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Do you ever feel faint during dental treatment?

kitkat

kitkat

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I am just curious about how many people (who do not opt for sedation) experience feeling faint during dental work. I have noticed it is a common question on new patient registration forms and I always check "no" but I actually have experienced this (minorly) several times and I have started to wonder about it. In my case, I've never completely fainted but I have come very close. It only seems to affect me during fillings. It only occurs when the chair is very reclined and it is always during drilling (with the bumpy loud slow-speed hand piece). It has nothing to do with the injection because it is long after that and it has nothing to do with pain because it's happened when I am sufficiently numb. Could it be fear induced? I feel like it's happened regardless of feeling particularly fearful or stressed :confused: Or does it have something to do with a combination of the vibration and reclining? All I know is after a few seconds of drilling my vision starts to get very dim and fuzzy and I start to feel dizzy and it kind of feels like my ears turn off and then just before I "black out" I bounce back. I would say that it has probably happened at least 4 times but the last time was the worst and I thought I really was going to faint :faint:. I'm comfortable signaling to halt treatment when needed but for some reason whenever it happens, I can't react...it comes on very fast and it sort of shuts off my ability to respond to anything. Part of me wonders if it has something to do with blood pressure or blood sugar but it always happens under the exact same circumstances and never at any other time...Thoughts?
 
Kitkat,

I just noticed this thread from 2017 and see nobody replied!! What a bummer. Have you by now found out why the fainting feeling is happening?

I feel like fainting almost every visit, however it’s on my way to the practice and in the waiting room. It is clearly anxiety, on my worst day I had to stop at the street and hold a street lamp for a moment not to fall as I thought I would faint. Also low blood glucose makes it worse. My diet usually is low carb but I used to make sure to eat a lot of carbs on the day of my apt. One day I thought I wasn’t that nervous and took a low carb breakfast just to get panicky few hours later and that fainting feeling was bad on that day too. Once I have company from my dentist I always get better.

Anyway, you mentioned your faint feeling is anxiety unrelated so I was wondering whether you by now had found out why this was happening?
 
Hi Enarete,

I still have not figured out the reason for this but I still get it. I had it during my last filling appointment back in January. It only happens with the slow speed drill but it basically happens every time. Last time it was coming on, I shut my eyes and still felt super dizzy but I think it kind of helped to close them. At least I was able to anticipate it last time so it was less scary. I did not get it at all during my root canal or crown appointments. I have never talked about it with my dentist because I think I might sound kind of crazy! LOL My dentist also has a tendency to lower the chair sneakily without really saying anything and I don’t always notice right away so sometimes I wonder if she’s doing that and the change in position might be throwing me off because it’s sort of a dizzy/falling sensation. I have never experienced it during cleanings either.
 
Hey KitKat

you are definitely not alone with this feeling of dizziness with the slow speed. I get it as well and it’s that really bumpy one that’s the worst feeling. I haven’t actually told my dentist that yet but I think I may have to mention it to him at my appointment coming up as it will involve a filling and cleaning. (Actually quite nervous about it to be honest with you)
 
It’s nice to know that I am not alone. I wish I knew why and how to prevent it. I’ve tried to research it but have never found anything.
 
It’s nice to know that I am not alone. I wish I knew why and how to prevent it. I’ve tried to research it but have never found anything.
I’ve never found out the reason either it’s usually when it’s moving around as well. I often get so lightheaded when the chair gets up from the laying to sitting then standing my first dentist appointment with my current dentist I almost fainted after getting out of the chair so he sits me up first and has a chat before I stand up which is different to what other dentists have done in the past.
 
I’ve never found out the reason either it’s usually when it’s moving around as well. I often get so lightheaded when the chair gets up from the laying to sitting then standing my first dentist appointment with my current dentist I almost fainted after getting out of the chair so he sits me up first and has a chat before I stand up which is different to what other dentists have done in the past.

I only get dizzy from sitting up after a very long appointment. My dentist will often recline the chair gradually throughout treatment and a lot of times I am laying much further back than I even realize until the treatment is finished as she sits me back up. That can be somewhat disorienting at times and she will have me sit for a few moments so I can get my balance back before standing.
 
I only get dizzy from sitting up after a very long appointment. My dentist will often recline the chair gradually throughout treatment and a lot of times I am laying much further back than I even realize until the treatment is finished as she sits me back up. That can be somewhat disorienting at times and she will have me sit for a few moments so I can get my balance back before standing.

I have a long appointment coming up as well and I don’t know how I’m going to cope, especially with the filling procedure and the drilling part ? I just hope it isn’t too deep. It’s in about a months time.
 
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