• Dental Phobia Support

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Extreme fear before going to dentist

S

sweet sheep

Junior member
Joined
Aug 9, 2008
Messages
1
Hello new friends,

There are many times in life where we definitely need each other and this forum is a god send to me especially. I have had an extreme fear of dentists since i was a child and now i am 71 years old. I have put off going for way too long and i am now paying for that. Recently i was forced to go because of a loose tooth that made it impossible for me to eat. I found a dentist close to home that advertised in the paper that if you were afraid of them then they especially welcomed you because they understand. It was true that they show caring and understanding and patience. I only had a couple of shots to numb the area thinking that the tooth could be pulled out quickly but that did not happen unfortunately. The top broke off and they had to get to the root. It was infected also. They finnaly did get all of it out but i was so traumatized i was shaking all over. It actually took me a couple of days to get my body to settle down again. It has been a week and it is almost healed up. I had to go yesterday for a post op look and find out what comes next. I was so anxious and upset about going (even though i knew he was only going to look and talk to me):shame: I have a lot to be fixed but first i have to have them cleaned and it has been quite awhile since the last time. There is some infection under the gums so that has to be removed also. He is going to do one side of my mouth at a time. He gives a sedation pill that makes you drowsy but not completely out. Then of course the shots! I do believe that it will not hurt while he is doing the work but i need to find a way to handle my anxiety before having to go for my appointment. I start thinking about things a couple of weeks ahead in anticipation and the nervousness starts to set in. I really wish i could not do that! I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!:confused: Can anybody help that has been through this? Many thanks.
 
Hello and welcome!

I can relate to your fear completely! Answering your question is a little bit more difficult. I really would like to know, for myself, what to do with all this anxiety that builds up and take over my life completely!

I try to read, go for walks, play the piano, play on the computer... nothing helps really. I've written a lot about my fears. Why I'm afraid, what I'm afraid of, What would make me feel better etc. That helps a bit. At least you have something to lean back to when the dentist wants to ask some questions. If you have expressed yourself in writing, it is much easier to talk about it. I've never really told anyone about my fears, have you done that?

This forum is a god send, yes, I agree!
Good luck!
 
You've made a huge step being able to go hun! I would say to help with your anxiety beforehand is to think of how beautiful your teeth will look and how much healthier you'll feel. You're so lucky to have found an understanding dentist which is also something you should keep in mind before your visit. Having someone come with you to the visits might also help! Good luck :XXLhug:
 
Hi, sweet sheep,
I can't offer you much in the way of advice since I haven't even started treatment yet.
I just wanted to add my :welcome: and to tell you this forum is AMAZING!!
You WILL find support here!!
Best Wishes,
Jen :XXLhug:
 
HI sweety,
I totally understand the anxiety you are feeling. Wow those teeth that don't come out easy make the anxiety worse. I've had I think 4 extractions just this year and a couple of them were HARD to get out and one was abscessed and I definitely know what you mean! I stress about it before I go too, Much more with extractions than anything else. Do you have someone to go with you? Sometimes it helps me out a LOT just to have someone at the office with me.

We're here for you! Glad you found us :XXLhug:
 
:welcome: Sweet Sheep!

I'm so sorry to hear that your last visit didn't go as well as you would have liked. I hope, though, that you've taken some time to congratulate yourself on taking such a huge step in the first place! :jump: It's also great that you've found a dentist you find to be kind and understanding.

You've already gotten some great advice here. Writing about your fear can actually be quite cathartic. Many of us here have actually written letters or emails to our dentists. This serves the double duty of letting us write about our fear while also informing the dentist of exactly what scares us.

Another good way to handle the anxiety a bit is to remember that you are in control. You can arrange a signal with the dentist beforehand and if at any point you start to feel anxious or uncomfortable, you can signal for him to stop. Sometimes remembering that you can walk away at any time actually helps you to stick it out.

Talk to the dentist or hygienist about your fears if you haven't done so already.

Try reading some of the success stories here. It wasn't so long ago that I was facing my first deep cleaning in about 20 years. I was quite scared. My dentist started out by doing my mouth in quadrants (each requiring a separate visit). After the first quadrant I realized that the whole procedure, more than anything else, was just boring. You'll find many, many stories from people here who were in your shoes and who have come through with flying colours.

You may find it helpful to make a music mix of some sort that you can bring to listen to while the procedure is happening. Think of music that relaxes you.

As for the shots, you'll be fine. Go ahead...pinch yourself. It doesn't feel great but I also doubt you'll remember it in five minutes (at least, not other than having a stranger tell you to pinch yourself) :). Many people here find that with modern techniques and devices, the shots don't hurt at all. But, remember, even if you do feel the shot it won't be any worse than that pinch - it'll be brief, bearable, and forgotten before long.

And, of course, to handle your anxiety you can always come here and spend some time with your new friends. You're not alone in this any more. We're all here rooting for you.
 
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