Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

[Jaydebob]

Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

(Warning this gets long)

Let me start at the beginning. I have had a dental phobia since I was a teenager, I have been unable to deal with the dentist mostly because of the needles and then one day I found an amazing place that simply put me to sleep for all of my procedures. This worked beautifully I never once worried about going to the dentist. Two years ago though my father lost his insurance (I am under 25) and I haven't been to the dentist since. About four months ago I ended up with an abscess tooth on one of my upper right molars and decided the best and cheapest course of action was to have it pulled. I went to the first dentist I could find that offered a payment plan and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Usually it's just the needles I'm afraid of, well he got the needles in completely pain free and I thought it was going to be super easy. He stars to remove the tooth though and I feel EVERYTHING I feel him break my jaw and I feel it rip out of my mouth he gives me the legal dose of Novocaine and I can still feel everything. At the end of the procedure as I am balling my eyes out and screaming in agony he tells me from now on I have to go see an oral surgeon because I metabolize the Novocaine too quickly with my anxiety.

Well about 3 weeks ago I discovered I needed another root canal on my front tooth so I cannot have it pulled. It is so so so painful and I desperately need to have it fixed before it starts to interfere with my job. The good news is I discovered I have insurance. Bad news: Its through the state so pretty much no one who could actually help me with my fears can work on me. I went down the list of providers and called every single one until I found someone who sounded caring and assured me they were gentle.

What I am afraid of is that the procedure will hurt. I have never had a root canal while awake and I can't help but recall my last procedure (the extraction) every time I think about it. I am not sure how I should prepare the dentist for my kind of anxiety as most general dentists aren't prepared for what I experience. I am the type of person that has to be held down kicking and screaming for them to get anything done while I'm awake.

Oh I should also mention for the extraction I was prescribed .50 mg of valium and they told me to take 2 5 mg hydrocodones before the procedure, they also gave me laughing gas and my anxiety was still extreme. What should I ask for as far as anxiety medicine? How should I warn the doctor? Do root canals hurt? I need some reassurance I am desperate and having a panic attack just thinking about it and I haven't even made the appointment to have it done. I am so desperate please please help.

 

[MAS72]

Re: Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

I wrote a detailed letter to the dentist I was gonna see. I felt like explaining to him what I've been through, my phobia, and what my concerns were. I hand't been to the dentist in 20 years until today. It wasn't that bad. I have a cracked molar, and he told me I'll have to come back for a root canal. Not too concerned about it though. 10-15 years ago, root canals were considered pretty invasive and painful, but if you look around the board, like I did, it's a more common procedure today, and many people, even us ones on the phobia message boards, have stated there really wasn't alot of pain, and they felt much better after they left then before they went.

You'll be OK. Write the dentist a letter telling him who you are, what your concerns are, and what you're going through. It helped me with explaining my situation to him before I ever met him. Leave your contact number on there. The dentist called me the next day, we talked, I made an appointment, and actually WENT. 20 years of avoidance at all cost. It wasn't bad at all, and I'm actually looking forward to finishing this off. This phobia has kicked my ass for too long. Don't do what I did and spend the next 10-15 years in pain and discomfort. I see alot of younger people posting on here. I know how you feel, and what you guys are going through, but it's really not as bad as it seems. One thing the hygienist told me is, she's shocked at how many people come in after avoiding the dentist for so long, and yeah, there's work that needs to be done, but she said "it never seems to be as bad as the person thinks, as far as how bad their situation is, once they get here and find out"

That's the problem with this phobia, we think we're hopeless, at a point where we just give up because the thought of how bad we think we are is too much to handle, then we get there, and alot of the times it's not nearly as bad as we thought.

Just contact the dentist, try to relax a little (I know, but try), and take it one step at a time.


You're gonna be OK.

 

[Jaydebob]

Re: Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

I wrote a detailed letter to the dentist I was gonna see. I felt like explaining to him what I've been through, my phobia, and what my concerns were. I hand't been to the dentist in 20 years until today. It wasn't that bad. I have a cracked molar, and he told me I'll have to come back for a root canal. Not too concerned about it though. 10-15 years ago, root canals were considered pretty invasive and painful, but if you look around the board, like I did, it's a more common procedure today, and many people, even us ones on the phobia message boards, have stated there really wasn't alot of pain, and they felt much better after they left then before they went.

You'll be OK. Write the dentist a letter telling him who you are, what your concerns are, and what you're going through. It helped me with explaining my situation to him before I ever met him. Leave your contact number on there. The dentist called me the next day, we talked, I made an appointment, and actually WENT. 20 years of avoidance at all cost. It wasn't bad at all, and I'm actually looking forward to finishing this off. This phobia has kicked my ass for too long. Don't do what I did and spend the next 10-15 years in pain and discomfort. I see alot of younger people posting on here. I know how you feel, and what you guys are going through, but it's really not as bad as it seems. One thing the hygienist told me is, she's shocked at how many people come in after avoiding the dentist for so long, and yeah, there's work that needs to be done, but she said "it never seems to be as bad as the person thinks, as far as how bad their situation is, once they get here and find out"

That's the problem with this phobia, we think we're hopeless, at a point where we just give up because the thought of how bad we think we are is too much to handle, then we get there, and alot of the times it's not nearly as bad as we thought.

Just contact the dentist, try to relax a little (I know, but try), and take it one step at a time.


You're gonna be OK.

This was so helpful and such a good idea. Thank you so so much and not just for the advise but this calmed me down enough that I think I can actually sleep.

 

[FearfulInMA]

Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

First, so sorry for all that you have gone through!

I have had extractions and root canals. And, root canals are a WAY easier procedure to deal with. They are longer than extractions, but not once have I experienced any pain. I also found that RCT is much more 'gentle' procedure than extractions.

Steve In Cleveland has written the best descriptions of RCT from start to finish - if you search the site you will find it -- let me know of you can't and I will do some searching.

If you can meet with the dentist for a consult beforehand that may also help to lessen your anxiety.

Best of luck!

 

[ripply]

Re: Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

Don't worry Jaydebob. I had another root canal done in February this year and like you, I was terrified but it wasn't painful at all. I thought the injection would be terrible but I didn't even feel it! It really was the easiest injection for dentist treatment I've ever had. My endodontist used a dental dam which I thought was great. It made me feel 'separate' from what was happening with my tooth and meant I could breathe and swallow with no worries. A front tooth has less roots than the back one's so it shouldn't take as long as my big molar. I had Valium beforehand, though if it's not enough for you, maybe you could ask for i.v sedation. I wasn't even sore afterwards, in fact we went to McDonalds later that day!

 

[macfoo]

Re: Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

I had a root canal yesterday. Yes, I was terrified and yes I let the endodontist know it by answering the question "how are you?" With "Honestly, I am terrified."

Most if not all of my dental fears come from a root canal when I was younger that was in the middle of 7 months of dealing with a cracked tooth that ended up being pulled anyway. That was then.

This is is now. Like I say, I had it yesterday. Hypersensitivity in my tooth started last week. Went to dentist on Tues. who sent me to an endodontist on Thursday. Had the option of no treatment and let it get worse or a root canal for a crack behind and under and old filling.

I was in, diagnoses, numbed, and done in an hour with a temp filling placed. I go back to my dentist in three weeks for the rest of the restoration/permanent crown.
I don't feel any pain today, just a little in it of pressur, which is a far cry from where I was just two days ago.

I dreaded it honestly, but had a dr who explained everything he was doing and let me know what I needed to do for him to stop. Not something I'd say that ranks up there with my 10 favorite places or visit, but by far not the worst experience I've ever had.

dare I say, pleasantly tolerable? For me , I didn't have time to get my nerves worked up and start to build worry and fear. It played a big role in it not being anything more major than feeling like getting a filling done.

 

[Ihatedentistss]

Re: Please help! Need a root canal and the word terrified does not even begin to describe my fear.

I had a root canal on the 26th of August. Wasn't bad at all. You get numbed, the nerve is taken out of the tooth and a temporary filling is put in. So much simpler than it might sound. It's seriously nothing to be afraid of. I was terrified especially as my mom previously had a dentist perform two root canals on her that she went on and on about how horrific they were. I had also had my dad say quite sometime ago that I never wanted to have a root canal. Ever. Coming here helped ease my fear a bit. The drive to the endodonist was hell because my mom kept panicking about not finding the place, running late ect. And I begged her to calm down because it was making me get amped up and she refused to settle down.

Anyways, when I actually ended up in the chair I had been in so much pain previously that I was ready to have the procedure done (I had a bad abscess). I was numbed which I barely felt (you're talking to a girl who hates shots btw although I guess I'm way better with them after I had to get an extensive series of rabies shots back in June). When I was numb he put a dam over the tooth and started working. I've seen people complaining about dams, but they're honestly heavenly if you want to know the truth. It keeps anything from getting in your mouth/down your throat and it didn't bother me at all. Helped me keep my mouth open, actually. Several times I had to raise my hand for more novicane, which you may have to do, and if so just raise it high and proud nothing to be ashamed of. Get as shot up with Novicane as need be. It didn't seem to take that long, and like people say it's no worse than a filling.

The thing is that you hear the word 'root canal' and fear drenches you almost immediately, mainly because of all the dramatic people telling these horror stories, half of whom haven't even had a root canal themselves. I actually ended up in tears in the dental chair when I was told I needed one, although part of it was all the other work I needed done too.

you're going to be just fine. I survived, terrified beyond my wits, and I'm sure you will too. If I had to do it again I would without hesitation. The only problem I have is how much money it costs (no insurance for me). Other than that it's a cake walk.

Hugs from the south!