M
MagicDuck12
Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2024
- Messages
- 95
- Location
- West Midlands
Hello Everyone
Im not sure how to put this, its my first time posting here, but i have an upcoming dental appointment in mid August. Itll be my first one in 5 years. Please please help me, I just feel so nervous but ive had it so easy compared to everyone else.
Im now 40, but since the age of approximately 15, ive hardly ever been to the dentist. Before 15 or so, my parents took me to the dentist. no problems, no cavities, i used to regularly have my teeth cleaned, seemingly no problem. So WHY im so fearful mistifies me, but im very very anxious as an adult.
The only times ive been since 15 or so, probably 3-4 times in 20 years or so, are when ive suspected that something was wrong. Ive never been in any pain thankfully except one time, and touch wood everything has been ok. My teeth dont look good by any means, but it doesnt affect my self esteem. they are a little crooked and discoloured but not as if they are rotting with visible cavities and such. I do need them cleaned though for sure as some do have a plaque buildup which i know shouldnt be there.
5 years ago, i went to the dentist and had what felt like a swollen gum at the back of my mouth, and it let to me needing to have the two back teeth next to my wisdom teeth both exracted on both sides, in 2 seperate appointments.
When they told me i needed my teeth extracting, i pretty much nearly collapsed there and then at the thought of it. I had to drag myself to the dentist and basically try and use everything i could to get through the appointments. They were horrible. Ive never felt my heart beat so hard ever, and ive never sweated so much in my life.
The first tooth that had to be extracted, I had no idea what to expect. it was the first procedure id ever had done, ever. of any kind. When i got injected, it stung a lot. People had told me you feel nothing. They were obviously lying and because i wasnt anticipating the sting feeling, it made me recoil quite badly, which didnt impress the dentist. I was really trying my best to stay calm and couldnt. Throughout the procedure, he wouldnt say anything. I was hoping maybe he would say what he was doing, so id at least have an idea what was coming, but he didnt speak to me at all. this made the anxiety miles worse for me.
I could feel pains that were getting worse and worse as he was doing the extraction but again having never had this done, i didnt know if this was normal? or was i genuinely in pain? i had no idea. In the end i had to say stop (to his frustration) and he injected me again. the whole miserable process carried on until my tooth was removed.
The second time....i thought given id had experience id be less nervous the second time. If anything i was more nervous. same feeling of im going to have a heart attack. same sweating. When i got my injection this time, it felt like my whole lower left jaw and chin had been electrocuted. it felt absolutely disgusting and i yelped at the feeling. The dental nurse there asked me if it felt like an electric shock to which i said yes, and the tone of the conversation was as if thats normal.
Bear in mind ive now had 2 injections either side of my mouth, the injections everyone says are a little pinch and oh its nothing, theyve both felt hideous, very painful, and very unsettling.
Again im barely spoken to, but mercifully its over very fast, and the dental nurse in retrospect is nice to me.
These are the only things ive ever had done (so far). But this is mostly as i havent been going to the dentist, and im getting instinctively worried this wont last forever and i need to get checked over because there will be a problem sooner or later. I feel a sensitivity in one of my teeth that id be amazed if it didnt require filling.
I really need help to get over my anxieties, and im begging for any help anyone can give me please as im so worried how to approach things when i inevitably do need fillings etc after my appointment.
1) The needles - in my limited experience of dental work so far, people have been straight up lying to me. They havent helped me. If people had said to me "your injection will be like an electric shock" or "its likely you will feel THIS" and then maybe said when they were doing the injection, they were being honest and i could mentally get ready for that. Pretending ill feel nothing hasnt helped me whatsoever, as its totally shocked me when the pain comes, and im expecting nothing.
It also really, really puts me off that this is the VERY FIRST THING you have to go through in the appointment, arguably the most traumatic part of the ordeal has to come right at the very beginning, when you are least settled, which makes me feel very light headed and almost sick
2) The tools - im really really trying my best to relax, but I dont know how to relax when a DRILL is 2mm away from my tooth and my heart is racing. Why do the tools have to be so loud, so "visibly" threatening, so archaic for want of a better word. Im trying so hard to tell myself everyone has been through this, even little kids go through this, but i cant relax knowing a needle is going into my face probably more than once and then id have to be DRILLED.
3) The feelings - ive no idea whats coming. What am i supposed to feel? what if he starts drilling me and it hurts....how will i know that until he touches me? how will he know i cant feel anything? it scares me to tears just thinking of it
4) My previous extractions havent quelled my fear. If its a case of feeling the fear and doing it anyway, i felt a modicum of pride that i managed to get through my extractions....why is my confidence going BACKWARDS not forwards? surely i should be feeling more positive now, but every time i think about going back to the dentist, i feel worse, and worse and worse?
5) My internal monologue - I know this is such a stupidly naive way of looking at things, but because my confidence isnt determined by having slightly whiter or nicer teeth, and that ive never felt any pains, ive convinced myself that why worry about the dentist when outwardly, i feel content, happy, no stress.....and every time i think dentist, i just think dread, worry, every kind of negative emotion that sends me into panic and distracts me at home, at work, everything.
I dont know what to do. Im sorry i sound like such a spoilt child, can anyone please, please help me feel better because i want to make a regular commitment to going to the dentist from now on but im really really struggling
Thank you so much
Im not sure how to put this, its my first time posting here, but i have an upcoming dental appointment in mid August. Itll be my first one in 5 years. Please please help me, I just feel so nervous but ive had it so easy compared to everyone else.
Im now 40, but since the age of approximately 15, ive hardly ever been to the dentist. Before 15 or so, my parents took me to the dentist. no problems, no cavities, i used to regularly have my teeth cleaned, seemingly no problem. So WHY im so fearful mistifies me, but im very very anxious as an adult.
The only times ive been since 15 or so, probably 3-4 times in 20 years or so, are when ive suspected that something was wrong. Ive never been in any pain thankfully except one time, and touch wood everything has been ok. My teeth dont look good by any means, but it doesnt affect my self esteem. they are a little crooked and discoloured but not as if they are rotting with visible cavities and such. I do need them cleaned though for sure as some do have a plaque buildup which i know shouldnt be there.
5 years ago, i went to the dentist and had what felt like a swollen gum at the back of my mouth, and it let to me needing to have the two back teeth next to my wisdom teeth both exracted on both sides, in 2 seperate appointments.
When they told me i needed my teeth extracting, i pretty much nearly collapsed there and then at the thought of it. I had to drag myself to the dentist and basically try and use everything i could to get through the appointments. They were horrible. Ive never felt my heart beat so hard ever, and ive never sweated so much in my life.
The first tooth that had to be extracted, I had no idea what to expect. it was the first procedure id ever had done, ever. of any kind. When i got injected, it stung a lot. People had told me you feel nothing. They were obviously lying and because i wasnt anticipating the sting feeling, it made me recoil quite badly, which didnt impress the dentist. I was really trying my best to stay calm and couldnt. Throughout the procedure, he wouldnt say anything. I was hoping maybe he would say what he was doing, so id at least have an idea what was coming, but he didnt speak to me at all. this made the anxiety miles worse for me.
I could feel pains that were getting worse and worse as he was doing the extraction but again having never had this done, i didnt know if this was normal? or was i genuinely in pain? i had no idea. In the end i had to say stop (to his frustration) and he injected me again. the whole miserable process carried on until my tooth was removed.
The second time....i thought given id had experience id be less nervous the second time. If anything i was more nervous. same feeling of im going to have a heart attack. same sweating. When i got my injection this time, it felt like my whole lower left jaw and chin had been electrocuted. it felt absolutely disgusting and i yelped at the feeling. The dental nurse there asked me if it felt like an electric shock to which i said yes, and the tone of the conversation was as if thats normal.
Bear in mind ive now had 2 injections either side of my mouth, the injections everyone says are a little pinch and oh its nothing, theyve both felt hideous, very painful, and very unsettling.
Again im barely spoken to, but mercifully its over very fast, and the dental nurse in retrospect is nice to me.
These are the only things ive ever had done (so far). But this is mostly as i havent been going to the dentist, and im getting instinctively worried this wont last forever and i need to get checked over because there will be a problem sooner or later. I feel a sensitivity in one of my teeth that id be amazed if it didnt require filling.
I really need help to get over my anxieties, and im begging for any help anyone can give me please as im so worried how to approach things when i inevitably do need fillings etc after my appointment.
1) The needles - in my limited experience of dental work so far, people have been straight up lying to me. They havent helped me. If people had said to me "your injection will be like an electric shock" or "its likely you will feel THIS" and then maybe said when they were doing the injection, they were being honest and i could mentally get ready for that. Pretending ill feel nothing hasnt helped me whatsoever, as its totally shocked me when the pain comes, and im expecting nothing.
It also really, really puts me off that this is the VERY FIRST THING you have to go through in the appointment, arguably the most traumatic part of the ordeal has to come right at the very beginning, when you are least settled, which makes me feel very light headed and almost sick
2) The tools - im really really trying my best to relax, but I dont know how to relax when a DRILL is 2mm away from my tooth and my heart is racing. Why do the tools have to be so loud, so "visibly" threatening, so archaic for want of a better word. Im trying so hard to tell myself everyone has been through this, even little kids go through this, but i cant relax knowing a needle is going into my face probably more than once and then id have to be DRILLED.
3) The feelings - ive no idea whats coming. What am i supposed to feel? what if he starts drilling me and it hurts....how will i know that until he touches me? how will he know i cant feel anything? it scares me to tears just thinking of it
4) My previous extractions havent quelled my fear. If its a case of feeling the fear and doing it anyway, i felt a modicum of pride that i managed to get through my extractions....why is my confidence going BACKWARDS not forwards? surely i should be feeling more positive now, but every time i think about going back to the dentist, i feel worse, and worse and worse?
5) My internal monologue - I know this is such a stupidly naive way of looking at things, but because my confidence isnt determined by having slightly whiter or nicer teeth, and that ive never felt any pains, ive convinced myself that why worry about the dentist when outwardly, i feel content, happy, no stress.....and every time i think dentist, i just think dread, worry, every kind of negative emotion that sends me into panic and distracts me at home, at work, everything.
I dont know what to do. Im sorry i sound like such a spoilt child, can anyone please, please help me feel better because i want to make a regular commitment to going to the dentist from now on but im really really struggling
Thank you so much
