• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

Nervous and anxious about wisdom teeth removal

F

fearofwisdom

Junior member
Joined
Jun 25, 2015
Messages
8
As stated by my username, I am deathly afraid of getting my wisdom teeth removed. All 4. Weird thing is, I LOVE going to the dentist to get cleanings and regular appointments. However, when my regular dentist told me the wisdom teeth needed to come out, I automatically got a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. He referred me to an oral surgeon, and my mother and I went in for a consultation. I got X-rays and sure enough, the bottom two teeth are coming in horizontally but you can see them above my gums a bit. I really don't remember about my top two teeth, but when I look at them they seem to be coming in straight down. My mom made an appointment for the procedure and she ended up canceling it for some reason.

I am a sophomore in college now (19 y/o) and I decided the other day that I need to save myself the trouble and go ahead and make an appointment for myself. I called and oddly enough, they said they had an opening on July 9th for a consultation AND procedure. I knew this was an extremely rare occasion since some people have to wait MONTHS to get them removed, so I went ahead and reserved it.

I have NEVER had surgery, had an IV, been put to sleep, or given blood. However, when I was younger, I had to go to the dentist for a filling. They took me to the back and gave me Novocain where the tooth was and also gave me laughing gas (back when they asked what scent you wanted.. I picked strawberry). Anyways, I was about 10-12 years old and I was aware of what was going on, and it wasn't that bad.

I am reaching out to this forum because the responses I have heard are phenomenal, and I need some support. I woke up this morning sick to my stomach and could barely sleep last night because this procedure is all I can think about. I guess it's just the fear of the "unknown" or scaring myself into thinking that I won't wake up.

From what I remember, the first consultation went well -- They took X-rays and said they needed to come out. As always, we had to watch the "disclaimer" video about wisdom teeth removal, risks, and potential complications, which scared me out of my mind.

I've talked to two of my good friends, and they BOTH said they woke up during the procedure, but were somewhat unaware and went back to sleep. I guess I'm more afraid of NOT waking up than waking up during the thing. I don't really have a problem with the noises as long as I don't FEEL it, and now that I think about it, I don't think I'm scared of needles either. I'm just thinking about the big picture -- if it will go well or not. Please give me some hope or some things to calm me down! I am freaking out!:shame:
 
The chances of something going wrong are very, very small, and the chances of "not waking up" are even tinier. Less than your chances of being in an automobile accident anyway, and we don't panic every time we get in cars! The difference is the loss of control, letting someone else put you under anasthetic - it's scary! I don't think it's ever going to not be scary. I was scared. But it was fine, and I can guarantee you will be too. Thousands of people go under general anasthetic every day and wake up just fine. Everyone involved, from the people putting you to sleep to the surgeon doing the extractions and the assistants helping, they will all have done the same procedures countless times.

I have an anxiety disorder, and I was convinced I was going to die when I had to be put to sleep to have my wisdom teeth out. The anasthetist promised me I would be fine. He was funny and nice and had been doing his job for a long time. In fact, when they started the sedation, it was a relief for me, and while I've heard people say that it's scary when drifting off, to me it felt just like falling asleep only very rapid. I was even having a dream when they woke me up in recovery!

It's hard for us to trust other people to take care of us when we're so vulnerable like that, but let the professionals reassure you. And you have to remind yourself that while your fear is normal, it's not based on a likely reality.

:hug4:
 
You are absolutely wonderful. Thank you for your support; I feel a little better now. There will always be that "fear of the unknown." :)
 
I had my 4 wisdom teeth extracted (along with 5 other teeth) under IV sedation and it was nothing in comparison to toothaches I've had in the past You will barely feel the IV going in and then you won't remember the procedure at all afterwards. I had very minimal pain and swelling afterwards. You will do great!
 
Back
Top