Please someone talk to me I need support

I'm not sleeping through worry I suffer with anxiety as it is, my all on four procedure is Tuesday at 8.30 in London, I'm having 32 extractions also the pain thing isn't my issue it's the iv sedation and cocktail of drugs I am so close to backing out and being a failure once again, my treatment is being given for free so I'm extremely lucky and it's one of the best clinics in the country based in Harley street I'm just so worried,,,, someone please talk to me friends and family don't understand they think I'm being stupid

Hi try not to get too worked up about this, which I know is hard not to. If you can get yourself there and let them do their job you will find that they are really good and will put your mind at rest. I am sure they know how afraid and nervous you are feeling and they understand. They do this all the time and it is so easy for them, they could almost do it with their eyes shut. They will be used to dealing with frightened patients and if you get there and let them take care of the rest. It will be over before you know it.

You won't feel anything and you will be okay in regards to the drugs they will give you, they will have taken note of any meds you are on and made sure that you will be fine with the ones they need to give you.

The hardest part is getting there GOOD LUCK I am sure you will be fine

Thanks for taking the time to reply, really appreciate it xxx

I don't normally have anything useful to add to these threads but I've quite recently been exactly where you are now. I had my all on 4 done last Thursday and really all I can say is I am amazed, I'm three days in, the swelling has virtually gone and I feel like I could bite through a car tyre!!
I have no idea what condition your teeth are currently in compared to what mine were or what affect they are having on your daily life but personally its been a life changing experience, mine was slightly different with only 9 extractions and no IV sedation but honestly in the great scheme of things I looked at it as a few hours of my life to draw a line under many years of dental misery.
Really all I can say is look beyond the procedure and concentrate on what you will have at the end, I really hope it all goes ok and by next weekend you are where I am now.��

Hi Simon

Thanks for your reply wow I'm so glad you are finding the experience a possitive one, have you had much pain i would rather honesty not sugar coated I think I have read to much and there a lot of horror stories, thanks xx

To be honest it's no walk in the park but that's why were here, it the dentist and everything that goes with the dentist is always going to be magnified a million times in our minds, the reality however in my case was that everything after the initial consultation was easy. I'm not saying it's without pain but I can honestly say once i'd had the first injection I felt nothing, I was mildly sedated but that just helped me get in the chair, I was there for about 2.5 hours and the only discomfort I had was probably the last 10 mins when my jaws began to ache.
For the first few hours after things were quite uncomfortable but manageable, just like the mild toothache id experienced many many times over the years but this faded to a dull ache very quickly, however this is now no way as bad as your usual toothache because mentally you know that unlike the usual toothache this is going to get better and in all probability it will be the last time you ever need anything major doing to your teeth!!
If you have any doubts or fears please try to push them to the back of your mind and just go, the places doing these procedures deal with people like you and me every day and will go out of their way to make it all go as smoothly as possible and while I can't guarantee your recovery will be the same as mine it will ultimately lead to a massive and happy change in your life.
As I said PLEASE go and all the best and keep us updated.

Was just wondering how you are and how it all went? I'm facing a similar situation and only hope I can be as brave !

IM HEARTBROKEN I COULDNT GO THROUGH WITH IT I FREAKED OUT MASSIVE PANIC ATTACK I tried so hard I managed to get in chair but I freaked,

I really really hope your stronger then me goodluck

Really gutted for you but I can totally understand, have you rescheduled?

Helpme29 said:

IM HEARTBROKEN I COULDNT GO THROUGH WITH IT I FREAKED OUT MASSIVE PANIC ATTACK I tried so hard I managed to get in chair but I freaked,

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Is there a way that you can break up the work so the dentist does a little work over a few visits? My dentist was able to help me figure out what I needed to do this year and then just work on the rest little by little. I'm feeling a lot better about getting everything done so I might even do a bit more than what was planned to help out my teeth.

Can you bring a trusted friend or family member with you? It really helped me when my husband came along for the first visit since it was finding out what needed to be done in my mouth. Hubby out right told them all "I'm here because my wife doesn't like going to the dentist and I want to support her." I was embarrassed, but also thankful I didn't have to play a strong person - they were really gentle with me throughout the whole thing, gave me time to talk to my hubby about what needed to be done, and hubby was a sweetheart hugging me, holding my hand, and wiping away the tears. He didn't come the last 2 times, but today I had a root canal done and we agreed he would wait in the waiting area and if there was any issue, he'd come back to be with me. (But the dentist was such a sweetheart and so very gentle - I honestly nearly fell asleep while he was doing my root canal. ) Not too much pain after the root canal - just some gum irritation and a sore jaw, but the dentist gave me a pain killer prescription just in case (he doesn't want me in any pain afterwards and gave clear instructions to keep taking Advil for the first few days or something stronger if its bad).

Really the worst part is getting there and getting started. My heart was racing after I sat down - I was scared about the needle because it hurt pretty badly a few weeks ago. This time he did it in a way that I had NO pain ... after that I was so at peace that I was sleepy and had to keep reminding myself to keep my mouth open.

I hope that you can reschedule yours and find some ways to help you cope through getting your teeth taken care of. That really is the worst part of a whole procedure - the getting there and getting started.

Have you tried asking about laughing gas? I had it for my dental work and it did a lot to help me.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't ask for dental problems. They're not your fault. You deserve to be happy and healthy but take one step at a time. If it takes you a few tries to make it happen, that just shows how brave you are to keep facing your fears. We've all been there and everyone is at a different point in their journey. Just remember: I think I can I think I can I think I can.

They wanted to do it all at once bear in mind I've never had a filling let alone a tooth removed, they wanted to take all 28 teeth out plus my four wisdom teeth then drill 12 implants into my jaw that all at once was too much for me to handle.

Helpme29 said:

They wanted to do it all at once bear in mind I've never had a filling let alone a tooth removed, they wanted to take all 28 teeth out plus my four wisdom teeth then drill 12 implants into my jaw that all at once was too much for me to handle.

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So what is your plan? Is this something you want to try again with or are you deciding on going a different route?

Would something like dentures be a better path for you?

Noooooooo I only have roots not full teeth I'm going to graduly have them all taken out and then have the implants done, I wear a over denture now and it's unbearable so that is not something I could live with xx

Helpme29 said:

I'm not sleeping through worry I suffer with anxiety as it is, my all on four procedure is Tuesday at 8.30 in London, I'm having 32 extractions also the pain thing isn't my issue it's the iv sedation and cocktail of drugs I am so close to backing out and being a failure once again, my treatment is being given for free so I'm extremely lucky and it's one of the best clinics in the country based in Harley street I'm just so worried,,,, someone please talk to me friends and family don't understand they think I'm being stupid

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Hello dear Helpme29, I have just read all your posts and you say above that it is the IV sedation that is worrying you. Truly, this is the last thing to be worried about, the IV sedation is wonderful You just go to sleep and you remember nothing. A small needle is put in your arm which is only a 'pinch' then your off to sleep, when you wake, it's all over. I know you backed out due to panic, but try again. It sounds like the fear has put you off dentists your entire life and now all your teeth need to be removed so I guess they must be in a bad way. As you have been offered free treatment at in Harley Street no less, you have been given a great gift. It is hard for others to understand, only you and others here, can empathise truly so forgive them for not understanding. You know a panic attack is physical reaction to fear of the 'unknown' or actually 'fear of the fear' and hard to try and logic it out when it's such an emotional issue.
Be truthful with yourself and look a little into your future..where will you be in a few years time if you don't deal with it all now? Things can only deteriorate so now is the time to gather up all your courage and take this gift of treatment. I always find that if I ask myself what is the very worse thing that can happen, it helps to put things into perspective.
Myself, I have to have four zygomatic implants in about six weeks time, they go up into the cheekbones - and I am petrified, yet I know, I have no other options, I have use them all up and now no matter how afraid I am, I have to do it. I have lists of questions for my craniofacial surgeon, have done lots of research etc..but still I am scared. When I look back at all that I have gone through in my sixty years, the fear was always worse than the actual treatment, my imagination worked overtime worrying what could go wrong, and things always went wrong! But, I dealt with it. I will deal with it again. One thing I found that might help you, many people on utube who had all their teeth extracted in one go, you can follow their progress over time. I found their attitudes and personal stories, gave me courage. Why not go to utube and follow the journeys of people who have had all their teeth out and see if it helps with your fear of 'the unknown'. You CAN DO IT!
Thinking of you, post again please and let us know how you are doing.
Cheers!

Helpme29 said:

IM HEARTBROKEN I COULDNT GO THROUGH WITH IT I FREAKED OUT MASSIVE PANIC ATTACK I tried so hard I managed to get in chair but I freaked,

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Don't worry about not being able to go through with it, you went and tried. It wasn't the correct time for you to deal with this. Stay on here and join in the chats with time you may feel more able to cope. I found it helped me a lot being on here and knowing I am not the only nervous wreck I have feared dentists all my life but I have managed to go, some times worse than others but only this last couple of years have I been able to go with out feeling the total terror that I used to feel. I am 57 so don't give up trying there is hope for you.

One day you will just do it, and it will be much to your amazement. Give yourself a break for a while then give it another go. In the meantime coming on here and reading about others experiences and finding out more yourself might help you

All my best wishes go to you

Hi
I am so sorry to hear that it was not right for you this time, but you were very brave actually getting there. Did the dentist give you any ideas as to what he can do for you to make you feel more comfortable? It is very hard when you have not experienced treatment before, as things get so blown up in the mind. I can assure you that once you are numb you will feel nothing, and if you are being sedated you will not know anything anyway. Do you take any form of anti anxiety tablets the night before you went and then an hour before your appointment? I used Xanax which gives you a not caring attitude.

I had an extraction on Friday. I previously had been to the dentist but the pain was not settling. I phoned the dentist on Friday morning and he told me come straight to his surgery.i did not have time to get nervous, went, had the tooth out before I knew it. please know your not alone with these fears and we are all here for you.

Thanks so much for your responses means alot

well I have good news I am going back to London on the 23rd of this month to see the sedationist that's my problem it's the fear of being pumped full of drugs that scare me