S
Shoe Lover
Junior member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2009
- Messages
- 12
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Hi. I am 25 years old and in need of advice.
I have had dental anxiety since I was a child, mainly due to embarrassment because I had a hygeniest who would pick out every mistake. I had one cavity in fifth grade, and threw the fit of all fits in the parking lot, leaving my very shocked parents to literally carry me in and hold me down, crying and hysterical. While I have no doubt that they were trying to help, the combination of helplessness and later, embarrassment, made it worse.
I went sporadically after that, had braces, and anxiety became full out phobia, complete with many of tale of actually passing out in the waiting room because I started to hyperventilate.
I’ve been blessed by healthy teeth combined with a natural inclination for dairy. That doesn’t seem to help eliminate any anxiety, and over the years I developed a full blown phobia, to the point where I will flip channels over toothpaste commercials, and “have to use the bathroom” if the subject of dental care comes up in conversation.
I last saw a dentist when I was 22; I took valium (10 mg) from a friend, and still had a whopping panic attack just being asked to sit in the chair. I calmed down enough to let the hygeniest start looking at my teeth, but promptly threw up a few minutes later. I doubt anyone missed me after that.
I am currently living with my fiancé, and he doesn’t know. He’s an amazing guy, and very sweet and caring, but I’m still terrified he’s going to think it’s a lot to handle. A few months after we first met, I had a hemangioma (a blood vessel that emerges out of the skin) in my neck, that spontaneously grew huge and ruptured (in a mall the day before Christmas Eve, of all things). He brought me to an ER,(despite protests) held me while I waited, helped with my breathing (I tend to hyperventilate, and babble a lot), held my hand even when the ER attending was doing lord only knows what, and was honestly the most supportive person I have EVER met. He also drove halfway across the state…on Christmas Eve…when it started bleeding again and stayed with me while a plastic surgeon lopped it off. Which was truly hideous, and he didn’t even look mildly disturbed.
The thing is…that was NOTHING compared to the full scale hyperventilating/fainting/vomiting nightmares I’ve had with dentists. I didn’t want to scare him off at the time (we had actually only been dating for six weeks at the time), and figured I would get around to it. He knows everything else about me, every embarrassing secret etc, but I can’t figure out how to explain this.
Like, “You thought I was nuts before? That was nothing!!”
I am not honestly in immediate need of treatment; I think that I have a cavity forming towards the back, and I’m worried that my long dormant wisdom teeth may have decided to make a run for the surface. I would like to deal with my phobia, hence the post, and I think part of that will be ‘fessing up to my guy. I've never told anyone else, and even just posting this is somewhat cathartic.
Which would also help because I think, at this point, I’d like to try either sedation or nitrous or SOMETHING. I don’t want to wait for something horrible to happen…but even the thought of calling to make the appointment sends my heart racing. I’m looking for help finding someone in Connecticut that deals with phobics…there were a few listed in the section, but I was kinda hoping someone might have a personal anecdote.
So…any advice on telling a loved one…or dentists in CT??
I have had dental anxiety since I was a child, mainly due to embarrassment because I had a hygeniest who would pick out every mistake. I had one cavity in fifth grade, and threw the fit of all fits in the parking lot, leaving my very shocked parents to literally carry me in and hold me down, crying and hysterical. While I have no doubt that they were trying to help, the combination of helplessness and later, embarrassment, made it worse.
I went sporadically after that, had braces, and anxiety became full out phobia, complete with many of tale of actually passing out in the waiting room because I started to hyperventilate.
I’ve been blessed by healthy teeth combined with a natural inclination for dairy. That doesn’t seem to help eliminate any anxiety, and over the years I developed a full blown phobia, to the point where I will flip channels over toothpaste commercials, and “have to use the bathroom” if the subject of dental care comes up in conversation.
I last saw a dentist when I was 22; I took valium (10 mg) from a friend, and still had a whopping panic attack just being asked to sit in the chair. I calmed down enough to let the hygeniest start looking at my teeth, but promptly threw up a few minutes later. I doubt anyone missed me after that.
I am currently living with my fiancé, and he doesn’t know. He’s an amazing guy, and very sweet and caring, but I’m still terrified he’s going to think it’s a lot to handle. A few months after we first met, I had a hemangioma (a blood vessel that emerges out of the skin) in my neck, that spontaneously grew huge and ruptured (in a mall the day before Christmas Eve, of all things). He brought me to an ER,(despite protests) held me while I waited, helped with my breathing (I tend to hyperventilate, and babble a lot), held my hand even when the ER attending was doing lord only knows what, and was honestly the most supportive person I have EVER met. He also drove halfway across the state…on Christmas Eve…when it started bleeding again and stayed with me while a plastic surgeon lopped it off. Which was truly hideous, and he didn’t even look mildly disturbed.
The thing is…that was NOTHING compared to the full scale hyperventilating/fainting/vomiting nightmares I’ve had with dentists. I didn’t want to scare him off at the time (we had actually only been dating for six weeks at the time), and figured I would get around to it. He knows everything else about me, every embarrassing secret etc, but I can’t figure out how to explain this.
Like, “You thought I was nuts before? That was nothing!!”
I am not honestly in immediate need of treatment; I think that I have a cavity forming towards the back, and I’m worried that my long dormant wisdom teeth may have decided to make a run for the surface. I would like to deal with my phobia, hence the post, and I think part of that will be ‘fessing up to my guy. I've never told anyone else, and even just posting this is somewhat cathartic.
Which would also help because I think, at this point, I’d like to try either sedation or nitrous or SOMETHING. I don’t want to wait for something horrible to happen…but even the thought of calling to make the appointment sends my heart racing. I’m looking for help finding someone in Connecticut that deals with phobics…there were a few listed in the section, but I was kinda hoping someone might have a personal anecdote.
So…any advice on telling a loved one…or dentists in CT??