• Dental Phobia Support

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New here, scared to death and feeling sick

A

aaahscared

Junior member
Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
5
This is my first post. I just had my first dental appt. in over 20+ years (am in my mid 30's) on Monday. It literally took weeks for me to build up the courage to make the appt and follow through. I was shaking even as I made the appt with the receptionist over the phone! I couldn't sleep at all the night before, had a major panic attack during the night, and was really nauseous/lightheaded. I have to admit the actual appt wasn't as bad as what I thought, I do have to go back and get a few fillings that they said won't even need numbing except in maybe one tooth? I haven't had a cavity before so I guess most are small? I have major anxiety with any type of doctor, including the md's and my eye doctor (I had really bad experiences with md as a child and it has kind of transferred over to all doctors).

Ok, the thing is, the dentist wants me to get my impacted wisdom teeth out. After reading about it on the internet, and after speaking with a few people, I am terrified out of my mind. I need to finally get braces and I know this is a necessary step if I want to get them. I have never been put to sleep, I don't think I deal well with pain, and I don't deal well with blood. I haven't been able to get much sleep this entire week fretting over this. My husband says I am being irrational. I explained that part of my fear was being put to sleep and not waking up and his reaction was " well, at least you will be asleep so you won't know if you die". I just feel so bad, so sad and I don't know how I will do this.

I am grateful to have found this forum, I really hope I can find some help here. :(
 
Hi aaa,
I'm sorry your signif other is that way. My hubby doesn't really get my anxieties either and it can feel so alone to not have anyone to really talk to about it. Even with the anxieties, you made and went to that appointment. That is really awesome! Believe me I know how hard that can be and it takes a lot of courage. I'm so happy to hear most of your dental work will be more minor fillings, such good news. I'm afraid to be put out too so I don't know how to find any reassurance there. I've had two of my wisdom teeth out so far and one will have to come out soon. Maybe you can ask someone what measures they have in place is case there are anesthesia complications (which don't seem to happen that often) and see if you find that reassuring. I know it must be a whole lot easier to be asleep during the impaction extraction. Are the wisdom teeth through the gums at all? Are they rotting or in the way of anything so there is no option to leave them?
 
Hi, and congratulations! You have done something great, and you deserve a big :respect:!

About wisdom teeth. I suggest you should read my success story ("Wisdom tooth surgery - I DID IT!"). Where do you live? I know this varies a lot from country to country, but in Finland it would be very rare to be put to sleep for wisdom tooth surgical removing. I don't know your case, and I'm no professional, but I think it might be completely possible to have your surgery with local anesthesia. My tooth was (suddenly feel so proud of myself - I use the past tense about my wisdom teeth :)) half visible, and the surgery wasn't awful at all. It was incredibly easy. I'm glad I agreed to do it with LA + valium, my fear is history! So if you worry about GA, ask if it's REALLY necessary. I suppose it isn't. It may be the usual way to go wherever you happen to live, but not everywhere.

But being put to sleep isn't horrible either. I've had it twice (not for anything dental) so I know. If you are healthy otherwise, it's safe. It's definitely the easiest way for someone superscared.
 
Hello, welcome, and yes, congrats on taking the first steps on your own. I have to go to work now and don't have time to write much, but I also suggest that you read my story in my journal. I had three wisdom teeth removed at once, with LA and Xanax for sedation, and everything went very well. There's no reason why you should HAVE to be asleep for this, unless you think you would prefer it.

Hopefully I'll have more time later-- in the meantime, best of luck to you! :grouphug:
 
Gosh, thanks for all the reassurances...I am really glad I found this place. I hated feeling all alone and I didn't have anyone to talk to that understood at all.

Charity: I read your story about your wisdom teeth, thanks for sharing. It did give me some hope that there are others out there, like me, that have made it through that procedure (still scared though, lol) Congratulations to you, that is a big accomplishment!! Maybe I will get there one day (hopefully!).

Finnishgirl: I live in the US. My teeth are totally impacted, laying horizontally and are not coming through the gums at all. I didn't even know they were there. But I saw them on the x-rays and they are in there. The dentist called them "laying at a funky angle and you need to get them out but you will be put to sleep so it is no big deal". He said that there could be complications (nerve damage) with one that was really close to nerves? So that kind of freaked me out. I guess I really need to work up the nerve to just even talk to the oral surgeon and maybe that will ease things?

scared2bethere: thanks for your understanding:) It is hard when your spouse doesn't understand, isn't it? Your suggestion about what measures are taken if there are anesthesia complications is very good. I think that might make me a little more comfortable. I wish there was a way that they would just let the wisdom teeth stay in. They aren't causing me any problems at all now but I think if I get braces they have to come out as the wisdom teeth would make my teeth shift once they are straightened. I have a lot of overcrowding and that is why I need braces.

Also as an addendum to my first post, I finally got the nerve up to go to the dentist because my infant daughter just recently turned 18 months and I do not want her to be scared like me when she goes to the doctor or dentist. It is no way to live and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I would also like to one day be able to be in a photograph with her and actually smile. That would be so nice. Anyway, I hope with the support and reading the stories I have seen on here so far that maybe one day that will happen. :)
 
Hi aaahscared :welcome:,

having a chat with the oral surgeon sounds like a great idea! He may be able to reassure you and put your mind to rest. The other option of course would be to leave them (the guidelines in the UK are to leave impacted, asymptomatic wisdom teeth alone), but from what you said, this would interfere with the braces you want to get? Wisdom teeth won't make your teeth shift, but if your other teeth are moved further to the back, there may not be enough space there if the wizzies are in the way. But you could double-check that with your dentist.

It's encouraging that your dentist, who has actually seen your x-rays, reckons it will be no big deal - this would indicate that the removal is pretty routine and that you should be healing quickly :). Maybe you could meet up with the oral surgeon to discuss things and see if they can put you at ease :thumbsup:!
 
Just logged in for the first time since the early hours of this morning so am a bit late to add my :welcome: to you. You've made a wonderful start already by having got through your first appointment. As you're now finding, posting here is a wonderful thing because you get so much support from people who really understand because we all share the same thing, the fear of a dentist and of course there will always be someone to share their experiences of what they went through which will be similar to what you will have to go through. So much better getting firsthand posts from peo9ple who have been through it and understand how you are feeling, rather than some of the horror and negative stories you find in other places on the internet.

It's a shame that our family and friends who don't understand our fears just don't know how to deal with them and therefore make what seems to us, glib and really unhelpful comments. Because of our dental bond we will never be insensitive to any of your concerns and will always be hear to listen, read and understand and give you that gentle nudge in the right direction. On that score though, you seem to be doing magnificently already.

So, once again, glad to have you on board, and do keep posting and letting us know how you are getting on.:grouphug:
 
I agree that you should get a consultation with an oral surgeon. They will do a panoramic x-ray of your mouth that visualizes the nerves and sinus cavities in your mouth and should be able to tell you the amount of risk involved with this surgery.

I'm 51 and recently had an upper wisdom tooth removed. I was told by the surgeon that because of the root structure, there was a high risk of sinus cavity involvement. I was really scared to have it extracted, but I had no other option (it was a wisdom tooth with a root canal gone bad). The diagnosis on my referall said (and I quote) "hopeless diagnosis". Now if that's not enough to make you cringe, what is? lol

The surgery itself was uneventful, and the only complication I've had is my bite is a little off these days. You are still relatively young, and that slides many things in your favor when it comes to wisdom teeth extraction. However, having said that, I might consider getting a second opinion to see whether extraction is absolutely necessary for your braces. There's alot of different opinions these days on whether wisdom teeth need to come out ...and a second opinion might be just what you need to help you decide what to do.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.
 

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