What caused your fear or phobia?

[Jjmac]

Here is my traumatic story.... Hold on to seats!

I was was born and grew up in a very small town in eastern KY in the Appalachian mountains where dentistry was archaic, the water supply was all from wells which did not contain fluoride. Oh yea, my town only had one dentist, (better yet... Yup he was a cousin).

My first real memory was when I was 5 yrs. old. I had a cavity on two lower molars, one on each side.
(Side note: about 4 months prior I had undergone "allergy testing" which consisted of 5+ needles in each thigh, arm, butt cheeck, and multiple "scratches" on my back and tummy. Yea I was needled out) I get up in the dental chair and he waves this very long silver mechanical scary looking needle in front of my face, shoots out some of the liquid that landed on my face, grabs ahold of my cheeck pinching it so hard I had a bruise for weeks after that and while pinching shakes my face says this will only hurt for a minute and jabs the needle into my jaw. Needless to say when he went to numb the other side I freaked out!! Rightfully so!!! In order for him to finish the procedure he pulled out these large leather belt things and strapped me down to the chair... One around my ankles, another just above my knees, another around my waist and then strapped each arm to the arms of the chair. Oh wait, I forgot to mention the large metal contraption shoved into my mouth and cranked open. Then following the same pinch & shake numbed the other side. Then came the obnoxiously loud drills and the sickening burning smell. Now I was a tiny little girl so I'm assuming that he didn't use very much of the numbing medication, because before he was done I was feeling more than just pressure in my mouth, it was a stabbing type sensation, and if that wasn't enough he hammered these lovely silver caps onto each tooth.

There re is much more to my story but I'm experiencing an anxiety attack just telling this part, I apologize but I will have to finish after I pull myself back together.

 

[carole]

Hi sorry to read about you frightening experience when you were little. What a shame one of your parents didn't go in with you and not a very nice uncle was he.

Fortunately these days this could not happen, I hope you have managed to find a different dentist now you are older.

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

My 1st dentist I had when I was a child, okay she was doing what was best for my teeth and my sister's teeth to make sure we were taking care of them, okay she told us off a number of times but we always use to dread our six month checkup.

She referred me to have some teeth pulled as she knew I could not carry 32 adult teeth because of my overbite/crossbite (jaw problem) I also had to have a removable brace which were very difficult sometimes to put in and take out, It did not work. I was never told properly when I was 7 about what the dentist wanted me to have done, a small operation on my jaw to help bring my teeth together

From about 14 up to now I have had 9 different dentists, scaring me about how my teeth look. The dentist don't want me to lose my teeth in the future because dentures may be out of the question because how my jaw, crossbite/overbite/bite comes together.

I still have a phobia about visiting the dentist, even though I know I got to go for regularly checkups to spot problems in my mouth and other conditions I may be unaware about which may need treating.

Even though over the years the practice has changed and has several upgrades. I still dread the telling off I could do better with my oral health.

 

[minx]

well,, mot people got their phobia as bad childhood experience. I'm one of them too. I swear I thought I was only one, until I found this site. basically mine happened when I was like 8 or 9. doing root canal. they didn't freeze my teeth right so I was in excruciating pain the whole procedure. why didn't I say something? I did and I screamed top of my lungs, what they did was they pry open my mouth and hold me down and finish the procedure. I don't know how I survive that moment. they probably what do 8 year old know about not enough anesthetic. they simply ignored me cause I was young.

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

Sorry for another post.

Also I think the smells from the dentist practice and hearing the sounds walking in, sitting in the waiting room
cause me panic over the years even though I do go the dentist without fail. Even though sometimes the music played in the dentist makes the sounds quieter.

My dentist use a scary tactic once whether it was true about my teeth, one or two were loose about 10 years ago, he left the practice years ago. other dentists have never managed it.

I do have a fear and a phobia I don't know it because I have a learning disability or find it very hard to especially to my current dentist, currently registered with a NHS one, if we could afford it we would probably switched to private.

 

[Bao luo]

accident in the late 70's, a wooden play swing was swung into my face and i caught it with my teeth so to say.
the force of the impact lifted me of my feet and threw me backwards.
the dentists were not as child friendly in those days, work needed done it got done.

from there on i did not like anyone near my teeth, and moving into upper school the schools dentist nickname was THE BUTCHER, its no lie everyone in the school knew him by this name. and all kids in school did not like him. he was rough and unfriendly. most went to a family dentist but i had the school dentist.

i sat in the chair one day, he wore glasses. so there i was staring at the reflection and i see the huge long needle he wanted to shove into my gums.well that was it and i clamped my mouth shut,there was somewhat of a fight between him , my mum and me to try to open my mouth and he tried to force it open to but he failed. from that day on he never got to look inside my mouth and as i got older i stopped caring for my teeth i even warned him he touched my teeth it would be the last thing he done and he got the message afterwards, i never heard from them again.

truth is i hate dentists, one made me pay for treatment even when i was not required to and i had to claim it back, second i was working gave me antibiotics and sent me to hospital for extractions, this third dentist did the same but full extrations mind you she is a lovely lady kind and listens with with open ears. But i dont trust the name one bit and i try my best to stay clear of them, but alas it did not work and now i have to try to learn to trust name that i hate with a big passion. and all because of a swing and a school dentist

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

I also remember when I was in school, sometimes a school dentist came in to check our teeth (even though I been going to the dentist since my first tooth came through) where I was getting my braces done (even though these were removeable) in secondary school, parents could op us out not seeing the school dentist.

This could have also frighten me over the years the 1st time I met a different dentist.

 

[cinnabubbles]

My first dentist at 5 years old thought I had a cavity and thought waving the drill in front of my face was a fantastic idea. He also laughed at me while I was cowering away in fear.

Been scared to death ever since.

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

One of the times I went to the dentist, it was not of the usual assistants, think it was a junor one was deeply embarrassed, even though it was my usual dentist.

No idea what was happening in the dentist that day.

 

[Netz]

I've never had a fear of the dentist or the pain or procedure or sound of the drill, etc. It was because one time the lidocaine set off a massive panic attack in me. As a panic attack sufferer for many years, that was enough to keep me from dreading going back.

I always tell my dentist not to use anything with Adrenaline in it as it makes my heart race and my head throb with sharp pain. So maybe there is some in what they are using on you. Just about the worst thing to happen in the dentists chair if you are a nervous patient anyway.
Netz

 

[JJones86]

A combination of bad experiences with dentists and dental professionals has caused my phobia and anxiety. It started when I was 9 years old and I'm 28 now with my phobia and anxiety out of control. I have numbing issues, I've had issues with dentists that don't stop when I give a stop signal. This has led to me having a problem being able to use a stop signal when I'm in distress. I've had a lot of dental problems and dental work done over the years and it's only getting worse. I've had several rough dentists with poor chair side manners. They weren't gentle or kind. I've felt out of control in the dental chair. I don't like laying back because I feel dizzy/light headed.

 

[PinkKitty]

I used to have no problem with dental treatment at all. I had the normal fear of pain, and my wonderful dentist loaded me up on local so that wasn't an issue. Little did I know I had a fear lurking in the back of my mind, thanks to a sadistic mother who stopped my crying by covering my nose and mouth to suffocate me. It didn't come out in terms of the dentist until many years later when I switched from my great dentist to an HMO for financial reasons. They claimed I needed a root canal and sent me to an endo who slapped on the dental dam with no preliminaries or explanations, and having my mouth and part of my nose (from the long end flap) covered freaked me out. He got pissed and said he wouldn't treat me. Back to my good dentist, who saved the tooth with a deep filling (and who was shocked that the HMO said I needed a root canal without even testing the tooth). I was so upset that I had to take Xanax just for him to do the filling, which I'd never needed before. The phobia progressed into also being afraid of having my throat numb and not being able to swallow. Not sure where that part came from, but it caused me to even have a crown with no local, which freaked my poor dentist out (new guy, since I moved out of state, and very nice...he's retired now, but his associates are just as good). I did manage a root canal last week with the help of a lot of Xanax, and the good experience with the dental dam for that one, thanks to a compassionate dentist, has helped a lot with the phobia, but that's how it all got started.

 

[Patti]

The unknown.

 

[kelly88]

As a child I needed two teeth removed because they were growing in the wrong way. My dentist referred me to the dental hospital. I student dentist tried to remove them, damaged the teeth but failed to get them out. She sent me home and said she would write to my dentist. It took her over a hour before she gave up. When the numbness wore off I was in agony... I saw another dentist the next day who removed them very quickly.

Then in my late teens I needed a tooth removed for braces. I got dry socket (no ones fault, I know). I have a feeling that added to my fear.

I think part of my fear is losing my teeth. I always fear that dentists are going to harm my teeth/me. I know this isn't the case, they never have except for the incident at the dental hospital.

The feeling of that drill on your teeth too... that shaky feeling. Urgh!

 

[npzone]

After a horrendous experience at the doctor's office when I was three, I've always had a phobia of doctors and needles. So naturally, I was afraid of dentists as well because they're basically another type of doctor.

I remember begging my mom not to make me go to the dentist and she was understanding about it until I was about 11 and developed a cavity. Then she said I had no choice but to go. I was most afraid of the needle, so when the dentist said the cavity was small so I didn't need to be numbed, I was a lot calmer. But then he started drilling and it was the most excruciating pain I had ever felt in my life. The dentist sighed and said the cavity was much deeper than he expected. Uh...shouldn't he have stopped at that point to numb me a bit before proceeding? But even when I raised my hand to signal him to stop he just kept saying he was almost done and just be brave for a little bit longer.

After a few minutes I was in so much pain that my mouth kept closing involuntarily. He kept telling me to stop doing that, then finally got so angry he pushed down on my jaw and to both of our surprise, my jaw got dislocated. He forced my jaw back in place (again with nothing to lessen the pain), and that was when I developed an intense phobia of dentists, along with my already intense phobias of doctors and needles.

 

[JAB]

What caused your fear or phobia? Vote in our poll (multiple choices allowed)! You can also post in this thread.

I had a dentist that did a filling without numbing me properly. Then he held me down as he drilled my tooth. It hurt like hello. He was also very verbally abrasive as well. He was just plain brutal. I know several of us that had him call him DR. Butcher now.

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

Even though I go for appointments every three months I still have the fear of being judge, my dentist tries to help me as does not say anything which will not want me to come back for any treatment if needed and keep on going back.

I get scared of being judge. but believe the dentist have seen worst.

 

[lauralou32]

For me i put my kids dental needs over my own because of lack of money. Then my teeth started to slowly go bad due to smoking and lots of sweets. Then shame took over which turned into fear!! ?

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

Dentist being too rough with the cleanings, putting that little xray thing in your mouth (hurt my gums and teeth that does) being judge i think after 32 nearly 33 years of going to the dentist, i still have dental phobia, but fear what she will find (if anything)

 

[kclady36]

My dentist as a child was a good guy but he did not try hard enough to numb me he was also one of those dentists that put the fear in you. I had to get a retainer and was refereed to a specialist and he told me straight up he hated children ( meaning me) and a few years later I broke an adult tooth and got an implant and the dentist told me he did not like children and made me promise that I will not be a whiny kid as he replaced the broken tooth. Very hurtful. Then as an adult I was scammed. Instead of charging my deductible once she charged it on every visit so she conned me out of $200 over the course of that particular treatment. My deductible is $50. I di dnot fight it for another issue is I did not understand how dental insurance worked