Support with phobia of injection - needing a lot of work done

[Ccbloom]

Hello all!

I'm here looking for some support on making the first step in going back to the dentist. It has not been an extraordinary amount of time since I was last there but unfortunately I have had a bit of shoddy dental work done in the past and had no luck with compassionate dentists. My phobia is mainly injection-related (the right before the injection goes in bit). It's very irrational as I have a very high pain threshold and actually, while I don't enjoy it, don't mind the procedure as much.

I require a lot of treatment - one aspect of which is a missing tooth (upper 4th from front) not very pretty. I also require a cracked temporary filling to be removed and refilled, roots removed from two missing teeth and a good few fillings. I imagine I need more than I can feel and see too.

My missing tooth and bad breath resulting literally keeps me from sleeping as I worry about my appearance and oral health so much but just can't make that step. I have chickened out of 4 appointments recently! I can ask to have the topical anaesthetic all day long but the fear of the instrument is still there. There are unfortunately not dentists that I know of nearby who use the wand which I would definitely try.

My daughter has just cut her first two teeth and has an appointment for baby check ups tomorrow. I can have a check up too but have already started panicking greatly.

Sorry, I have simply rambled! Any advice really appreciated, I'm a mess over this.

 

[ScaredyCat22]

Hello all!

I'm here looking for some support on making the first step in going back to the dentist. It has not been an extraordinary amount of time since I was last there but unfortunately I have had a bit of shoddy dental work done in the past and had no luck with compassionate dentists. My phobia is mainly injection-related (the right before the injection goes in bit). It's very irrational as I have a very high pain threshold and actually, while I don't enjoy it, don't mind the procedure as much.

I require a lot of treatment - one aspect of which is a missing tooth (upper 4th from front) not very pretty. I also require a cracked temporary filling to be removed and refilled, roots removed from two missing teeth and a good few fillings. I imagine I need more than I can feel and see too.

My missing tooth and bad breath resulting literally keeps me from sleeping as I worry about my appearance and oral health so much but just can't make that step. I have chickened out of 4 appointments recently! I can ask to have the topical anaesthetic all day long but the fear of the instrument is still there. There are unfortunately not dentists that I know of nearby who use the wand which I would definitely try.

My daughter has just cut her first two teeth and has an appointment for baby check ups tomorrow. I can have a check up too but have already started panicking greatly.

Sorry, I have simply rambled! Any advice really appreciated, I'm a mess over this.

Hi CC,
Have you considered asking for an oral sedative/anti-anxiety med to take before your appointment? Most dentists are willing to prescribe you a valium or similar to take an hour before your appointment time so that you are less afraid to get in the chair. If you ask for it you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment.

 

[Ccbloom]

Hi CC,
Have you considered asking for an oral sedative/anti-anxiety med to take before your appointment? Most dentists are willing to prescribe you a valium or similar to take an hour before your appointment time so that you are less afraid to get in the chair. If you ask for it you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment.

Hi ScaredyCat and thank you for your reply. During my check up today the dentist (who was very nice) asked if I would try a root extraction without the use of sedatives and see how I do on the day. She explained that she wouldn't want me to become reliant on a sedative for the likes of check ups and scales. Oh dear!

 

[FearfulInMA]

I am a serious needle-phobe (the run out of doctors offices and sometimes faint kind of needle phobe). I used to think that a dental injection was the worst of any type of injection.

This being said, when done right, dental injections are painless or nearly painless. Most dentists know that they need to have good injection technique in order to keep patients. Because of this, I'm now much better with needles at the dentist office than I am with them in general.

In order to help me ease some of my anxiety right before the injection, I use diaphragmatic breathing and ask close my eyes. I do this from the time the dentist starts to put the topical on to when the injection is over, but like you, I'm usually a little better once it starts.

 

[Spike 1969]

I agree with Fearful, when I first started this whole dental journey I remembered being on the receiving end of Local Anaesthetic injections that resulted in me needing to be peeled off the ceiling ? Nowadays, most dentists have learned that with a good technique and using a topical anaesthetic first, dental injections are pretty much pain free.

my current dentist is so good at this that on a scale of 0 to 10 (0=no discomfort and 10=unbearable agony), the most I've been able to score him is 0.5). This has got me so comfortable with his abilities that I don't even bother closing my eyes during the process, just shows how far things have come and this is generally the norm in dentistry nowadays.

 

[gamergirl123]

have you asked them if they use numbing gel b4 hand? It does work pretty well. They did that b4 the injections for the round of Deep cleaning, 2 rounds of extractions, and the 2 fillings. Well, that and the laughing gas helped I should say.

 

[Ccbloom]

Hi all and sorry it took me so long to reply! You were all right, and so so helpful! I had my first appointment yesterday for root extractions, no sedation and didn't need to be peeled off of the ceiling, wow! I could also have rated the pain from the injection as about a 0.5. I have just posted my 'success story' in that section of the forum.

Funny thing is, I'm not a needle phone about anywhere else on my body, not even with some very extensive stitches after having my daughter, weird!

Thanks again guys for all your help!