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Fear of Fillings

T

terrified_patient

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
21
Location
england
Finally ive worked out how to post my own message! yey!

okay first of all like many people on this site i had a bad experience of a filling when i was a child due to the injection hurting like hell :cry: all i can remember is gripping the chair and crying out in pain. now even when i go to have a check up i end up in tears even before im in the chair. so basically i have an appointment for a filling very soon and i am crappin it, so much so its not doing my overall health any good, i cant sleep at night, cant concentrate at work and torturing myself up about it as ive no one to talk to about it :shame:. i finally confided in my mother on what im going through and she told me to ring the dentist and ask for the dentist to ring me back when hes free (i personally didnt know u could request to speak to your dentist without having to book and pay for an appointment) :(. I always feel that when im told i have to have a filling im not advised on the alternative methods that can be used to help me during the procedure nor am i given advice on what can be done to help me with my phobia of the LA needle i dont even want to see it as i know as soon as i see it thats it u wont see me anywhere near a dentist. the strange thing is that i really trust my dentist, ive always been with him even though ive cancelled appointmnts, not seen him for 2 yrs the longest, hes always looked after our family and we always go as a family for check ups hes a very nice man and looks after us. but after doing my own research it amazes me that there are so many options available out there that i never even heard of anything called IV sedation til i joined this site. id also learnt about the laser treatment thats rare but sounds amazing for those who dont like the idea of taking any drugs. the IV sedation is somthing id be interested in trying out no matter what the cost, its the injection in the mouth that terrifies me i dont mind the drill. but will i still feel the injection even though im sedated? nevermind u wont remember any of it, will i feel the pain there and then!? has anyone had IV sedation whilst having a filling, and what did u feel?

One thing i am going to try out that my mother says is a must is take an MP3 or whatever floats ur boat and listen to ur music through ur headphones as its a huge distraction to whats happening.

Im here for support and to give support to others so all messages of advice and personal views are respected.:grouphug:
 
:welcome:
Are you seeing the same dentist you had the bad experience with as a child? How long ago was that bad experience?

When did your current dentist last numb a tooth up for you?

Some info on how to make injections stressfree: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/needle-phobia/

from which you will see if your dentist uses numbing gel first (topical anaesthesia) and injects slowly..you may well find it 100% comfortable.

Maybe you and your Mum could discuss with your family dentist how to make it easier for you as your Mum has suggested. An anti-anxiety tablet from your dentist or your GP could also be an option to relax you.:grouphug:
 
good luck, or hope it went well.

if you went through with it do you mind to tell me how on earth you did it. i have been putting off a cavity for 4 years. its probably going to have to be pulled.

thanks.:hidesbehindsofa:
 
I also have problems with needles. I've oticed that a needle in the mouth hurts a lot less than injections in any other body part! It's not that bad!
 
im so glad people feel the same way as me, scared out of there wits at the thought of a dental needle.

to answer the questions.
yes he was the dentist who i had a bad experience with but ever since that bad experience he has always given me a filling (3) up to now without the LA and they wee fine they didnt hurt at all, but now he says the hole is so deep and big he needs to use LA as it will hurt.

I requested the numbing gel but he says he cant give it to me as it only works in certain areas and were i need it, it wont work. (i need my bottom left tooth done at the back).

I rang my dentist today and got a snotty receptionist who has really p*ssd me off, i ended up crying on the phone she made me feel like a 5yr old. I asked her if i could leave me number and get the dentist to ring me back when hes available, she said no its not an option, she asked me what the problem was, i told her i was hoping for an IV sedation on the day of the filling she might as well as laughed at me, she said the NHS dont offer IV sedation and there are no alternatives and if the dentist has said i cant have the gel then oh well its only a filling your having!! i only wish i had got her name i am livid. i dont know what to do, and the awful thing is the appointmnt is 2 days after my 21st birthday and i know its going to ruin my big day :(
 
It just might save your big day... What would be a better thing to happen on your birthday than to notice you have been afraid for no reason and you can forget your fear? I don't think you'll need iv sedation for this. You can get it if you want, but because the needle is your problem I don't think it will be necessary. I also think a nearly painless injection is totally possible even without the numbing gel, if the dentist is good at his job. And for six months ago I could never ever have imagined to one day think like this - if I can do it, so can you!
 
Well ask him to use it anyway just to make you feel better and wait 3 minutes for it to work...because psychologically it will make you feel better....even if the guy has very poor injection technique, if you are more relaxed than you were as a child, it would probably be better than on that occasion because he probably felt he had to rush it when you were younger.

If you are needle phobic, once you are financially independent enough you could plan to change to a dentist who believes in at least attempting comfortable injection techniques..there are always ways to minimise discomfort such as TheWand (only private dentists tend to have these), or more simply applying counterpressure, waggling your lip etc etc . gel and slow delivery etc etc .

Since otherwise going is always going to be an ordeal for you....and it really doesn't have to be.

Ignore the snotty receptionist and see if the dentist will agree to apply the gel nevertheless...if not then you have to decide whether to give him one more attempt to convince you it isn't so bad.....and maybe just a slight shortlived sting???
The back of the mouth is not the most sensitive area, the palate is I think.
I certainly don't advise trying treatment without anaesthetic by the way.
I suppose you could ask if he has refined his technique over the years ;)? Good luck it probably will be better than your original experience because the needles can only be used once thesedays so there is no risk of bluntness. :grouphug:
 
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I have a big fear of the drill and find the noise and sound really unnerving, I always take a cd walkman mp3 player with me I find this drowns out the noise and helps me relax. Hope all goes well, keep in touch.
 
not looking forward to the "chat" ive arranged with my dentist on friday 31st, cant believe how difficult it is to get to talk to ur own dentist gotta have a damn fight with the receptionist first!!! so silly but im absolutly crapping it, my stomach goes (the same feeling u get when u miss the bottom step on a staircase) whenever i think of my appointmnt, im only going for a chat!

i was in agony the other day and im not entirely sure why i was wondering if anyone can explain this, basically to get rid of my tooth ache ive been crushing an asprin and putting it onto the affectd tooth, this really helps get rid of toothache but it dont taste very nice. so i thought ill try putting some toothpaste on and leaving it, it went at first but my god i was in pure agony it felt as though id put acid onto it! so i washed it off with mouthwash which hurt more because it was cold so i got hot water and washed it around my mouth, i was in tears the pain was not going! i couldnt understand id put toothpaste on my tooth which i supposed to help it aint it??? i ended up crushing the asprin and relieving the pain. i say though ive never wanted a dentist so much right then! :(
 
Hi
If the tooth needs a filling it may well be very sensitive right now. I had only a cleaning about 2 weeks ago and I'm only just getting over the insane sensitivity...especially with certain brands of toothpaste.
I would mention to your dentist that the rude receptionist wont be helping any phobic patients and that her attitude is awful. Not everyone would have the courage to do so, so these people get away with it much longer.
I agree you should get numbing gel, just ask him to 'humour' you. It might not totally numb you but it might help a little and anything that puts you at ease will mean the LA lastslonger as you blood wont be moving so fast wshing it away. So they wont have to top you up as often.
I'm assuming you are with the NHS for financial reasons? Is there any way you would be able to switch to private with insurance? I know companies like Denplan cost $12 (that should be a pound sign) a month, but you can only go to certain places. Tesco and Boots also do dental insurance. Its about $20 a month and I think you can go anywhere and send them the bill and they reimburse you.
Still, If your dentist has been good most of the time and he gets his receptionist in line he sounds good too.
Good luck will your appointment
 
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