Dental Success...Thank God for this Forum!

[Johnny_G]

So - Today was the day. I finally went to the dentist.

This is after 19 years of putting it off, after 5 years of watching my tooth literally rot and after 2 years of accepting serious pain vs. the alternative of facing my fear and going to the dentist.

I followed all the advice from this forum. I found a dentist that specializes in care for phobics. I scheduled a "consult" and was assured that I did not have to sit in "the chair" and did not have to open my mouth if I was not comfortable.

When I arrived, the "smell" of the office set me off. Immediate anxiety and fear. But I read this forum and anticipated that feeling. I said to myself, "this is like a business meeting...I do not even have to open my mouth...I am just here to discuss my situation and my fears with a dentist who works with people like me..."

The office staff was great. They brought me back and sat me down and explained the history of the practice and why they feel I can overcome this phobia. They reassured me that many people have the fears that I have and it is okay. "You are not alone."

I explained to Amy that I have a bad tooth in the back of my mouth and that I knew it would have to be extracted. "Amy" convinced me that it would be okay to take an X-ray of the tooth...I opened up and she looked...Immediately, she stated, "wow, that must hurt ...no matter what you decide, we are here to take care of you and we have seen much much worse..." That was such music to my ears.

The doctor came in, got to know me and answered all my questions. He was young and energetic and absolutely soothing. I explained to him about my bad experience as a kid. I explained that I could take needles and bad tastes and bad sounds...but I was really nervous about drilling on a nerve...that this is the memory I have from when I was a kid.

He understood...he recommended sedation. He promised me that I would feel no pain.

At that point, a calm came over me. I knew that if I took the time to think about all the alternatives and all the issues...I may leave and never go back.

Long story short...after another 15 minutes of what I thought were stupid questions, I decided to have him extract my tooth - right there - right then. NO sedation...just some serious novocaine.

I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I FELT NO PAIN WHATSOEVER...IT IS DEFINITELY A WEIRD EXPERIENCE WITH ALL THE PULLING AND PRODDING...BUT NO PAIN...NO DRILL HITTING A NERVE...NOTHING. DENTISTRY HAS DEFINITELY CHANGED IN THE LAST 19 YEARS!

I am now on Ibuprofren and an antibiotic...I have some residual pain now that the novocaine wore off...but that was expected.

I can honestly say that I can go back to the dentist in 1 week, have him check the extraction and then clean my teeth and do whatever is necessary to get me back on a path to dental health.

This forum gave me the strength, fortitude and knowledge to go through this process. Thank God for this forum and for all of you who suffer like I did. I know the fear. The paralyzing fear one gets when driving near a dentist's office...the fear of fear...the fear of being out of control...the fear of pain...the fear of embarrassment and ridicule...most of all the fear of the unknown...

I got through it with the help of this forum...

Remember, avoidance is fear's best friend...Walk through this experience. You will be so relieved when you let go and get through it.

Good luck and thanks again!

Johnny_G

 

[scaredstiff]

That's a lovely story. It's so good to read success stories like these. When we join this site and read of others' successes we think to ourselves that we could never do it ourselves, but you have proved as countless others have over and over again, anything is possible We can all conquer our fears and get our teeth sorted out. Well done and big pat on the back on what you have achieved thus far.

 

[letsconnect]

Thanks so much for sharing your story - I'm sure that it will help a lot of people!

And, of course, CONGRATULATIONS !!!

 

[Johnny_G]

Hi Fellow Phobics -

I just wanted to share another success story with all of you. I recently went back for my second appointment for deep cleaning. This time they numbed me up to really go deep. I hate the sound of the electric cleaner so I brought my Ipod and tried to relax.

I recommend that when you are there, verbalize your fear. Tell them you are a mess. Don't hold it in. These people are now like my family. They know I have fears. They always ask if I am okay. They remind me that it is their job to make me feel no pain whatsoever and it works.

I also impulsively decided to get my wisdom teeth pulled. Right there and right then. Years of neglect had caused serious cavities in my wisdom teeth...I figured...since I was numb anyway, I would have two of my 4 wisdom teeth pulled.

It was a crazy experience with one tooth removed in literally 30 seconds and the bottom tooth taking la lot onger...but still...NO pain. None.

Remember, it took me 19 years to get in that chair. It is costing me a lot of $$$$ as a result of my decision to avoid this experience. The fear is a lot worse than the actual experience. For those who think they can not do it...Just go to the dentist with a commitment to a consultation. Explain your fears. Tell them exactly what you are uncomfortable with and they will respond. They will tell you all the options. They will remind you that they have see much worse situations no matter how bad your situation is.

Take a first small step with a consultation. You will be so relieved when you get through this. You can do it. I was absolutely the worst phobic out there. I now am fine going back for cleanings and these wisdom teeth extractions!

Thanks again to all the supporters from this forum. You are a God-send!

 

[scaredstiff]

That's a lovely post, Johnny, success bigtime and I'm sure will do a lot to help others with their forthcoming appointments, or on the point of making an appointment. With regard to how expensive treatment costs, for myself I tend to divide the cost of treatment by the number of years that I didn't go to a dentist. That way seeing how much the treatment would have cost per year, it seems quite cheap. But as we all know, though we often find it a burden to raise the cash for treatment - myself very much included here - we know that you can't put a price on good health and having healthy teeth sure is a great part of our overall general good health.

 

[Johnny_G]

4th Extraction - Almost Done - So Relieved!

Hello Phello Phobics,

Just wanted to share that I had my 4th extraction last week and this was the easiest of them all. To summarize my saga, I had not visited a dentist for 18 years due to a terrible dental experience when I was nine. I am now 38. I literally watched my top molar rot for the last 3 years because I was absolutely terrified of the thought of the dentist. The drill, the nerves, the needles...I couldn't even drive past a dentists' office without feeling faint. Eventually, I became sick and tired of being sick and tired of my fear.

Because of this forum, I decided to visit the dentist for a "consultation" - I decided that I would talk to Dr. Eck (in SW Fla.) who specialized in dentistry for phobics. He confirmed that in visiting with him, I would not have to sit in a "chair"...I would not have to open my mouth for an examination, I could just sit and listen about his philosophy, his approach to dental fear and what he thought about my situation.

It was tough, but I got through it. The smells of the office. The sites and sounds were not pleasant. But the dentist himself was awesome. He reassured me that dentistry had changed over the past few years. He asked about my specific fears and allayed each one of them. He reassured me that he had had experience with other patients like me and that my fears were normal. He reassured me that if it was only one rotting tooth, that I was lucky and that he would be able to take care of it completely painlessly. He provided clear overviews of IV sedation and my options for treatment. Most importantly, he reassured me that I was in control and that he would move as quickly or slowly as possible. He explained that it took a lot of courage to come in that day and that he would take care of me.

So I opened my mouth and he reacted calmly that I had a situation and that he could remove the tooth with no pain. "Whenever you are ready..." No pressure. Very matter of fact.

He removed it just like he said. With novocaine, there was no pain. None. It took him 20 minutes.

He then suggested that I come back in a week to assess the extraction and to discuss other issues such as my wisdom teeth.

Weeks later, I had two wisdom teeth removed. No pain. Less anxiety.

A few weeks later, I had a full deep cleaning. A bit uncomfortable. But definitely NO pain. And my teeth felt great. I learned that I did NOT have gum disease which surprised me. I just needed to come for a cleaning every 6 months.

Last week, I had another wisdom tooth pulled. He wanted to pull both at the same time but I elected to go one at a time because I had to coach my son's baseball game that night and I needed to coach. He said, "no problem."

I have one more wisdom tooth to go. I can honestly say that I have yet to feel any pain and my anxiety has basically gone away.

Read these forums. Share your story. Take my advice. "Avoidance is fear's best friend." If you can't think about making that appointment because you are afraid of what they will find...simply schedule a "consultation" and make it clear that you do not want them to look inside your mouth...you simply want them to highlight their dental approach for patients who are super-fearful of the dentist. Meet your dentist. See if he can put you at ease. He understands your issues and if you freak out, you can leave and never go back.

But take that first step. You will be glad you did. I feel so blessed that I am now on the path to dental health and I can honestly say that I have no fear and have felt no pain through this experience.

You can do it! Thanks to this Forum....I did it! Be Strong!

 

[scaredstiff]

Re: 4th Extraction - Almost Done - So Relieved!

Reading your story I really have only one word to say WOW! But being a chatterbox, I can't leave it at just one word, even though it's a big word! I think you have done tremendously well and your story is definitely going to be of help to others. Thank you for sharing.

 

[MissMi]

Re: 4th Extraction - Almost Done - So Relieved!

I have to go in for an extraction tomorrow and I'm terrified. Your story is very reassuring.

 

[Johnny_G]

Re: 4th Extraction - Almost Done - So Relieved!

Good Luck MissMi!

Just know that we are all here to support you. We have all been there and know how tough it is to go through these procedures. The anticipatory anxiety is probably WORSE than the actual experience. We built it up in our minds. Are you doing IV Sedation or General Anaesthesia or novocaine?

Again, good luck!

 

[phobichick]

Re: 4th Extraction - Almost Done - So Relieved!

Johnny G --- that is wonderful news..I LOVE reading these stories to help me thru my phobia....you are such a trooper...thanks for sharing that and so glad you have found a dentist who is so calm mannered and does such a great job)

MissMi-- I'd love to wish you good luck but since you have already had the extraction done I am only hoping that it went smoothly as well...pls let us know how you did)

(((Hugs)))