T
Tink
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 14, 2013
- Messages
- 746
- Location
- UK
Hello folks,
Just a thought I was musing over - has anybody ever tried asking their dentist if they can have a look at the drill, or the needle, or whatever it is you fear most?
I've been thinking, at the moment I'm in the middle of the process of desensitisation to visiting the dentist (following a very bad experience with a previous dentist and something of a meltdown a few months ago), and the thing that really scares me is the drill. As soon as a dentist has a drill, they become a threat in my head, even if they are completely kind and patient and gentle and will stop at the first hint of trouble - it makes no difference, if they have a drill, they are a threat. It's like a weapon.
I do sometimes find that if I understand something a bit better it gets less threatening and it helps me get my head round it, so I was wondering about asking the dentist if he'd mind letting me have a look at it. I'm always very interested in how stuff works too, it strikes me that it may help to engage the part of me that's interested and give my head something to do that isn't thinking about how scared I am! I'm hoping we might be able to take some of the mystery and threat out of it by getting more familiar with it.
What do you think, has anybody tried this?
(I realise that for a lot of people this would be the worst idea EVER and the last thing you want to do is look at it, that's fine if that's what's right for you - I think for me though, it could help?)
Just a thought I was musing over - has anybody ever tried asking their dentist if they can have a look at the drill, or the needle, or whatever it is you fear most?
I've been thinking, at the moment I'm in the middle of the process of desensitisation to visiting the dentist (following a very bad experience with a previous dentist and something of a meltdown a few months ago), and the thing that really scares me is the drill. As soon as a dentist has a drill, they become a threat in my head, even if they are completely kind and patient and gentle and will stop at the first hint of trouble - it makes no difference, if they have a drill, they are a threat. It's like a weapon.
I do sometimes find that if I understand something a bit better it gets less threatening and it helps me get my head round it, so I was wondering about asking the dentist if he'd mind letting me have a look at it. I'm always very interested in how stuff works too, it strikes me that it may help to engage the part of me that's interested and give my head something to do that isn't thinking about how scared I am! I'm hoping we might be able to take some of the mystery and threat out of it by getting more familiar with it.
What do you think, has anybody tried this?
(I realise that for a lot of people this would be the worst idea EVER and the last thing you want to do is look at it, that's fine if that's what's right for you - I think for me though, it could help?)