Hi my name is Phoenix ((well where I am from)) and I have SEVERE dental anxiety

[phoenix29]

Hi my name is Phoenix ((well where I am from)) and I have SEVERE dental anxiety

Hi there, for privacy reasons I will call myself Phoenix. I am from AZ and I am 29, I have a severe anxiety that started when I was 24. Until then I was going every six months getting check ups, the day of the great event a deep cavity magically formed in 3/4 of my tooth. Long story short after 9 or 10 shots of novicane I was not entirelly numb and he started to drill anyways. He stopped and shot me up again halfway, I was so terrified in pain all I could do is wave my hand trying to get his attention. He threatened to stop when I cried and said he would just leave me half done with about 3/4 of my tooth gone. I grinned and bared it but afterwards I was in pain for several weeks. Now I have such a severe dental anxiety I havent been in 5 years.

Yesterday I bit down and my tooth broke ABOVE the gum line. Instantly pain started shooting down my tooth and radiating in my jaw. I am so terrified to go to the dentist that today when I tried to call around to make an appt I had a panic attack. I am a very strong woman but when it comes to dentistry I am just about to wee myself. Sorry not trying to use bad language

I live in Phoenix, AZ, does anyone know of any good dentists? Any advice? I checked out the folder or dentists that were recommended but it doesnt seem like there are very many phobia friendly dentists

 

[coolin]

Re: Hi my name is Phoenix ((well where I am from)) and I have SEVERE dental anxiety

Hi Phoenix and
I'm assuming by your name that you might actually be in Phoenix? Bearing in mind that I have no idea how big Phoenix is or travelling distances i had a quick look around for dentists.
When I look online for dentists for anxious people I look for certain things on their website. I don't like to see 'we offer sedation' and nothing else written about anxiety. I like to see a fair bit written about reasons why we avoid the dentist and what the dentist might do to help you. I like to see a friendly 'please come see us' or something like that. I like to see other patients stories because then I know the dentist has seen people as scared as me
Bearing all that in mind there seem to be a few places you could try. James Noble is a dentist in Phoenix who talks about sedation alot but also about dental fear generally, Dr Maureen Toal has the Center for Dental Rehabilitation which specialises in oral/iv sedation/general anaesthetic but has has lots of experience of phobic patients.
To be honest though I don't think you will need sedation because you clearly used to go every 6 months. Perhaps some oral sedation to get you through the door? You just need a dentist who will restore your faith in dentistry by providing personalised care and good anaesthesia. Have a look at the Common fears section above. It might shed some light on why the dentist was unable to get you numb. It goes without saying that the dentist you saw five years ago should not have continued to drill when you were in pain - he should have stopped and reassessed the situation.
If calling a dentist gives you panic attacks you could try emailing them?
You can do this - and we will support you through it. Look at the success stories. We've all been there.
Keep posting
Coolin

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

Re: Hi my name is Phoenix ((well where I am from)) and I have SEVERE dental anxiety

Hi Phoenix,

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation; pretty much everyone here knows how terrifying it is to face the dentist after a long time away.

You might have some luck signing up for Angie's List. It costs a few bucks to sign up (less than $20 I think), and you can search for dentists and read reviews from patients. It will give you a sense of who's compassionate and liked by their patients.

I have a pretty high tolerance for anesthetic too-- my record is twelve vials of lidocaine for a particularly troublesome tooth. Let your dentist know that you've had trouble getting numb in the past, and ask if you can sit for ten or fifteen minutes after the shots to let the anesthetic take effect. For me this makes a huge difference. But in any case, your dentist should make it a priority to keep you out of pain. Work out a signal (usually just raising your hand or making a noise should be enough), and the dentist should stop immediately. You don't have to apologize or feel ashamed that you need more numbing. There's just no need to "tough it out" -- some people like us just seem to require more shots than others. A good dentist shouldn't yell at your or shame you either. It took a long time for me to stop apologizing to my dentist, and each time she would sort of yell at me and say, "You don't need to apologize!"

It's hard to tell what you'll need to fix your tooth, but a good dentist should be able to get you out of pain very quickly and you'd be surprised what can be done to restore a tooth even with a fracture like yours. I can assure you that even with a high tolerance, it is possible to get completely numb.

Good luck on your search. I'm sure you'll find a compassionate dentist who will treat you much better.

 

[phoenix29]

Re: Hi my name is Phoenix ((well where I am from)) and I have SEVERE dental anxiety

Hi Phoenix and

Bearing all that in mind there seem to be a few places you could try. James Noble is a dentist in Phoenix who talks about sedation alot but also about dental fear generally, Dr Maureen Toal has the Center for Dental Rehabilitation which specialises in oral/iv sedation/general anaesthetic but has has lots of experience of phobic patients.

Coolin

Thank you, I will look those dentists up tomorrow. I have such a severe dental phobia that I can not get numb/get so anxious I almost pass out.

 

[Bluelightning_03]

Re: Hi my name is Phoenix ((well where I am from)) and I have SEVERE dental anxiety



Thank you, I will look those dentists up tomorrow. I have such a severe dental phobia that I can not get numb/get so anxious I almost pass out.

Get clove oil and cotton balls and put them in the broken tooth, clove oil is a natural anastetic.

 

[letsconnect]

This is actually a very old thread (from 2012) . Just for the record, clove oil is a pretty bad idea. While it can give short-term relief, it’s toxic to the nerve, thus increasing the risk of the tooth needing root canal treatment.

 

[Bluelightning_03]

Interesting, i did not know that