Recurring fear of injections

[mbc350]

A few months ago, I posted a comment about how I overcame my phobia of needles, or so I thought. Now for some reason, the fear has returned. Apparently, my success was short-lived and the celebration of victory was premature. Other than taking anti-anxiety medication and discussing with my dentist (and she's very friendly), I'm not sure what else to do. I also see a counselor for help with other issues, but they don't really specialize in dental anxiety. No matter how many numbing injections I've received, I can never seem to get used to the experience each time, and they always provoke panic attacks; so again, I'm stuck in this cycle. I try not to think about it, but it's difficult to do that. Again, my dentist has reassured me she's not intentionally trying to hurt me, and I'm grateful for her compassion. Any other help here would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[letsconnect]

Hi, if I understand correctly (from your previous posts), you don't have a generalised fear of needles, but a more specific fear of certain types of dental injections. Is that correct?

 

[mbc350]

Yes, mainly the palatal & lower nerve blocks because they're painful to me. My dentist is a very nice young lady and very sympathetic to my concerns, so she always tries to do injections slowly & gently, but I still feel them hurt. It could be that I'm just more sensitive to pain. Sadly, they always feel like 5/10 or higher, and the pain lasts for more than just a second or a few seconds. That's agonizing when I'm laying there, heart racing, trembling, but trying to breathe slowly & calm down. I realize it's important to focus on the goal of getting numb, but even dealing with temporary discomfort is traumatic to me, which is extreme, and it shouldn't be that way for a routine procedure. Maybe I need to try sedation, but I'd have to switch dentists. I just want to get past all this, that's all.

 

[letsconnect]

I suppose one way would be to keep looking for a dentist who is very experienced and able to make these injections so comfortable that you're not bothered by them. There's some information on this page which might be useful:

Painful Injections and Needle Phobia

Are you terrified of dental injections? Find out why shots may be painful, how to make them comfortable, and what to do if you have needle phobia.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Or a combination of the above and using distraction (e.g. a VR headset) and/or sedation, as you mentioned. Would it be difficult for you to switch dentists?

 

[mbc350]

@letsconnect Thank you for your suggestions and the link, which is very informative & detailed. It's not that my dentist is bad at delivering injections, so I don't blame her at all. It's just that physiologically I don't tolerate them well, so it's not her fault. In fact, she's the friendliest dentist I've met, and she deeply cares about my concerns. I assume she wishes she could do more, but I'm still grateful for all she's done to help me thru this. In fact, she said that if I needed, I could keep her for checkups but transfer to a sedation dentist if I ever need dental work again in the future; so I may take her up on her idea. Of course, she stated that the best route is to maintain my oral health, with which I agree. Maybe I just needed to vent on here. My frustration is that despite all the info. I learn about anesthesia & the psychological aspect, I experience difficulty in applying it to real life; but I guess I should continue in perseverance instead of giving up hope for recovery. I really appreciate your thoughts and for responding in a kind manner. For now, I'll stay with her and maybe later decide on whether to switch providers. Thanks again.

 

[letsconnect]

That sounds like a good plan for going forward, it sounds like she's a lovely person and trying hard . With all the options at your disposal including the possibility of seeing a dentist who offers sedation for the injections in question, I'm sure you'll find a way through if necessary in the future! Wishing you all the best