I got a serious case of dental phobia...

[mentallydisturbed]

I'm 29 and I haven't been to the dentist since age 16. And before that age 14. Now at age 14 I experienced the most painful thing I have ever felt in my life and the experience was terrifying. I did not feel numbed at all and despite my screams the dentist kept drilling... So that was supposed to be the first visit of 3, supposedly my teeth were quite bad. Well after the first experience I never went back. At least until age 16 when I suddenly had the most extreme pain and had to rush for an emergency visit.... to the same dentist. Why on earth I did that I have no idea but anyway the experience was exactly like the first time, extreme pain and terror. The fool kept drilling my teeth despite the extreme pain I was in. A pure nightmare.

Now since then, any thought of the dentist and I get extremely panicky. I cannot hear anyone talk about a dentist visit because I start getting some crazy shot of adrenaline and I feel like I can't take it. I had to go to the dentist with my wife once on holiday as she had an emergency filling and I was more terrified than her in the dentist room. I couldn't stand the sound the smell, I was a nervous wreck..

So I really need to go to the dentist I think for my own sake and before my teeth get too messed up. I was reading about nitrous oxide? Has anyone with an extreme fear taken that and how does it make you feel? And at what point do people need to just get nocked out?

Also, how comes every time I have gone to the dentist the first thing they do is start scraping around your mouth with a bloody tooth pick axe? do they really have to be so brutal, at least that is my experience of the dentist.

 

[mentallydisturbed]

I just read a thread on here and my eyes are crying. I can't even read a forum thread without getting some crazy feelings.

 

[carole]

Hi I think you need a dentist that will listen to you and work at a pace you can deal with. I couldn't be in a room where a dentist was working on someones mouth so I think you did really well to go with your wife.

Not so long ago I felt just like you and have for most of my life. I couldn't even walk past a dentist or watch a toothpaste advert and I couldn't have been on this forum. I found a really considerate dentist that on my first visit just looked at my teeth with a mirror and not the probe (the tooth pick thing) because I hated it, a previous dentist had used it like a weapon.

I think you will find that dentists are different to the one you saw. They will take things at a pace you feel you can cope with and will listen to your worries and try to address your concerns. They will also make sure you are numb when having treatment they will arrange a stop signal before treatment so that if you feel anything they will stop and give you more stuff. They can also test the tooth before starting to make sure you are numb.

I hope you will be able to contact a dentist and go and see for yourself how far things have come and how much they have improved. If you did see a dentist that made you feel uncomfortable you just would not go back and have any treatment. The first appointment they usually only talk to you and if you give permission and feel comfortable with them doing so they will have a look with just the mirror if you wish or even without that too, and if you feel you can cope they may take an x ray. They can then discuss with you what they think you need doing and you can decide together how best to get the treatment you may need.

You can email dentists and explain how you feel and ask if they could help you in this matter. There is a find a dentist if you click on the links tab at the top of the page and scroll down to it, these dentists have been recommended by people on here so have been tried and tested.
You could also ask around people you know too. If you are in the UK you could go on the nhs choices website and put your postcode in on the dentist section, tick the accepting new patients a list should come up.

Just remember you are an adult too and you have to give permission for a dentist to even look in your mouth now, YOU ARE IN CONTROL of what happens at an appointment.



Good luck let us know how you get on.

 

[drummerswife]

DEar Mentallydisturbed
Good grief! I was felling outrage as I read your post. Who wouldnt be terrified after being treated so badly. And by the way, you are not really mentally disturbed. Traumatized certainly. Please, please do yourself a great service and find a caring dentist. They are out there. You deserve to be treated with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I recommend looking for a dentist who has experience in treating people with dental phobia. I am blessed to have such a dentist and I know there are others out there.
I have been where you are and I promise you in the hands of a caring dentist, you will do great!