• Dental Phobia Support

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Apromollo

Junior member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
9
Hi everyone,

I am 16 years old and I have 9 fillings. My old dentist and I have confirmed I have weak enamel :censored: However, of the 9 fillings only the last 2 caused pain.

The pain I experienced when I had my two top, very back teeth was so indescribably painful I could not ever see myself returning to the dentist office. Though my dentist was extremely kind and caring it hurt so incredibly bad I shudder at the thought of even getting a cleaning and when I ride by the dentist office the thought comes back to my mind.

Let me describe a typical visit and my problems I now suffer.

I go into the lobby and tell the receptionist my name and information and sit to be called back. While sitting I think about all the pain I will go through and begin to get teary eyed. I sit there and start to get ill feeling and even shake at times. When they call my name to go back all those feelings go away and sheer nervousness takes over. While walking back I smell that notorious stench that bothers us all and here the sound that we all fear. When I get seated I am given the remote to the tv and wait while the Topical anesthetic beings to work on the injection site. Minutes later the dentist comes in and puts her gloves on and gets the shot ready (holding it behind her back as if I know it's not there). She injects the needle and I sit there motionless and breathless until she removes it and I breathe a HUGE sigh of relief. (Please note it is NOT the shots that bother me) The dentist now gives me between 2 and 4 more shots of novacaine and leaves for a while as I numb up. I wait on average about 25 minutes for the numbing to take affect. When she comes back the sick feeling retuns and I feel as though I could throw up. She puts the head on the drill and begins her work. For moments everything is fine, I clench my eyes shut and try my hardest to zone out but I can't anymore. I finally ask her to stop for a minute and end up having a panic attack and get hooked up on nitrous. We wait for this to take affect and the dentist comes back in to gives it another shot. As soon as she lifts the chair back up the feeling of the gas has completely gone away and I feel sick again. She starts drilling and I immediately have her stop. She attempts to console me by telling me we only have a little bit left and I tell her to go ahead and lets do it. She begins and the pain overwhelms me and we have to stop yet again. Finally after another break I muster up EVERYTHING I have in me and allow her to finish. She fills it and I am allowed to leave. When standing up from the chair I fill dizzy and usually have to sit back down.

Sorry it's long, but maybe explaining it in detail will help me to get over it a little. I really hate the thought of my dentist, the office, the smell or anything associated with the dentist at all. I find myself constantly thinking about it now and I really think I need help. Can someone please help me...
 
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:welcome:here Apromollo, this is the right place for you!

My suggestion to you would be that you could try some anti-anxiety medication, like Valium. You could take it about an hour before the procedure and that would probably stop the panic attacks. You could also try another dentist who can get you numb better, but it's possible that your feeling pain is currently caused by anxiety. That is a possible cause for local anesthesia not working. This is just a guess, but maybe you should find a dentist who specializes in problems like yours, I don't know but maybe there is something that can be done to help the weak enamel.
 
You need a new dentist or a different method. Why is she working on you if you are feeling pain? There's info here about local not working properly and what to do:


If anxiety is the cause in your case, some oral sedation could help a lot BUT another thought is...it sounds like the shots also cause you pain..they really don't have to with the correct technique...a dentist who goes out of their way to make the shot comfortable...is the type of dentist who will not let you suffer pain during treatment as well....

Fear of painful injections and needle phobia

Having read the first link which of the 4 main causes do you feel could apply...you said only two of the fillings were painful - was infection present do you know? Could easily be more than one factor.

No one would enjoy dental treatment if they thought it had to involve that level of pain...it certainly doesn't have to..there is a way you can overcome this which will involve you eventually feeling much more comfortable about the whole thing...I think you have been unlucky and although your dentist has tried to help...the root cause has not been identified and dealt with...she shouldn't be persuading you to put up with pain during treatment ...find a dentist who can get you reliably numb. :grouphug:
 
I really don't think your dentist should have continued when you were still feeling it, there is no reason for dentistry to be painful. I can't really add anything else that has not been covered besides good luck and I am happy to answer any question you have.:cheers:


I am coincidentally listening to Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd as I type this reply.:giggle:
 
Having read the first link which of the 4 main causes do you feel could apply...you said only two of the fillings were painful - was infection present do you know? Could easily be more than one factor.

Possibly 1, but im sure of both 2 and 3. No infection was present to my knowledge and she even said this upper posterior area of the mouth should be the easiest and least painful to work with. Shots don't bother me in the least bit, I can get them all day. To what I can remember only 1 shot has ever actually put me in reasonable pain (aside from the normal little pinch).

I DO NOT Go to her anymore because I just can't deal with that. I am coming to the realization there are other options now and hopefully I can find the best one. Thanks!
 
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