Advice please afraid of the dentist really bad

[ScaredinCT]

Ok so let me introduce myself, I am a 40 year old male that is terrified of the dentist. Just thinking about the dentist I break out in sweat, I can’t watch anything on TV or movies that have anything to do with teeth. I have nightmares of my teeth. Ok I think we all understand I am scared like crazy.
Well I am to the point that I can’t take the pain anymore and have to get some teeth removed or fixed.

I has my wisdom teeth removed when I was 16 I put under by GA, since then I have had the following teeth removed 17,27,47,and 37. All under IV sedation

Now I need 16,13,23,26,46, and 36 removed, but the biggest issues are 23 (eye tooth) it has a huge hole in it and I have been using temp filings in it for about 2 months now when I began using that it worked I had no pain. But now I am popping advil every few hours for it. Number 13 the other eye tooth 13 has a hole as well just not as big.

In other words I need allot of work done. My eating habits are affect by my teeth now hard crunchy stuff no longer, cold or hot either. I know I should just remove them all and get dentures so that I don’t have to worry about a dentist any more. But I am at wits end here even with the pain I am still afraid to go. Not sure what to do, I have not gone to the dentist in 8 years since my last tooth being pulled. I think they like hurting you putting that sharp metal thing in an area that will hurt. I have not had a cleaning in 10-15 years I use a dental tool to remove the tarter build up, I do brush and floss 3-4 times daily.

But I know I need the work I just can’t get over my fear. I am on the bigger side and I smoke so I was told that the IV sedation will not work as good, the last time I had that I remember everything even freaking out thinking about that day right now.
Advice please

 

[ScaredinCT]

nothing no one??

 

[Lisalovesbacon]

Hi! Sorry no one has replied. Sometimes finding a dentist who knows and understands your anxiety can help. I also am terrified of the dentist but I try to tell myself that ignoring it is much worse than actually seeing the dentist. Sorry, I may not be much help but I thought I'd reply anyway.

 

[ScaredinCT]

On to my next forum that helps its members, thnaks for all the great help everyone. NOT

there has to be a forum to help with this.

 

[vicki]

I'm sorry you feel that way ScaredinCT. If you have a look around the various different sections of the Dental Fear Central forum, you'll see that it's a busy forum with lots of members (both old and new) posting about and receiving replies about all sorts of different problems, worries and questions.

We're a non-commercial website, which means that all the administrators, moderators, forum buddies and dentists who answer questions and respond to posts, are giving their time for free as volunteers. Many of our regular posters also answer and respond to posts when they can, but it does sometimes get very busy on here and so occasionally it may be a while before posts get answered.

As a starting point, it might help you to work out what it is that you are actually scared of and then take things from there. We have a lot of information about different fears and the various things that can help you to overcome them. You might find this page a useful starting point:

Common Fears

Why are people afraid of the dentist? Find out about some of the most common dental fears and how to tackle each of them!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[ScaredinCT]

I don't see looking up a fear will do. It is a common fear of the dentist.

Maybe background info will help,
As a 6 year old I was in a accident where top and bottom from eye tooth to eye tooth was knocked out.

Ok like that was not tramtic enough I then had to go to the dentist for that he could then pull what broken peices there was left in my mouth. Ok so that was bad but wait it gets worse,

when my adult teeth came in they had to put "CAPS" on them silver, Well We must have had the worse dentist alive. He put to much glue or what ever on them it took 15-20 visits to get them removed in a 2 month period. all the time in dentist I had to be forced held down yelling and screaming.

Ao at my ripe old age of 40 that still haunts me and the few times I have gone since then. I have had to be knocked out 100% of the time. It is a crippling fear I am still in pain from the holes in my teeth I live on advil every 4-6 hours. I get head aches from the pain. But yet I still cant find myself going to the dentist. Hope some of that helps.

But I have no idea what to do next, dont tell me to just go that will not happen. seek help sure will not change a thing you see this fear actually stops me in my steps.

To give you a better picture I am a big guy, tattoos, played all kinds of sports, have broken bones, many opertions none of them bother me in the least. broke my ankle last year did not even take pain meds. But the dentist that stops me in my tracks. if I did not have the pain I would not even be on here.

I can not be the only one in the world that the fear is this deep. Something has to be out there for people like me.

 

[Justbreathe]

You are not the only one with a fear like this, you ARE NOT ALONE!!!! Just to give you an idea of how terrified I am, I took a leave of absence from work because I'm so stressed. There are a few other things happening in my life as well, but I think about the dentist 24/7 lately. I have a failed root canal, crowned tooth that needs to be extracted and a tooth that needs to be crowned and at this point I refuse!

Your story is awful and that dentist was horrible! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that as just a little guy!! So I'm going to make this suggestion because It's helping me tremendously. Because seriously, when I say you're not the only one, you really aren't. I recently started going to counseling because this fear is taking over my life and I just can't take it. It makes me crazy, no pun intended. We have been working on doing EMDR. It's pretty significant and has helped me like I couldn't believe. It's a technique created by Francine Shapiro and it's something I would recommend for you. It's hard, and INTENSE but I've made two dentist appointments and have actually gone to them (by myself which is really saying something) and I'm actually considering getting the tooth pulled at this point. Look into it and think about it. We get to a point where we have to decide that this fear can't control us forever but that is soo much easier said than done! I completely understand! I've ditched several dentists because they weren't compassionate about my phobia. That really irritates me because they're here for us! Let us know how your journey goes.