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the thought of going to a dentist makes me cry...

S

sassyuk

Junior member
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Messages
2
Location
Leeds, UK
yep, i have admitted it. i am literally extremely scared of the dentist to the point i cry at the thought of going to one. last time i went (about 4 years ago) i vomited in the little sink them due to nerves and they refused to treat or see me after that. i currently have no dentist which i was so happy about till a few nights ago.
im have problems with my jaw. it constantly clicks and now has started locking, being stiff and my left hand side of my face is agony. i rung NHS direct and i was told i need a referral to the dental hospital but can only go if im registered with a dentist.
i really built up courage in myself and rung 4 dentists yesterday, all refused me NHS and privately. one i had some progress but when i mentioned i have a bad phobia of the dentist they hung up.
now im back to square one. i had a bad experience when i was 7 with a dentist and since then my phobia has got worse and worse to the point im in pain and no dentist will see me because im scared. all i want is a referral...
everyone tells me no one likes the dentist, and they are scared but once they go in they are fine. i really wish i was like that, even driving past a surgery makes me upset.
please help me, i dont know what to do. myphobia is out of hand and im now in pain.
 
Hi Sassy :welcome:,

you've been treated terribly :o - I'm so sorry you've been fobbed off in such a cruel manner by a number of dental practices.

Have you tried the dental community service in Leeds? You would need a referral from your GP (normal doctor - doesn't have to be a dentist).

I don't know what the waiting times are like in Leeds but it's worth a try :).

If you are prepared to go private, we've also got a very strong recommendation for Brad Thornton at Ivory Dental in Horsforth, Leeds.

You can find more recommendations for the Leeds area here:

I hope you will be able to find a kind and caring dentist soon :grouphug:
 
Hi Sassy,
Have you tried asking your doctor to prescribe you something to calm your nerves before you go? Also on the NHS website when you search for a dentist you can select to search for one that specialises in 'dental anxiety'. This is what I tried and although i had to drive about an hour away I got through my initial check up and the dentist seems to be lovely so far. They even let me book my first appointment without going into the surgery. He's offered me sedation and referred me to have some extractions under GA without me needing to ask. I've been assured that I'll be in control the entire time, and he promised me that I wouldn't feel anything. I've got a long way to go but I feel like I might be able to get there now.
I know how you feel, I would often sit and cry because I couldn't bring myself to phone a dentist. I just couldn't see a way out. I carried the number around with me for a couple of weeks and then phoned up on a whim whilst i was sat in my car in a car park.
Good luck :hug2: xx
 
Hi Sassy :welcome:,

you've been treated terribly :o - I'm so sorry you've been fobbed off in such a cruel manner by a number of dental practices.

Have you tried the dental community service in Leeds? You would need a referral from your GP (normal doctor - doesn't have to be a dentist).

thank you so much for this! :)
ihave rung my GP and i have got an appointment for tuesday. they are aware of my phobia so fingers crossed he will refer me. i know the community dentists in leeds are really good, i hope they give me the time i need.

Hi Sassy,
Have you tried asking your doctor to prescribe you something to calm your nerves before you go? Also on the NHS website when you search for a dentist you can select to search for one that specialises in 'dental anxiety'. This is what I tried and although i had to drive about an hour away I got through my initial check up and the dentist seems to be lovely so far. They even let me book my first appointment without going into the surgery. He's offered me sedation and referred me to have some extractions under GA without me needing to ask. I've been assured that I'll be in control the entire time, and he promised me that I wouldn't feel anything. I've got a long way to go but I feel like I might be able to get there now.
I know how you feel, I would often sit and cry because I couldn't bring myself to phone a dentist. I just couldn't see a way out. I carried the number around with me for a couple of weeks and then phoned up on a whim whilst i was sat in my car in a car park.
Good luck :hug2: xx
when i went to dentist last time i asked for some meds to help me but the GP refused and talked me through ''calming techniques''. obviously they didnt work lol, so because i was refused i really have been delaying it.
i have also self reffered myself for some CBT as ie been told this can help with phobias. has anyone else had this?
thanks x
 
There's a thread on CBT here: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/forum/threads/is-the-dentist-your-friend-was-nlp-or-cbt.11054/
and also in the "Help" thread started by Abigail (here in the support section), which may help explain things!

Please let us know what happens - in some areas, waiting times for the community dental service can be rather lengthy, but I don't know what the situation is like in Leeds. If you can afford to go private, as I said there's Brad Thornton who sounds lovely :).

Best of luck!!
 
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