Need support after many failed attempts ?

[Conem]

I am 16 years old and my front teeth are very far forward and they have made a MASSIVE impact on my self confidence. I live in the uk so therefore I am able to get a brace for free through the NHS but to get my brace I need to get my two baby teeth out so my front teeth can move. Unfortunately I have had a needle phobia since I can remember, this has resulted in me going to get my teeth out 6 or 7 (!) times and failing each time because I was so hysterical. I currently going through therapy for my phobia but before I was on the course i made an appointment to get them out and have a filling, adding to the anxiety, through IV sedation.
I am so nervous as I don’t know if I will be able to let the dentist get near my hand for the IV to go in. I am getting so frustrated and down about this as I feel my life is on hold until I get my teeth out and my brace on. I would be so grateful if anyone has gone through this and can share their experience as my appointment is on Thursday.

 

[Scaredygap]

Hi there

I’m 26 and have two front teeth much larger than the rest with a gap between them that cause me to be bullied mercilessly through school. I know how horrible it feels and how it affects your confidence long term.

I only went to a dentist for the very first time in December last year because I’d struggled so much with a needle phobia up until I was in my early twenties then had thought it was too expensive/my teeth were too horrible to be saved so didn’t go.

My needle phobia was severe like yours too, I didn’t get the school injections when everyone else did and had to be taken to the GP with numbing cream all over my arm and even then I still kicked off and literally ran away.

I would say it took me approximately 6 months to “train” myself out of the phobia, which I appreciate isn’t very helpful for your appointment on Thursday. I’ll detail how I did it anyway so perhaps it’ll help you longer term. What I would suggest for Thursday is to try to focus on the end goal. I know that’s really hard to do in the moment when the adrenaline is going so it can be really helpful to take very deep breaths in through your nose for 7 seconds, hold for 6, then deep breath out through your mouth for 7.

Can I ask what it is about the needles that you’re afraid of? I had a couple of things I believed would happen that made me so scared and after doing some work on myself managed to “override” those.

I wrote myself out a sort of ladder of fear. You’ll know yourself what you rank as least and most scary but as an example mine was:

1. Look at a picture of a needle
2. Watch a video of a needle being prepared
3. Look at a picture of someone receiving an injection
4. Watch a video of someone receiving an injection (work up to viewing a blood sample and then cannula)
5. See a needle in person being prepared (at any distance)
6. See a needle in person being prepared (close)
7. See someone receive an injection in person
8. Have a fingerprick blood test
9. Have an injection (flu jab etc)
10. Have a blood sample taken

I repeated and repeated step 1 until I was no longer affected by the picture at all. I had very supportive friends who also saved the picture on their phones and would show me it without warning so I’d know when I’d been desensitised to it. Then same with steps 2-4, only moving on when it no longer had an impact on me where I felt I had to get away.

Steps 5-10 I was very fortunate to be working in a medical office at that time so could (with people’s consent) sit in and be present during vaccinations. An alternative I could suggest would be asking if any family or friends are heading for travel jabs or anything of they’d be okay with you sitting there. I imagine it would even be helpful just being in a medical environment and becoming comfortable with the sounds and smells etc even if they aren’t having any needles. I’m not sure where you live in the UK but I found my GP was very understanding of what I was trying to do (it was going to make their life easier too after all!) and had said if I got in touch I could potentially observe a Nurse assembling things first thing or be able to be talked through what everything is and why it’s designed how it is etc.

I won’t pretend I found this easy as you’ll know how difficult it is to focus when you’re being gripped by the phobia. What I would say is I wish I had done it at your age. (Largely because I’d have got braces for free ) but also because knowing how much worry and damage to my self esteem it’s all caused I’d love to have had those 10 years feeling more comfortable with myself.

My other piece of advice is do not listen to anyone who gives you “well nobody LIKES needles but we have to get on with it” or “you’re not a child anymore it’s time to grow up” sort of nonsense. Your phobia is yours, nobody can pretend to know how you feel unless they’ve been there. It's there and it feels so real and crippling you are justified in taking whatever steps you need to do what you want and need to do. Don’t let anyone try to belittle that.

Good luck on Thursday - I know you can do this and you’re going to feel so bursting with pride in yourself. I had my first IV sedation appointment yesterday and I promise it’s going to be okay.

I am 16 years old and my front teeth are very far forward and they have made a MASSIVE impact on my self confidence. I live in the uk so therefore I am able to get a brace for free through the NHS but to get my brace I need to get my two baby teeth out so my front teeth can move. Unfortunately I have had a needle phobia since I can remember, this has resulted in me going to get my teeth out 6 or 7 (!) times and failing each time because I was so hysterical. I currently going through therapy for my phobia but before I was on the course i made an appointment to get them out and have a filling, adding to the anxiety, through IV sedation.
I am so nervous as I don’t know if I will be able to let the dentist get near my hand for the IV to go in. I am getting so frustrated and down about this as I feel my life is on hold until I get my teeth out and my brace on. I would be so grateful if anyone has gone through this and can share their experience as my appointment is on Thursday.

 

[Scaredygap]

Oh also my dentist put the IV in the inside of my elbow not my hand. She said they only use hands if they can’t find a vein inside the arm to use but of course different dentists may have different approaches.

I was very freaked out about the back of my hand as it just seems such a thin bony area. I swear I felt the tiniest scratch (less painful than a paper cut) then shortly after I was relaxed.

I have some memory of it and I didn’t feel out of control at any point, I was able to communicate and signal for a break if needed, the sedation just meant that my heart wasn’t racing and I wasn’t panicked.

My appointment started at 9 and took an hour and a half, and when I sat up and saw the clock hands at 10.35 I assumed I must be reading it wrong it must be 9.35.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Im with Scaredy on the back of the hand.. I hate that and panic myself if they start to go near my hand.. the elbow area on inside really is so much easier for me. and faster.. its hard!! hope you can find a way to work with it..

 

[Enarete]

Scaredygap, thank you so much for the detailed description, this is very helpful. I can only applaud your courage and determination when it comes to overcoming your needle phobia and it sounds like you have amazingly supportive friends

 

[Conem]

Oh also my dentist put the IV in the inside of my elbow not my hand. She said they only use hands if they can’t find a vein inside the arm to use but of course different dentists may have different approaches.

I was very freaked out about the back of my hand as it just seems such a thin bony area. I swear I felt the tiniest scratch (less painful than a paper cut) then shortly after I was relaxed.

I have some memory of it and I didn’t feel out of control at any point, I was able to communicate and signal for a break if needed, the sedation just meant that my heart wasn’t racing and I wasn’t panicked.

My appointment started at 9 and took an hour and a half, and when I sat up and saw the clock hands at 10.35 I assumed I must be reading it wrong it must be 9.35.

I’m not sure if I’m actually replying to this message or not because I’m new to this website but I hope you can see this. I can’t tell you how much I related to your story and how much less alone I felt as I haven’t found anyone in the same situation as me. This has really given me hope for tomorrow and I will definitely update on how it goes.
As for what I’m afraid of, I’m not really sure. I’ve always been a wimp when it comes to pain but I don’t think it’s just the pain I’m afraid of, I wish I knew! Anyway thank you so much for this message I can’t get across how grateful I am ?? and I always get told ‘no one LIKES needles’ and it’s even worse when it’s actually from your doctor/ dentist !

 

[Conem]

Im with Scaredy on the back of the hand.. I hate that and panic myself if they start to go near my hand.. the elbow area on inside really is so much easier for me. and faster.. its hard!! hope you can find a way to work with it..

Yeah the dentist said that if they can’t find it in my hand they have to go to the elbow and I have to put numbing cream on both an hour before I go but the IV sedation is so new and scary to me I don’t know what to expect! Thank you so much for the support, it really means a lot

 

[Scaredygap]

No worries Conem I saw your reply

Hope your appointment went well today and you’re feeling supported. I’m glad you found my message comforting, please don’t ever feel alone in this.

If there’s anything you want to ask please feel free

I’m not sure if I’m actually replying to this message or not because I’m new to this website but I hope you can see this. I can’t tell you how much I related to your story and how much less alone I felt as I haven’t found anyone in the same situation as me. This has really given me hope for tomorrow and I will definitely update on how it goes.
As for what I’m afraid of, I’m not really sure. I’ve always been a wimp when it comes to pain but I don’t think it’s just the pain I’m afraid of, I wish I knew! Anyway thank you so much for this message I can’t get across how grateful I am ?? and I always get told ‘no one LIKES needles’ and it’s even worse when it’s actually from your doctor/ dentist !