• Dental Phobia Support

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First Visit

H

Hartington99

Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
68
Location
UK
I had my first visit to the dentist today in 7 years. I was so nervous for days I couldn’t sleep and my tummy was in knots . I made the phone call following an illness which left me with pain in my jaw and mouth which the doctor could not explain, I cried just from the fear of knowing I had made the appointment. I made it with a new dentist because I was so afraid and disliked my childhood dentist, I made it with the one my partner attends. I had convinced myself I would need lots of unpleasant work done and was so embarrassed that I had not been in so long. I got there, somehow , the sight of the dentist walking past me made me so apprehensive. Then it Was my turn I walked in the room and it didn’t feel as bad as I expected, the dentist was pleasant and my partner accompanied me. She started by feeling my neck and face and then lay me back to take a look in my mouth. my legs were shaking a lot but She explained everything she was doing which made me feel at ease. Thankfully she said my gum health was all 0s and my OH was excellent, I them felt even more comfortable sat in the chair. I couldn’t Believe it, I even made it through the Xrays without gagging. However after analysing the X-rays she has decided that I need a filling, I decided on a tooth coloured, A lot more money but makes me feel more comfortable although it is in the back of my mouth. The teeth that I thought were causing the problem ended up being fine and she was very surprised at how good my teeth were after 7 years. Overall it was a really positive experience and makes the days of worrying seem worthless however now I am finding myself in a panic over the filling procedure, what if she isn’t as gentle? How long will I be in the chair for? the needle, the drill, I’m very apprehensive. As nervous as I am however i am so pleased I made the appointment and am on a positive journey to concurring a fear.
 
Hi,

well done for facing the fear and making an appointment. Sounds like your dentist is a keeper.Please allow me to offer you my video about fear of pain during a dental procedure:
A filling takes about 20 minutes, depends on what type of filling it is.
I am certain you will be fine. Sounds like you are in good hands.
 
Hi Hartington99:welcome:,

what a lovely story about how you managed to see a dentist! I am glad you have no other issues than a filling and even more glad that your dentist was gentle and guided you through.
Fears are a weird sometimes and often having one good experience is not sufficient to be entirely fear free before the next visit, particularly if the procedure that will be done is something you haven't done with that particular dentist yet.
It sounds like she was really gentle with you and take her time to make you feel comfortable. I really like she started with feeling your neck instead of tipping you back and wanting to have a look at your teeth straight away and I am sure she will guide you through the filling gently as well. If you can, keep in mind how nice the dentist was instead of worrying about the procedure itself.
A filling is a very simple procedure, your dentist should be happy to put you at ease and answer any questions before you start. The numbing is quick and can be done painlessly nowadays and after that you will have some time to relax while waiting for it to take effect. The drilling should be fairly quick and it will be just some sound, dull feeling as you will be number up and some vibration. Did you agree on a stop signal during the exam? It is good to have one so that you can let your dentist know whenever you need a break.
When is your next appointment?
 
Hi,

well done for facing the fear and making an appointment. Sounds like your dentist is a keeper.Please allow me to offer you my video about fear of pain during a dental procedure:
A filling takes about 20 minutes, depends on what type of filling it is.
I am certain you will be fine. Sounds like you are in good hands.
Thank you so much your video was really helpful and I will keep that in mind.
 
Hi Hartington99:welcome:,

what a lovely story about how you managed to see a dentist! I am glad you have no other issues than a filling and even more glad that your dentist was gentle and guided you through.
Fears are a weird sometimes and often having one good experience is not sufficient to be entirely fear free before the next visit, particularly if the procedure that will be done is something you haven't done with that particular dentist yet.
It sounds like she was really gentle with you and take her time to make you feel comfortable. I really like she started with feeling your neck instead of tipping you back and wanting to have a look at your teeth straight away and I am sure she will guide you through the filling gently as well. If you can, keep in mind how nice the dentist was instead of worrying about the procedure itself.
A filling is a very simple procedure, your dentist should be happy to put you at ease and answer any questions before you start. The numbing is quick and can be done painlessly nowadays and after that you will have some time to relax while waiting for it to take effect. The drilling should be fairly quick and it will be just some sound, dull feeling as you will be number up and some vibration. Did you agree on a stop signal during the exam? It is good to have one so that you can let your dentist know whenever you need a break.
When is your next appointment?
Thank you and yes she told me to raise my hand if I felt any pain or discomfort in the exam, she really was lovely and discussed all my options with me , my next appointment is 31st January so I have time to have a positive mental attitude towards it I hope, sometimes I feel it will be a breeze and then I am filled with fear, I guess because it is more serious than just a check. This forum is helpful to me and I’m very thankful for the replies.
 
Harrington99,

Just wanted to encourage you too. sounds like a lovely dentist you have very anxious friendly and chances are probably really good she will be very gentle during the fillings as well. You are so strong and doing amazing with all this!! Even when you've had one really good appt with a really good dentist who is anxious friendly its so completely normal to be a little nervous.. After you build up some momentum with her you will get less and less nervous with each positive appointment :) Wishing you the best!
 
Harrington99,

Just wanted to encourage you too. sounds like a lovely dentist you have very anxious friendly and chances are probably really good she will be very gentle during the fillings as well. You are so strong and doing amazing with all this!! Even when you've had one really good appt with a really good dentist who is anxious friendly its so completely normal to be a little nervous.. After you build up some momentum with her you will get less and less nervous with each positive appointment :) Wishing you the best!
Thank you so much, I really hope so. I will be sure to update you all afterwards, its amazing how much finally talking to people helps.
 
I so much agree about talking to people .. and the right people who can understand and support you.. I don't where I would be without DFC in my journey :) :grouphug:
 
Can’t help but convince myself that lots of problems has been missed, and was she really as lovely as I thought. My partner has reassured me that she was very through and gentle but I seem to have convinced myself otherwise. 17 days to go
 
Can’t help but convince myself that lots of problems has been missed, and was she really as lovely as I thought. My partner has reassured me that she was very through and gentle but I seem to have convinced myself otherwise. 17 days to go

I think when things don’t go as we had expected, our mind challenges the outcome and doubt sets in. It can be hard to accept when things go contrary to what we think will happen for better or worse, so we start trying to find reasons that negate the outcome or we reject evidence that supports the outcome to better fit our expectation. It can take a few appointments before your expectation starts to change. It can be helpful to reflect on the positive aspects of the previous appointment. I like to write about appointments right after they happen (while it’s fresh) so that I can reread them later when my memories start to fade. Hang in there! I’m on a waiting count down for fillings too....21 days for me. We can be appointment buddies! :)
 
Thank you for your reply! You’re exactly right, reassuring to know I’m not the only one and that sounds like a great idea I’ll be sure to try that! How are you coping with the wait? We can do this ?:there-there:
 
Thank you for your reply! You’re exactly right, reassuring to know I’m not the only one and that sounds like a great idea I’ll be sure to try that! How are you coping with the wait? We can do this ?:there-there:

I’ve been with my dentist for 17 years so I don’t get as nervous as I used to but this appointment will be a little bit different. There is definitely one filling planned and my dentist is going to decide if the tooth next to it also needs a filling when she can get a better look at it from removing the decayed part of the first tooth (there is decay between the two teeth beside each other; there is definitely decay on one tooth but also possibly on the adjacent tooth) so I won’t know if I’m getting one or two fillings until mid-procedure. I try to stay busy..I picked up some extra days at work and then I’m also trying to practice a little extra self-care. I got a pedicure today, plan on hitting the gym, doing lots of house chores, dinner with friends, and early bedtimes. Providing support on the forum helps me a lot too. I just need to take my own advice which I don’t always seem to do!
 
Yeah I guess because I’ve only seen this dentist once and avoided for seven years my first procedure is bound to still daunt me, and hopefully you will only need one but at least there isn’t time to worry about the second if you need it as it will be over before you know it! You’re advice is great and I’ll take the tips into consideration. Thank you just wish it was sooner so it could be over with! I hate the thought of being lay there for a long time
 
For longer appointments (especially appointments that include drilling), I bring headphones to listen to music on my phone and just wear one in my ear so that I can focus on my music most of the time which is a very helpful distraction. I keep the other ear free so that I can hear when the dentist speaks to me. It just gives me something else to selectively attend to and take my mind off things which seems to help the time pass faster. Yes waiting is the worst...it’s definitely harder when the dentist is new and less familiar to you. You haven’t had time to build up that trust with them yet.
 
You’ve got this.

You’re going to surprise us all, and none more than yourself.

You keep posting here, as much as you like. Get it all out.
 
For longer appointments (especially appointments that include drilling), I bring headphones to listen to music on my phone and just wear one in my ear so that I can focus on my music most of the time which is a very helpful distraction. I keep the other ear free so that I can hear when the dentist speaks to me. It just gives me something else to selectively attend to and take my mind off things which seems to help the time pass faster. Yes waiting is the worst...it’s definitely harder when the dentist is new and less familiar to you. You haven’t had time to build u
You’ve got this.

You’re going to surprise us all, and none more than yourself.

You keep posting here, as much as you like. Get it all out.
Yeah I might try that I’m pleased my partner is going to accompany me as it gives me a piece of mind although it can feel pretty embarrassing he is extremely understanding and supportive which helps , although I bet he can’t wait for it to be all over so I stop going on about it ?
 
You’ve got this.

You’re going to surprise us all, and none more than yourself.

You keep posting here, as much as you like. Get it all out.
Thank you , I really do hope so :) this forum is a great help
 
Filling tomorrow getting quite nervous now just can’t wait for it to be over , any last minute advice or reassurance ??
 
You made it through your first appointment so you will surely do great with your filling! Remember you habe your stop sign whenever you feel you need to stop.
 
You made it through your first appointment so you will surely do great with your filling! Remember you habe your stop sign whenever you feel you need to stop.
Thank you I hope so!! Can’t wait for it to be over
 
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