Agoraphobic needing dental care!

[Emetophobe25]

Hi everyone,

I am new and I am in desperate need of a dentist but the overwhelming fear is well...overwhelming. I went to a dentist 4 years ago to have wisdom teeth removed and I did fine (this was after 2 years of taking Tylenol3 and Advil 4 or 5 times per day, everyday to control the pain). Before that I was 15 (I am now 25). I also have agoraphobia and emetophobia which are both phobias. Emet is the fear of vomiting and agoraphobia is the fear of going outside. I have not left my house in 16 months, hence the added stress of going to the dentist. I am terrified. I need to go badly because I chipped a tooth over a year ago and now it is crumbling and looks awful. I also know I have many cavities. In the past year my teeth have really gotten bad. I do have anti-anxiety meds I can take but they do not work well. I would love to just be put to sleep but I'm not sure they do that where I live. Also, I'm not sure if it would be covered by the insurance I have through social assistance (welfare). Does anyone have any idea what kind fo sedation I could ask for? Also, it mus be compatible with my anti-anxiety meds as I cannot leave the house without them. Any support would be appreciated. Thanks.

Lesley

 

[Gordon]

IV sedation doesn't work well with a lot of psyche medication, you'd need to think about either RA sedation (nitrous oxide) or a full on general anaesthetic.
Maybe if you contacted the practice where you got your wisdom teeth extracted you could get some advice from there?

 

[Emetophobe25]

I would contact my last dentist but I don't live in that city anymore and I only saw her the once. The other dentist I had retired many years ago. I am going to make some phone calls and see what options I have. Thanks for replying!

 

[Gordon]

How about your general medical practitioner?

Do you have a dental school within reasonable travelling distance?

 

[Emetophobe25]

We do have a dental college in the city I live in so I think I will call them tomorrow. Why is it that IV sedation wouldn't work? Is it because I would already be partially sedated when I get there or is it something else? I'm planning to call one dentist tomorrow whom I've talked to before. I explained my problem and the secretary said that the dentist had extra training and specialized in anxious patients.

 

[Gordon]

It's down to drug interactions between the IV sedation drugs and other medication.

Also patients with psychiatric problems (not saying you have psychiatric problems!) don't do well with IV sedation, sometimes instead of sedation you get a sort of dis-inhibition effect which is totally the wrong result.