Fear of being locked down and tortured

[smileee]

Is there anyone who thinks they might lose control and just give it a go and endure all sorts of pain?

This is what happened to me once and at first i thought i was brave to endure it but i think it made everlasting mental effects on my psyche that i cant get courage to visit dentist anymore

Any advice how i could deal with this. I would like to talk with my dentist first but my fear is just that they will not let me stay in control, get on the job and let me suffer as it happened before

However if i think of talking about it with dentist they might tell me i should visit psychiathrist instead

What are the standards nowdays about this and what should i expect?

Basically i am trying to get a new setup of implants because my teeth really are one of the worst

Its just hard to start you know. I talked with famiily but my mom says to get a cheaper option and to visit dentist that she knows. I just dont feel good about cheap options especially in the environment that we live in today where people are generally unhappy with their work.

Its so hard to start this but i must find a way, if there is no way i must create one because this nightmare i have must stop

 

[nikki06]

I have endured a filling whilst not being totally numb.. Partly because the dentist didn't believe that I could possibly feel anything due to the amount of anaesthetic Id had.. So I put my trust in him, told myself I was probably imagining it and it was likely to be heightened anxiety making the twinges into pain... But nope, I just wasn't numb (several dentists have struggled to do so properly). Enduring it and just grabbing the chair arms with all my might did absolutely nothing for me and it was awful, I think myself pretty lucky that all I endured was pain, because it was a deep filling and could've easily turned into agony/screaming(!).. the fact the dentist was so uncaring only served to makes my fears even bigger. Needless to say I didn't go back there again.

My oral surgeon now, works at my pace and recently the dentist (at the same practise) said to me 'raise your left hand if you want me to stop' this was without any input from me prior to the filling.. Yet again though I still felt pain towards the end, but I put up with it.. again!?? I don't know, I find it hard to speak up and part of me worries that more anaesthetic will make me sick, or just waiting for it to work will just lengthen my appointment.. But luckily for me she was nearly at the end and said 'I'm about to put the filling in' so it saved me from asking for more anaesthetic! But please don't do as I do and put up with it, there really is no need!

It's all a case of speaking up, I highly doubt they'd say you need a psychiatrist.. Unless you think it will help with your fears?? But you shouldn't do as I did and put up with it, if you should feel anything put your hand up, just be sure to agree on it prior to any work carried out

 

[Tink]

Hello smileee,

I can understand your fears, I had a similar experience to yours and Nikki's in the past and have struggled with similar fears.

My suggestion would be to look around for a dentist who is particularly good with nervous/phobic patients in your area (the recommendations section of this forum is a good place to start) and tell them how you are feeling. They won't tell you you need a psychiatrist (not that it would be a problem if you did!), they will have seen this lots of times before and will understand, especially if they work with nervous patients a lot.

I think you're right to be wary of going to the local place just because they're cheap, if you are in a position to spend more if necessary to see the dentist who is right for you then that's the best thing to do. Your needs are what matters here and what is best/cheapest/handiest for others may not be the right one for you.

Standards nowadays are much, much better than they used to be, and a good dentist now will never force you to continue with treatment if you are in pain. You are in control at all times, and if you have difficulty getting numb there is more they can do to help you. If a dentist does do that to you, leave!

I realise this is all very easy to say and much harder to do though...I understand about the control thing too. After I had my bad experience, I started again with a wonderful new dentist, who has been helping me gradually work on getting over my fears. There was a point earlier in the year though, where I found myself completely freezing up in fear and becoming overcompliant - it was fine, he didn't do anything beyond what I was able to cope with (it was just a checkup) - but I suddenly realised that I wasn't able to tell him when I was feeling uncomfortable and he could have carried on thinking everything was fine when in fact I had shut down and completely detached from the process. Eventually I managed to tell him this, in a long messy meltdown of an email I sent after the appointment. That was the point where we both realised "this isn't good, we really need to do something about this" and he referred me to a phobia expert for further help dealing with what happened. The phobia expert has been a huge help, and I'm working with my dentist on gradual desensitisation. He also knows to always ask if I'm ok and make sure that I'm comfortable, even if I appear fine - so that even if I'm not managing to say it myself he can help me stay in control.

So yes, I understand how hard it is and exactly where you're coming from, but please be reassured that the good dentists really are out there, it's really ok to tell them what your fears are, and they really can help you. There is hope.

Good luck in your search!

 

[smileee]

Thanks for your kind replies Nikki and Tink,

It means a lot to me to start this even with small steps right now. I was with this dentist 10 years ago. She told me that she will work around nerve or something like that so i could feel pain. She also said that the teeth might just break after some years but that the work is needed to avoid worse scenario. I am typing this now remember this and i still cant believe how this woman did this. Young and naive back then always wanting to be badass i just sucked it up but had no idea that every thought of dentist after this experience will trigger lunatic horror to my subsconciousness.

People who read this, dont let this happen to you, stay in control and dont endure pain that you dont need to endure, i am doing another step forward right now...