• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

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Hi there! *says girl with panic-disorder*

  • Thread starter Thread starter nathalie
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nathalie

Junior member
Joined
Feb 17, 2014
Messages
8
Hello :)

I guess I'll start with my story.
I'm 30 years old, and the very first time I went to the dentist, I was completely fine.
I had a small cavity somewhere in the back, I was 4 or 5 years old at the time, and the dentist did his job, and I was perfectly fine!
Then, the next year, I had to go back to him for some reason, and something snapped. I hated the guy. He was old and eww, and has these really thick fingers, and I refused to open my mouth.

After my baby teeth all went away, and my current teeth came out, they didn't came out the way they should have :(
They were all crooked and oddly shaped, especially all 4 front teeth (up and down), 2 of my front teeth (the ones that are next to your actual front teeth) were even in my pallet!

Throughout the years, it only got worse, I was afraid to even brush them, as bits would just crumble off, till a few teeth in the back were completely gone.
In the end, my upper front teeth were crumbling aswell.

One thing though, I was never afraid to smile :)
Because I always said to myself: it's not my fault they came out this way.

After having my gums infected at least twice a year, going through hellish pains, when I was 25 something had to be done.
My ex boyfriend got me to do something that no one managed to do before. He got me to the hospital to make an appointment to have most of them pulled and get dentures.
I guess it helped, because he was in an accident where he landed on his face, and some of his teeth broke off, and he got dentures.
(I didn't even knew this, untill after 6 months or so when we were dating, if he hadn't told me then, I still wouldn't know).

In 2008 they pulled 17 teeth (all up front) including my 4 wisdom teeth which already came out years before.
I still have 10 real teeth left, all in the back.

I am absolutely terrified of dentists. I would go there, sit in the chair, but would refuse to open my mouth.
I'm also terrified of needles. So needles to say, when drawing blood is already a horrofying experience, let alone putting a needle in my mouth? :scared:
Also, no dentist would understand me. When I was little they didn't really say anything about it, but once you pass the age of 16, they all started calling me a big baby, who needed to stop whining and open my mouth.

Excuse me ?? And I've seen a lot of dentists in my life, none were just a little nice to me :(

I only got my dentures in 2009 (1,5 years after the surgery) due to money problems and such.
Guess who got my dentures made ... the dentist it all started with :( But I had no choice, I was living at home again at the time, and my mom knows this man for 40 years already, and at the time I wasn't in the mood to argue about it and to find someone else.

Before I went in to get the dentures made, my teeth needed to be cleaned, and some little cavities needed to be taken care off.
Since it was impossible for me, to go to a regular dentist, I had to find a dentist in a hospital who could do it, while putting me to sleep with an IV in my arm.
I had 2 options, this, or being put to sleep completely, which they advised me not too.
Because with the IV I would basicly still be awake, and being able to say if something still hurts or whatever.
I was so stressed out, crying, crushing my dad's hand, they gave me just a tad more, so I would just fall asleep, and they could work on me in all peace and quiet.
(which was for the best, because I really don't wanna hear or see anything)

I did wake up during for a brief moment, I had the feeling I needed to sneeze.
I tried to make that clear to the people around me, and someone said: shut up and go back to sleep!!

:scared:

After it was done, obviously, I was like: that was it ??
(but I always have that feeling after I've done something big like that, like having to draw blood)

Though, when being back home in the evening I felt this weird thing on my molar on the side, it was like 3 stripes in my tooth, that weren't there before.
I never really took much notice of it, I just thought they forgot that bit to clean up (plack?) and I would take care of it with my next regular dentist visit.

End of 2010 I finally make it back to another dentist, recommended by my sister-in-law.
Such a sweet person, and finally, after all these years, someone who understood my fear.
I just went there to get them cleaned. Then she noticed this thing on the side of my molar, and said it needed to be fixed.
Great :(
So, the year before in the hospital, turned out, they did something wrong, or missed a cavity-kind-of-thing?
She says she can only do it, if she can numb my gumbs with a needle.
I said there was no one I could do that, so she suggested I'd go back to the hospital where I went before. But since they missed this thing, I didn't had much faith in it.
It didn't hurt, so for a long time I didn't bother with it anymore.
Till it actually became a cavity, and got bigger and bigger.

A good friend of mine said his dentist is a sweet "old" lady, and I should go there, and he would go with me.
So the end of 2011 I go there, and I get a panic attack in the chair :(
(my attacks back then were nothing compared to what they are now)
The dentist was so sweet and so patient with me, I was there for quite sometime, and even taking a picture with just this little thing in your mouth wasn't even possible for me to do at that moment.
Then she said there is a way to fix it for a little while, putting a temp filling in it, and she wouldn't have to use any needles or drills for that!
That tube they put in your mouth, with the suction, I held onto that thing, as if I were going to die.
Only in the last seconds, when she was almost done, I felt totally relaxed again, I guess because I knew she was almost done, and it hadn't hurt yet or anything like that, so I was really relieved!

I'm not sure if I should be proud of that moment though :(

After 2 months the filling was gone, and we are nog beginning of 2014 *sigh*.
The cavity has gotten bigger and bigger, to an extend, my tooth might not be saved.
On the other side, there's another tooth crumbling apart from the back, the entire backside is gone, and I'm scared it'll just crack one of these days when I bite on something.

I have tried and tried to call local dentists (I don't live at home anymore, so new neighbourhood), and hospitals, but I just cannot pick up that phone.
I am so scared of going, even though I have to ask for the IV-treatment, I would just much rather have my teeth crumbling down then to actually pick up the phone and make an appointment.

Once I did ask in the past, only tell me it's for little children and autistic people.
Not for adults who are very scared.
(or with laugh-gas, but I don't really trust that)

Summer 2012 I was diagnosed with severe panic disorder, which also made me ride in an ambulance to the ER.

Today I came across this website.
I've been reading a lot of the "commen fears" section, and to be honest, just reading those pages, I started to cry.

My teeth have been a very touchy subject ever since, and whenever someone brings it up, or I start talking about it myself, I tear up, and get this scared feeling over me.

Although now I can say, I have this panic disorder, in order for them to stop calling me a little whiny baby, I just cannot find the strenght in me to do it.

Sometimes I wish they had just pulled all my teeth, but they said they wouldn't do that, as the dentures would be easier to stay in place if I still had real teeth left.
Well, all 4 teeth that have the iron thinggy from the dentures, are waisting away.

Turned out to be a long story, sorry for that :)

I guess I'm hoping to find people with the same stories, and finding the strenght through other people's stories that I'm not alone, not the only one with this problem, and I *can* pick up that phone and go to an appointment in the next few days.

Having my teeth fixed, is cheaper then new dentures when they need to pull these 2 teeth, but so far it hasn't convinced me yet.
My upper dentures are stuck too for quite some time now, can't get them off, but I need to look at 1 problem at a time, otherwhise I can't deal with it. As I can't focus on both problems.
 
Great support forum ... :(

*walks away quietly*
 
sorry it took me a while to read everything you wrote -

There are dentists that specialize in patients with panic and anxiety disorders. I suffer from a lot of anxiety and just survived my wisdom tooth surgery under local anesthetic - actually my dentist gave me anxiety pills to take before hand but they had a reverse effect on me and I would have been better off without them!

Sorry to hear about all your troubles but I can relate somewhat - I would suggest having someone make the appointment for you, with a trusted dentist that specializes in panic and anxiety ridden patients. Have them also take you there, and stay with you - there's nothing to be embarassed about actually its' nice to have someone there with you.

I have heard of dentists that do hypnotherapy also! perhaps somethign to look into

Good luck
 
Hi :welcome: to the forum.

You could try emailing a few dentist and explaining like you have on here how you feel and why. Look through the answers you get and choose one that sounds good to you then either email back and ask for an appointment or phone them. You can ask them questions about how a dentist would be able to help you to deal with your fear.

All the best to you, let us know how you get on please :hug::hug::hug::)
 
Thanks for replying :)

I have thought about letting my boyfriend making the phonecall for the apointment, but then I think that it has to be me in the end anyways, it's also me who has to go in the end.

I still haven't called.
I've just started a new job 3 weeks ago, my grandma was in the hospital during those 3 weeks also (and passed away in the end [last week]).

So I guess my teeth-problems just got shoved asside again (under the moto: it doesn't hurt ...)

I'm afraid to take my dentures of, just in case I might ruin those 2 broken teeth more.

I keep telling myself: I'm going to call today.
I tell myself everyday.
I should make it my goal to get it done by the end of this month :clover:
 
I am sorry to hear about your grandma. I think you need to give yourself a couple of weeks break on the dental front and deal with your loss.

Once you feel able you can contact a dentist or ask your boyfriend to do it for you, he can explain how you feel and make the appointment. Could he go with you when you go, he can wait in the waiting room but it will be a bit of support for.

An understanding dentist will take things slowly at a pace you can deal with. If you are afraid of the injections they have a gel that they can rub on your gums so that you don't feel it. If they inject really slowly as well that also works. It is when a dentist injects quickly that we feel it.

I wish you well when you feel ready to make that appointment. I am really sorry we didn't get back to you sooner but we are on the ball now so stay with us. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::butterfly:
 
I know I've kind of forgotten about this place, as I just have so many things going on in these past months, and my teeth just weren't one of those things I needed on my mind at the time.

2 days ago someone from work was complaining about a tooth-ache, and her own dentist was on holidays right now, and she needed someone fast, so she started making some calls.
(which is handy from where we work, as we work at social security/health care, so we run into many addresses for all kinds of doctors in the neighbourhood)

She found someone who was actually on the same street as "our" office is, and she went there yesterday.
She came back, said he was really nice, laughing all the time, making jokes etc ...
Maybe someone I could need?

So finally, since September 2011 I managed to get the nerves, and call this man!

I now have an appointment after work next Tuesday.
I am scared to death ... *bites nails*

I already told him I have a panic disorder, am really scared of dentists, I have dentures and that things are looking very very very bad right now.
He said with a smile (you could hear) "not to worry, we'll have a look" and somehow the sound of his voice was soothing.

I did ask him if it's OK that I take my meds before I see him, otherwhise I wouldn't be able to make it.
Not a problem at all. As I'm pretty sure he won't be doing anything (I'm hoping for a re-direct to the hospital).
 
Hello!

I suffer with panic disorder too and it makes many things difficult....much more so than for a "normal" person
 
Pumped with medication, I did it! I survived the appointment.

I sat in the chair, without hasitation, without even letting 1 tear come out!

I think that alone is a proud moment for me. The rest not so much, lol.

The dentist himself, he wasn't wearing a white coat, he was just in jeans / t-shirt / sneakers, very casual. Lots of perfume on him, so there was no "dentist-smell" (you know, like a hospital-smell).

He was very nice and all.

But then we did discuss about having the rest of my teeth pulled, and get a full dentures. I can't afford it :( I wanted that done 6 years ago, but the hospital refused, and now look, because of my own fault of being so scared, money-wise it's costing me 3 times as much, as it would have 6 years ago, I'm so mad :(

I am glad I made this step. Now I need to follow up on that, and call the dentist who works at the hospital.
So I got what I wanted, a referral to a hospital, to get it all fixed once and for all!
 
Wow you are one strong person.

I can imagine you are very proud of your progress and you should be, it takes a lot strength to face your fears.

Also i can totally relate to most of your history, right down to the dentures, although i have most missing bottom and one side of the top meaning i need dentures top and bottom.
 
Pumped with medication, I did it! I survived the appointment.

I sat in the chair, without hasitation, without even letting 1 tear come out!

I think that alone is a proud moment for me. The rest not so much, lol.

The dentist himself, he wasn't wearing a white coat, he was just in jeans / t-shirt / sneakers, very casual. Lots of perfume on him, so there was no "dentist-smell" (you know, like a hospital-smell).

He was very nice and all.

But then we did discuss about having the rest of my teeth pulled, and get a full dentures. I can't afford it :( I wanted that done 6 years ago, but the hospital refused, and now look, because of my own fault of being so scared, money-wise it's costing me 3 times as much, as it would have 6 years ago, I'm so mad :(

I am glad I made this step. Now I need to follow up on that, and call the dentist who works at the hospital.
So I got what I wanted, a referral to a hospital, to get it all fixed once and for all!




SO happy to hear that!!!! Congratulations !!! :respect:
I understand how how it is even making an appointment! but following up is another big issue as well. Keep it up. Think about all the food you'll be able to eat with ease with full new dentures!! I, myself have a long road ahead of me getting partial dentures. My molars on the lower are all bad and need to be pulled. I've had three root canals and the last tooth bRely hAnging on got an infection and now has a pretty big Absess. Ouch! It is getting pretty big pretty fast so I am going to the hospital tonight for antibiotics so I can get it pulled. Then I will have to undergo i.v sedation to get 6 teeth pulled...or maybe they'll do all of them at once. I don't know but I will keep updates on that. This site has helped me so much already. Keep us updated and good luck! You're not alone!
 
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