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My Partner has Serious Dental Phobia - what to do?

T

thething444

Junior member
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
1
Can anyone help, my partner has a serious phobia about dentists. To the point he would rather put up with an Abcess by taking painkillers, he would even rather let his teeth crumble in his mouth than get help.

He has a very overactive imagination, to the point he can not even watch TV programmes that show needles. The only chance he has of going to a dentist is if they administer gas ! He did find a practice a few years ago that he was reasonably happy to go to if he really really had to, but the dentist moved, and the next time he went to have a tooth out the Dentist did not seem to care he had phobia. Another dentist he went to that dealt with dentistry phobias told him that Gas would not work on him as an adult, and would need to try some other way.  But when he tryed to explian he did have it only a few years ago and he was fine.

I know what people might say about going to a doctors to get peniccilian to kill the infection but he is stubborn and is confinced it wont help because it hadn't in the past.

He has just explained that he has weird noises coming from his mouth! I am worired but there is nothing I can do to make it better. He is not eating and is really really in agerny, in between taking painkillers.

We live in Wolverhampton.

Please help I dont know what I can do to releive him of this pain.

Tracey
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

It's a difficult one for you, the best thing I can advise is try to persuade him to get help from his GP, not more antibiotics, but some kind of guidance towards counselling or such services to get him started getting over his phobia.

Given the state of the NHS dental services in England, it won't be easy to find a sympathetic dentist with the time to help with this, there may be a hospital or community dental clinic in your area that can help, your GP should be able to refer to them for you, but your partner needs to go to the GP first...
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

I wonder whether he wouldn't mind visiting his MD for some anxiety medications to help him relax enough to agree to go to the GP. Perhaps a little Ativan, Valium, or similar medication might ease his fears enough so that you can accompany him to the dentist for an exam.

If you can find a dentist willing to use nitrous oxide, do you think he would see that dentist? It sounds like he said that he was fine a couple of years ago using gas so maybe that might be something to try at least since he said that it worked for him that time unless his phobia has increased dramatically.
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

GP (General Practitioner) in the UK = MD in Canada :)
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

If you are not currently registered to a dentist in Wolverhampton and have an emergency situation, you can still get treatment. You should contact the wolverhampton dental access centre on 01902 444 111, which will tell you what to do.

Try ringing the above number and explain the situation, they may be able to refer your husband to dental clinic which specialises in dental phobics/special needs etc.

Good luck
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

letsconnect said:
GP (General Practitioner) in the UK = MD in Canada  :)

Ew :redface:, soo GD = General Dentist? GDP? General Dentist Practitioner?
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

Zzzdentist said:
Ew  :redface:, soo GD = General Dentist? GDP? General Dentist Practitioner?

Nearly ;D... GDP = General Dental Practitioner.

In the UK, people refer to going to the 'dentist', whereas when they go to see their family doctor/MD/Physician etc... they go to see their 'GP'.

I've often wondered whether we should have some sort of dictionary for some of the different UK/US terms on here (but then again I'm easily confused :redface: :p!).

BTW... I like your new signature :p ROFL!
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

I, too, used to get confused with the UK references, as I am in the US...but now I have to catch myself, because I will use the UK term and people look at me and say what are you talking about :confused: :p :p
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

vicki said:
BTW... I like your new signature :p ROFL!

Me too... getting jealous here, lol ;D!
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

;D Gotta keep you people smiling!  That's the job of a dentist ya know.   :jump: I always thought GDP was a country's gross domestic product. That's pretty much all I remember from Economics 200.
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

GDPs work in the GDS, which is part of the NHS.

Me, I'm an SDO in the CDS, which is not in the GDS but is in the NHS, but I spend a lot of my time in the HDS, which is neither in the GDS or the CDS, but is in the NHS.

:hic:

So there's your puzzle for the weekend then :hidesbehindsofa:
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

So about the only thing you're lacking is being the CFO or CEO of the AFLCIO or the SPCA :confused: :confused:
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

Gordon said:
GDPs work in the GDS, which is part of the NHS.

Me, I'm an SDO in the CDS, which is not in the GDS but is in the NHS, but I spend a lot of my time in the HDS, which is neither in the GDS or the CDS, but is in the NHS.

Let me attempt to translate:

General Dental Practitioners work in the General Dental Services, which is a part of the National Health Service.

Me, I'm a Service and Delivery Organiser in the Community Dental Service, which is not in the General Dental service but is in the National Health Service, but I spend a lot of my time in the Hospital Dental Service, which is neither in the General Dental Services or the Community Dental Service, but is in the National Health Service.
 
Re: Serious Dental Phobia

Zzzdentist said:
Let me attempt to translate:

General Dental Practitioners work in the General Dental Services, which is a part of the National Health Service.

Me, I'm a Service and Delivery Organiser in the Community Dental Service, which is not in the General Dental service but is in the National Health Service, but I spend a lot of my time in the Hospital Dental Service, which is neither in the General Dental Services or the Community Dental Service, but is in the National Health Service.
Excellent Zzzdentist, all correct except I think it should be SDO= Senior Dental Officer which sounds amazingly military out of context but then they have Senior House Officers in hospitals too...never really thought about how strange the terminology is before.
 
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