Putting 'No Lectures!' on new patient forms??

[sunnylikesunshine90]

Going to the dentist tomorrow for the first time in roughly three years and am dreading it like no other. I've been working the past week or so to get out of the house more (a week ago today was the first time I had gone further than my front or back yard in six months. Thanks for that, Agoraphobia), but spending the time in a dental chair is not something I am keen to do. They have TVs in the cleaning area and Nitrous Oxide (although I'd really like to do it without, but will ask for it if I'm too nervous when I get there).


I had to fill out the new patient paperwork and take it with me. There is a blank on the form that says "Anything about any past/present/future dental work that you'd like the dentist to know?" I already included that I cannot be reclined all the way back due to the panic and GERD issues - but I was wondering:

Should I put down that I'd really like to avoid any lecture on the state of my teeth? I already know they're in bad shape through years of neglect, and having a new dentist and his staff talking about how bad they are would probably make me break down in the chair.

 

[Sevena]

Absolutely, you can include that. Though a good dentist would know better, but hey, better safe than sorry! You deserve good, compassionate treatment.

Communication is always the key. Letting the staff know what worries you the most is the best way to make sure you get good treatment.

I dealt with agoraphobia too. It's super scary going somewhere as threatening as the dentist when you're trying to overcome that! Well done

 

[AsaGohan]

Awesome job working on your agoraphobia! I can't imagine how hard that must be so I'm super proud of you!

I've had nitrous oxide, in fact, I've had 6 procedures with it. I would like to think I'm an expert! My suggestion is to read the information on this website. it's really detailed and lets you know what to expect

Inhalation Sedation

Inhalation sedation, also known as laughing gas, is popular for dental procedures. Find out what it feels like and how it works!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

I would be too scared to get any dental work done not gassed. My tips are to close your eyes (it deepens the feeling and works better for me), bring a stuffed animal to hold, be prepared that going 'down' for the first time is going to feel a little weird (but then you'll love it), and the air will be a little cold then they start. let your dentist know how you are feeling on it too, be honest. They can tell by your answers if you are sufficiently gassed.

Good luck!

P.S. I also get Xanax, which helps a lot.

 

[sunnylikesunshine90]

I went today and it actually went really well. While I can't be sure if it was because I added it to the forms or not, neither the dentist nor his hygienist lectured me about the poor state of my mouth - just mentioned certain things I could improve on to help myself out. In fact, when I mentioned that my gums bleed as a warning (I've had dentists apologize when they did nothing wrong), she just brushed it off and said that she had seen it all . I ended up not needing the nitrous oxide this time around, but it was nice to know it was there if needed. I'll probably end up using it for the Root Canal though. The hygienist didn't lean me back terribly far in the chair, but the dentist did. Luckily, it was only for the last 5-10 minutes of the appointment - and honestly, the smell of his latex gloves bothered me more than the chair position. Still something worth mentioning before any lengthy work, though.

The agoraphobia is getting better with repeated exposure (Ex: Going on errands with my mom until it gets to be too much and then having her drop me off at home before she finishes up the errands), but it's a constant work in progress.


Edit: I have used Xanax before for my anxiety issues and it didn't really work for me. Plus, with my thyroid issues, I'm trying to avoid taking any CNS depressants until I speak with my medical doctor.

Thanks for the responses, guys and gals

 

[AsaGohan]

So happy to hear that it went well! Great job! Even with regular little fillings, I still want/need the gas. It was a filling that originally caused my fear anyways. I would suggest the gas for the root canal.

Also the nice part about the gas is that the nose mask blocks any scents. That the worse part for me, so having the nose mask takes that bad part away.