new here my story

[splatbaby]

I've been scared of dentists ever since I can remember, one of the earliest memories I have was the dentist said he was going to look at a wobbly tooth and ended up wrenching it out. In my teens the dentist I visited (the same one that pulled the tooth whilst looking at it) told me to "Shut up, and sit down. I have 7 year olds that behave better than you do. So stop being childish and grow up. Or get out of my surgery!" So I got up and walked out, and never went back. That dentist is still in practice.

In 2000 I was getting bleeding gums and got frightened. I plucked up enough courage to visit another dental surgery but daren't go in the chair. They forced me into it, and I had a panic attack. I lashed out and knocked equipment about. I left and didn't go back.

Then I went to Leeds Dental hospital, and under two general anaesthetic procedures had teeth removed from the back of my mouth and cosmetic surgery to the front teeth. I ended up with a dry socket when the blood clot was removed with the cotton wool pads.

Recently, I lost a partial front filling, and am having extreme pain from another tooth. I can't go back to the dental hospital as I now have no-one to go with me to help me and boost the little confidence I have. All the dentists in my local area are full, and I only have basic public transport to get me elsewhere. I think a lot of private dentists probably do better service, but cash-strapped will probably mean I get the no-frills service - which I guess will hurt.

I can't eat properly, and am numbing the pain with paracetamol, ibuprofen and clove oil. But apart from that I don't know what to do.

I get panic attacks and sickness whenever I try and do anything dental related (in fact panic attack just typing this here)

I have anxiety attacks, depression and memory problems. I am currently taking Propranolol and under care of the doctor and on the waiting list for an appointment at Bootham (York) with a psych

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thankyou

 

[cinders]

You are not alone!!! I also have panic attacks and an anxiety disorder and in need of major dental work. I did some online searching and found a dental office that did payment plans. Told them my issues and all that and actually were very understanding and have held up to that understanding with me almost throwing up, freaking out cause i felt like i wasnt breathing, to the freak out from the numbing. My advice is try to look up some places even though it sounds like you have but just dont give up! There is help out there for you somewhere. I was told also that Motrin even though it is ibuprofen works better than generic ibuprofen itself. So I went out and bought me some which the price was a little higher but it worked way better than just ibuprofen. So maybe try that until you can get in somewhere. I was also told a heating pad for what my problems were which you could try that or if you have swelling you might want to try an ice pack. I'm sorry that you're in pain cause thats no fun!! Just keep trying I know it seems like its a never ending battle but remember Every storm runs out of rain just like every dark night turns into day! Hope that helped you. Just keep your chin up!

 

[Tink]

Hi splatbaby, welcome!

Sorry to hear you've had such a tough time. Well done for being brave enough to face up to it, I know how difficult it is!

I've heard before that York has a real shortage of available NHS dentists.

It may help you to know that there are lots of dentists out there who will *not* be like your childhood dentist, things have changed a lot since many of us were kids. These days they're much, much better at treating patients with kindness and respect - I've met some wonderful, kind, gentle dentists. Remember that consent is very important now too, you are always in control and you always have the final say in what happens. They're not allowed to just do stuff to you.

I think a lot of private dentists probably do better service, but cash-strapped will probably mean I get the no-frills service - which I guess will hurt.

I can hopefully put your mind at rest there - private dentists don't have a cheaper no-frills option that hurts more. They just don't. Nobody is going to say "you can have anaesthetic but it will cost you more" - pain control and making sure the patient is comfortable is a basic part of treatment, not a frill.

Now, this may mean that you find that private dentists are out of your price range entirely as in my experience they only have one set of prices and will treat everybody to the same standard for the same rates. It does mean though, that if you can get together the money to go private, you're not going to end up with a more brutal 'budget' option.


Alternatively, could you ask around your friends and see if anybody is willing to accompany you to the dental hospital? They may surprise you.