HEIGHTS!!!, being in a lake if I can't see the bottom...) I know, I must sound like a phycho!! The thing is, I can run from most of those fears and I ran from this one too but unless I want all my teeth extracted one day, I can't run anymore. So I guess I feel cornered... trapped...

I did conquer my fear of flying and even though I get a little nervous about it, I still fly. (But at least there is a nice vacation at the end of the flight!)

I do understand what you said about anxiety. My mom goes through her stress afterwards too. Mine (I think) comes from anticipation (the worst of it, anyway).

My parents never took me to a dentist when I was a kid--and then I never went after that. It was easy to do with no pain and pretty good looking teeth (still!). But just like you said, I did have friends who spent their formative years in a dentist's chair and I'm sure they told me horror stories that I can't remember now but my subconscious probably still remembers? I know one friend of mine told me about how she had to have all her wisdom teeth "cut out." YIKES!!!!!! And of course, her face looked like a football afterwards so in my mind, it had to have hurt like hell! (I never asked--I didn't want to hear the answer.)

I was reading up (and making a list of questions for my new dentist) and I understand they don't even use novacaine anymore--they use LIDOCAINE which is waaaaaay better. I will ask for seconds! I did for my extraction.

My dentist also uses air abrasion--which I pray he will be able to use on me for some smaller cavities. Have you ever tried that? I wish he had Waterlase but I don't think he does. They use Waterlase on RCT's too.

Anxiety is a very strange thing sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for it, example many times people do not have an anxiety attack till after the stress of what they went through. Why I am not sure but has happened to me, but I have also had anxiety before the actual stress, but honestly I think it is my own thoughts that have built it up to be terrifying and wham anxiety, fear and anxiety just walk hand in hand , and I think that fear of the unknown is maybe even worse then fear of knowing whats to come, hmmmm I hope I have not confused what I was trying to say

Dental fear is one of the most common, but I think people who suffer from this probably have other fears also, I hate bridges, (Mackinaw Bridge!) had to drive over that one time and honestly thought I was going to have a heart attack!

Some fears are just worse then others, some we conquer, some we do not. Maybe something way back when you were young that set off your fear,something you heard and do not even remember.

[snapper]

I have no answers to your question but can identify with you fear.

I need a tooth extracted myself, but keep putting it off with all sorts of excuses. I can't keep a dental appointment for the life of me. I'm fine until I have the appointment arranged, then spend so much time thinking about it until it takes over my life. I end up cancelling. then feel better!

Why do I do this? I have had problems with the local not working and have fallen out with a few dentists over the years around this issue, I suppose that has something to do with it.

Trying to find a nice caring dentist is not my way of coping. To me the profession offers a service and should be able to deal with different personalities. I certainly could not get away with whingeing about trust and confidence in my job. I problem solve and adjust the the circumstances like most of the population in the work place, dentists apparently don't have too!

Not to sure if I have gone off topic a little but thought I would put my 2 cents worth in any way.

all the best to you.

[sam85]

Im the same ,no pain yet i think the problem lays in being in pain for ages in the chair which has never happened,worrying over something is always when you think of the worst case ,i had teeth pulled out rather then just hae a filling, i now understand was silly and now i have a dentist im comfortable with, i feel worried still but just get it over with,i treat myself to a new book or dvd in my bed after so i can reflect and relax which has really helped me.Your doing well ,dont be so hard on yourself