• Dental Phobia Support

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terrified , embarassed ,going to make an appointment today

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pollywobble

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
37
Location
Dublin
Hi all , it is 4 a.m. , i cannot sleep and my anxiety levels are at an all time high simply because i have decided to make an appointment with a dentist today .
I have had only bad experiences with dental treatment in the past but I cannot continue with the pain i have experienced in the last week . I expect that the dentist will tell me that i need all my remaining teeth removed and have dentures fitted . I am embarrassed at the thought of him seeing my teeth and also embarrassed at the thought of having dentures . Not to mention the fact that i will probably end up crying non stop at the first appointment. :scared:. I am absolutely exhausted from pain and anxiety and have had very little to eat for the last week which doesn't help. It took a lot of rum and coke before i got the courage to e-mail the dentist (because i felt if i rang i wouldnt be able to speak .) I got a nice e-mail in return advising me to ring for an appointment and explaining their use of iv sedation for the very nervous patient . They sound very kind and understanding but i have asked my daughter to accompany me on the first visit so that she can intervene if i 'lose the plot' ! I can't believe i am so nervous about making a phone call:shame:.
Will post again when i finally take that first small step.
 
You sound like my Irish twin!
It will be OK...make that appointment. If you like what you hear via email (that's how I started), the odds are good that you will find comfort with this dentist.
Please, make that call, or email them to call you. You have only painless days ahead of you, and your phobia can lessen once you let a caring professional help you. And they want to help you...no judgement, no insults, no confrontation.
Sedation of any kind is a blessing.
Good luck and godspeed!
 
Thank You , I didn't think of e-mailing them and asking them to ring me . Still haven't slept so i may as well stay awake now and ring them when they open (if i can ) . If they can see me today that would be great, I know - i would probably get a great nights sleep afterwards from pure relief !
 
:welcome: pollywobble

You have come to the right place, we are a like minded bunch who will empathise and support you.

I too emailed a dentist, I rambled on and on and on explaining at length (yawn!) my problems and fears because at least then I didn't have to explain when I got there.

If you have read any of the success stories here you will see a common thread .... dentistry has come a long long way in recent years and treatments are not as bad as this phobia makes us believe. Also, a lot of dentists themselves now recognise the terror we feel.

Just take baby steps, it is an emotional roller coaster and many tissues will be used, however, I never though in a million years I would be where I am now .... pain free, sleeping, eating (not good for the waist line) and most of all smiling.

Let us know how it goes, I am sure you will be posting a :thumbsup: - even for just getting through the door!


:)
 
Thank you April , the time seems to be passing very slowly as i wait for the office to be open . Shaking like a leaf and very hungry (!) as i haven't been able to eat properly for days . I wish i could fast forward through the next few weeks until the problem(s) had been solved .:redface:
 
Made an appointment . Was in floods of tears on the phone . Very nice receptionist asked was i in pain and arranged an appointment for this afternoon . Repeatedly told me everything will be alright . I have been writing down a list of the reasons why i am so afraid because i dont think i will be able to speak when i get there . My daughter is coming with me - God help her !
At least i am one step closer .....:(
 
well done for making the appointment !! we ALL understand exactly how you feel, we are all the same here believe me. this is the best place to come to get support, friendship and total understanding. no judgement, no lack of patience, just empathy and encouragement along each step you take.
i hope that all goes well for you this afternoon, i will be thinking of you xxx

hugs :XXLhug::XXLhug::XXLhug::XXLhug::grouphug:
 
Good for you! You've done a GREAT thing making your appointment! Do whatever you can to ease your nerves and comfort yourself when you go...wear your favorite comfy clothes, take a stuffed animal to hold on to, whatever helps. You will be in control of what happens. Remember, the dentist is there to HELP you. Whatever your course of treatment ends up being, you are now on your way to being pain-free.
Bravo!!
 
Congratulations on making the appointment!! Writing things down is a great idea..I did that to. It's WAY easier than trying to actually tell them how you're feeling and it opens the lines of communication.
Please don't be embarrassed at the thought of wearing dentures. Millions of people do..probably lots of people you see every day and have no idea. And I can tell you from personal experience..wearing dentures is FAR better than walking around with bad breath and ugly, bad teeth and trying to hide them. I've had my dentures since July 7th of this year and wish I'd got them years ago. It is such a pleasure to be able to smile and laugh in public again without hiding behind my hand. ;D
 
got to dentist holding my daughters hand for dear life . Started crying as soon as i got in the door , then calm for a few minutes until the dentist arrived .
Couldnt speak for the first few minutes or so and gave him my three page explanation of why I ended up so terrified . He thanked me for bringing him the
written details and read it all carefully before asking me if he could have a little look in my mouth . After five minutes of me telling him how awful it would be he assured me that he has seen plenty of people like me and hasn't failed yet !
I was very impressed that he never got too close to me until i finally agreed he could look and then only used one finger . His only reaction was 'You must be in terrible pain '. He asked if i would prefer to have them all removed or for him to try and salvage some of them . When i said i would much prefer to salvage some , he said he will do everything he can to do that .
I will have 8 extractions on Friday the 17th using twilight sleep . dreading the thought of it , but glad to be starting the process .
When we went to the reception area to pay the bill , the staff there congratulated me on getting through my first visit and told me repeatedly ther is nothing to worry about and that twilight sleep is fantastic . I was very impressed with the care and sensitivity i received from everybody .Wish i could fast forward through the next few months but hey I'm committed to the treatment now :thumbsup:
 
Forgot to thank you all for your support and kind comments :redface:
I really appreciate them and you xxxx:grouphug:
 
Congrats :jump: that's excellent - I'm so pleased you found someone sympathetic without having to shop around :party:.
 
Hey Pollywobble ..... there's that :thumbsup: !

Such a huge step and you did it, you should be so proud of yourself ..... well done!!

Keep posting, next time it will be a :yay: .....................
 
Well done!! :jump: Sounds like everyone at your dentists office is wonderful and caring. That helps so much!
 
Thanks so much , Brit , April ,and Terrified woman . I am already nervous about going back next week . If the ' twilight sleep' works well i am sure it wont be so bad the third time - and the fourth ,fifth , sixth ...etc.,

at least i'm nearly sure :confused:.
Brit , I have been lurking here for over a year reading everyones stories .
I noted the name of this dentist as he was mentioned more than once here.
I must have looked at his clinic website a hundred times over the last year and he was the only one i considered ringing when the pain got to suicidal level .I'm very grateful to whoever listed him on this site and i found several reviews on other sites as well which helped .
 
The last few days have dragged by . I am getting very stressed at times just thinking of going on Friday for the iv sedation and the extractions .The nightmares have returned with a vengeance . I am tired and doing anything feels like a huge effort . Working night shifts for the next three nights so should be good and sleepy arriving at the dentists on friday !:hidesbehindsofa:
Forced myself to finish Christmas shopping today in case anything goes wrong
and i cant do anything next week .
 
Wow, when I read that your pain was at a "suicidal level", that really hit home with me. I told my husband during one of my horrible toothaches that I understood how constant pain drives some people to suicide. That's also when I knew I had to go to the dentist.
It sounds like you've got a good dentist.
Good luck for Friday........ you'll do just fine!
:hug2:'s!
 
Thank you chickenjen. Yes , the dentist does seem really lovely , i think its the nightmares that have me worn down at the moment . The painkillers and antibiotics have done the trick so i only get a twinge now and then .
I am normally an optimist but in the case of my experiences with dentists i am finding it hard to believe that something wont go wrong . Totally illogical - but then that is the definition of a phobia. :(
 
Returned from night shift this morning exhausted and slipped in to a nightmare filled sleep. After a couple of hours heard my phone ring and go to message . An hour later it rang again , I answered it to hear the dentist receptionist remind me about my appointment and tell me they understand it is very hard to cope with . I had to laugh when i woke again as i wasnt sure until i checked my phone that i had actually been talking to her or if my nightmare had changed. ....:sleep:
 
LOL at least you know they are expecting you and have remembered you are nervous!
 
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