emergency appointment today. very first extraction tomorrow. TERRIFIED

[pinky]

So I have been putting this off for ages but my cracked tooth on the bottom left next to my molar has REALLY started to hurt. loads. Just in time for my holiday on sunday. I went to a dentist that was reccomended on here about a year ago and he helped me out but I was too scared to go along with it. So a year on it has come to this. the tooth needs to be extracted tomorrow just using local. The thought of having any work done under sedation is bad enough but now I have to be awake?! fml can't stop crying.

Can anyone offer me some advice and support? It doesn't help I have a horrendus needle phobia.​

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Hi Pinky,

Needle phobia is a very natural and even a healthy phobia, it is only natural to want to protect one self from sharp objects.
It is very possible to provide local anesthesia succefully. There are three key issues need to be attended:
1) difficulty seeing or feeling the needle.
2) difficulty with the idea/image of the needle touching the body
3) the chance of passing out.

For the first issue the dentist is responsible. There is no need to see the injection and it is possible to give it without you feeling anything (in some situations you might feel something but certainly not painful nor a sting, more a light pressure).

For the second issue you are responsible. You have to accept the fact that you might feel a certain degree of anxiety , and that you need to accept this experience. That does not mean you allow the dentist to abuse you, it means that you allow yourself to feel the anxiety and contain this feeling.

The third issue can be very easily be dealt with by cooperation between you and your dentist. The passing out is caused by a drastic change in the blood pressure: at first, due to stress the blood pressure is high, and than for a second the blood pressure to the brain drops and we loos the contentious.
What I do with my needle phobic patients is I ask them to activate and stress every muscle in their body for ten seconds (I count to ten) and than totally relax the hall body, and once the body is relaxed I give the anesthesia. This way the blood pressure stays relatively high constantly. It works beautifully.

All the best

 

[brit]

Pinky
If you are seeing Andrew Healey, you should be fine. I believe others have reported back that he has excellent LA technique. A successful experience will enable you to get the rest of the treatment you need with much less stress. You don't need sedation with a skilled and caring dentist. In fact sedation which doesn't work 100% with an uncaring dentist would be much worse. It will be fine. Best wishes.

 

[pinky]

did it

I went to dr Healey this morning, took me half an hour to bring myself to get the first injection, he was very patient with me and a nice guy. The experience was unpleasant though I had an abcess on the end of my root but its over now & I'm going back in a few weeks to arrange a dental plan hopefully get everything sorted. My fear is definitely still there but at least I've taken the first step I guess. My mouth hurts now lol.

 

[irmemac]

Well done Pinky! You have been so brave, and now that you've got through this you will be able to do the rest Enjoy your holiday on Sunday, you've earned it!

 

[pinky]

Thanks!! I don't feel like I've been brave because I was pushed into a corner because of the pain. I dunno how I feel! I thought I'd be really happy its over and I did it but I don't... ughhh holiday ahoy I guess! I'd better not get dry socket or something I'd be so annoyed!