• Dental Phobia Support

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Dentist on Friday...

L

lilawaugh

Junior member
Joined
Oct 23, 2012
Messages
10
I’m new here and have been reading through the threads while suffering the worst toothache of my life! Last week while brushing my teeth out came the side of my back molar. It’s just the side of it and the rest of it still standing and feels strong. Last week, my gum/jaw got so sore and tender that I knew I had to make a dreaded dentist appointment. Oddly enough, as soon as I stopped trying to find ways to deal with the pain –extra brushing, too many painkillers, no solid foods etc- and accepted the idea of actually having to go to the dentist the pain definitely eased off somewhat. Psychological mumbo-jumbo? Anyway, I think there was an infection which has since died down a lot.

The pain is pretty much no longer there and if I hadn’t already booked the appointment I’d definitely be crapping out of going by now. I do need to go to the dentist anyway. I’ve been avoiding it for about 5 years! The last time I was there was in May 2009 for an emergency appointment for another molar which was temporarily re-filled and has since fallen out due to not going back. Stupid, I know. When it fell out I was on holiday in France and it caused me no pain so I decided that there was no need for the dentist. It’s since crumbled to the gum line and although it doesn’t look pretty, no one else can see it and it’s sort of been my secret shame. It does hurt occasionally from too much pressure from eating hard food but I can work around it so it doesn’t bother me too much.

The dentist has always made me nervous from as long as I can remember. My NHS/school dentist was not the best. A nice lady for sure, although a bit too timid and jittery for a dentist I think. We think she had some sort of personal breakdown while we (my brother and I) were patients. I never really felt safe with her and voiced my fears to my dad who did his best to reassure me that she was “a professional”; “she wouldn’t be doing this job if she couldn’t” which I guess is fair but I’ve always been very aware of my instinct and trusting of it. After a few awful experiences –fillings done under no local anaesthetic, various attempts at numbing me that failed but she had already started and tried to continue despite my protests before giving up and sending me home with a half open tooth only to come back a week or two later and having it botched again etc- as soon as I was 16 (I’m 22 now) and no longer required to go the dentist I tried my best to give it a wide berth.

I’m really nervous about going and I guess looking for some encouragement. I really hope I like the dentist. He’s the practice principal and looks like a nice chap. I’m not really worried about any of the actual procedures actually- I can handle pain quite well, have no fear of needles and as long as I feel I’m in safe hands I should be generally OK. I suppose come Friday I’ll have to remind myself of this... !

Embarrassment is my main problem really. When my tooth broke in France (in February 2011) I convinced myself there was no way I could go to the dentist because I’d be the only 20 year old with a broken tooth. I am nervous and embarrassed but posting this here in the hope that someone else in my position won’t wait so long to make an appointment and can make visiting the dentist as normal as going to the doctor when you’re feeling sick.

I’ll post back after the appointment on Friday. I’m expecting to have to have some other fillings too so wish me luck...
 
Hi,
Well done for making the appointment:jump:. It is a big step and in the right direction. Your goal should be to have a healthy beautiful mouth and not to be afraid of the dentist. I am confident that these goals are within your reach.

It is quite obvious that the main reason for your fear is this dentist from your youth you shared about. Given the early age and the helplessness you experienced, I would say you were traumatized. If this is so, it would be beneficial to tell this also to your dentist.


Regarding the up coming appointmnet: It is good you don't have any acute pain, you can see how the appointment goes, if it works out well with this dentist, if you feel safe and comfortable. If not, leave him and search for another dentist. If it does work out, ask to stay treated by him, not to be transfered to another dentist but to stick with one. A good one :).
 
Hi usually the first appointment is just for a look around and charting of your teeth, and maybe an x ray. If you explain how you feel also to the dentist he can explain what and how you are going to need doing.
You are not the only person to go to the dentist with a broken tooth, and you do not have the worst mouth that the dentist has seen by a long shot.

I have always gone to the dentist and looked after my teeth, and I had a tooth that broke last year, sometimes it happens, I was not best pleased but it got dealt with.

The dentist should go through with you what is needed to be done, and arrange for another appointment, he may give you some antibiotics if there is some infection present.

There have been people with a full mouth of broken teeth that have had to finally gone to see a dentist and got fixed and gained a smile to be proud of without the dentist running from the room screaming, so I think your mouth is probably small fry to him.

All the best to you, I look forward to hearing how you get on. GOOD LUCK :clover::clover::clover:
 
Hi there! Welcome!

please do not feel bad or guilty about being away from dentistry for 5 years. It is far from the longest time I've heard of, myself being gone from it for 12 years before I started going back.

I think I can relate to your bad experiences, I had a few as a teen which is why I stopped going as soon as I wasn't forced to go by my parents anymore. I think the hardest thing for me is that i cannot erase those bad experiences from my head, and I feel like I re-live them every time I have an appointment. (Which isn't really true, b/c I have a different dentist, and so far nothing he's done has been painful, and overall he's been pretty patient with me, even though I feel like the worst patient in the world whenever I am there.)

I was 29 when my tooth fell out, and I felt really embarrassed. I thought I was far too young to have teeth falling out of my head, but when I got to the office, they weren't shocked or anything. . .nobody laid a guilt trip on me or made me feel bad.

I wish you the best of luck on Friday. Please keep us updated
 
Thanks for the kind words guys! I’m nervous but oddly excited to get going. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes!
 
good luck, lilawaugh!
a lot of us here are what i might call 'recovering' phobics, :ROFLMAO: ie., till our next appointment!
good that you're excited about going to the dentist. it's like fighting a whole war and finally settling down to making THAT decision to go.:superman:
 
Thank you!
It's Thursday night now and I'm getting a little nervous. I just need to remind myself that as long as I remain calm I will be fine. Breathe... I wonder if I'll sleep tonight!
 
Good :clover: :clover: for tomorrow!!!
I've been going to the dentist almost monthly for the better part of 4 years and I still get nervous before an appointment. I have a check-up coming up next Thursday and I'm starting to feeling the butterflies.
You'll do just fine!!!!
Many :XXLhug: :hug4: :hug5:'s!!!!!!!!
 
Thank you! You’re all lovely. The appointment is two hours away now and I have had the worst case of butterflies for the last hour. Too many butterflies just makes me feel like I’m going to vomit. Not good! Will let you know how it goes and honestly, thanks again for all of your input!

ps. chickenjen: your DP of your chickens is just... TOO CUTE! I love chickens.
 
hi lilawaugh,

you will be fine, don't worry. i always feel like vomiting too, prior to my visit and when i am in the chair, and i tell the dentist that i feel that way and that i am scared. so he will normally say, "don't worry", and i take a deep breath and the feeling always goes away. in between the session i try to "breathe" too, not too much as not to hyperventilate, but just a deep breath when i feel like puking, and it has never failed to ease the feeling. one of my dentist taught me this, and i hope it will help you too. but not so much that you hyperventilate, ok? :hug5:
 
As luck would have it... I got home and -luckily- checked my voice-mail (I usually don't!) and my appointment was cancelled because my dentist called in sick. Ah! It's been re-arranged for next Wednesday morning with another dentist. This has wracked my nerves somewhat. I was so glad to be appointed the principal dentist, it just settled my nerves a bit. Oh well. I'm sure it will be fine!
 
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You will be just fine. :)

Tuesday I sat through 2 crown preps. It took 2 and a half hours in total. And that was the first time I had been to the dentist in years. I was in a total freakin panic for a week leading up to it. Once he started working, I was wondering what the heck all the fuss was about LOL.
 
....I was in a total freakin panic for a week leading up to it. Once he started working, I was wondering what the heck all the fuss was about LOL.
yes, it happens to the best of us. once he starts the drill or whatever, you think that you can make it after all! such a relief whilst in the chair. and then you just hang on, breathing when you should, keeping POSITIVE thoughts, pray for those who are inclined, pun not intended :toofunny:, and then when everything is over, such a wave of gratefulness and relief come over us. we feel we can take on the world, or at least the next dental session, lol. we really understand each other here, eh!:friends:
 
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