My Story

[Bumblebee82]

Hey y'all, new here obviously. Had an accident a while back and ended up with severe maxillofacial trauma which left me with four plates and 12 screws in the left side of my face. Dentists have always been a phobia for me. Phobia is actually an understatement but okay. I don't have the range of motion that others have. I was in the chair for over 3 hours yesterday trying to get a tooth out. I have my own dental filling composite complete with curing light, and my own dental packing. Why won't these dentists, upon seeing and hearing your fear, not just gas you so when you wake up it's over? The last two dentists I had one I kicked in the throat the other I kicked in the stomach. Do these people just delight in your misery? Did they just like to see you wallow in your own fear? Even if you offer to pay extra to be knocked out why won't they do it? He gave me three whole syringes of Novocaine, paper towel and sunglasses over my eyes and earbuds in my ears. Wouldn't it have been easier for everybody, especially me, the patient, to just knock me out and when I wake up it would be over? Do they just like to see you in that state? Did they get some kind of kick of making it more stressful for you, the patient?

 

[letsconnect]

Hi @Bumblebee82, I'm so sorry to hear about your accident, that must have been hugely traumatic... and three hours to get a tooth out sounds as if the dentist wasn't really experienced enough for the job? You wouldn't have to be phobic to begin with to be left traumatised by the experience - any normal person would be.

Figuring out what would make dental treatment easier for you is an important step, so it's great that you already know that sedation would make a huge difference. The thing about sedation is that it requires additional training, so not many dentists can offer it. Google is your friend! We've got some tips for finding a phobic-friendly dentist here:

How to find a dentist for nervous patients

Discover how to find a dentist who is good with nervous, scared or phobic patients - and who to avoid!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Also, when it comes to extractions, it seems that many general dentists in the U.S. are not trained to provide this, so unless they have a fair amount of experience, it can be better to go with an oral surgeon. They would also be trained in sedation.

I hope this helps explain why most general dentists are unable to offer sedation, and how you can go about finding someone who does! Of course, sedation on its own is not that much use without compassion and genuinely caring for patients, so do make sure to do your research into the dentists/oral surgeons you're considering (see the tips on the page above).

Wishing you much more positive dental experiences in the future