• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

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What's Your Worst Fear?

What is your biggest dental fear?

  • Pain

    Votes: 57 46.3%
  • Gagging/nausea/vomiting

    Votes: 23 18.7%
  • Needles

    Votes: 36 29.3%
  • Lack of Control/feeling at the mercy of the dentist

    Votes: 43 35.0%
  • Other - please specify (N.B.: The options below weren't part of the original poll but added in 2019)

    Votes: 15 12.2%
  • Embarrassment/shame (newly added)

    Votes: 22 17.9%
  • The dentist (newly added)

    Votes: 12 9.8%
  • The numb feeling (newly added)

    Votes: 6 4.9%
  • Panicking, crying or making a fool of myself (newly added)

    Votes: 18 14.6%
  • Bad reaction to local anaesthetic (newly added)

    Votes: 8 6.5%
  • The sound of the drill (newly added)

    Votes: 15 12.2%
  • Unnecessary treatment (newly added)

    Votes: 12 9.8%
  • Choking or drowning (newly added)

    Votes: 9 7.3%
  • Issues arising from past sexual/physical/emotional abuse (newly added)

    Votes: 10 8.1%

  • Total voters
    123
I posted "Other" -

My worst fear is the medications used during dental work.... aka the "caine" drugs.....

I have an insane phobia of pharmaceuticals because they have reactions in my body (in everyone's body, really, they are not naturally occurring in nature and so I feel they should not be in my body) - I think this fear stems from a more deeper issue which would be the loss of control. I can't control how my body reacts to medication.

I also fear.....
- criticism
- dentist losing his patience with me
- haste
- the bad news
- the gagging because when I gag I tend to push the dentist's hand away
- the numbing sensation itself - makes me feel as if I can't control the number areas - and in reality, I really can't. :rolleyes:

Oddly enough I am not at all afraid of pain.
 
Losing all my teeth...which is not at all unlikely. :mad:

Damned gum disease. I'd rather have cancer.
 
I said all of the above because I do fear them all but the pain is the most terrifying. After my last visit my dentist refused to give me a pain prescription after an extraction saying I didn't need it and I had the second worst pain I've ever had in my life after childbirth.
 
The cost... lol.

I don't paticularly like needles, so I can kind of dread them if they are needed... but not too much, I can normally keep calm (wish I could say the same when it comes to blood tests though!)
 
Pain, criticism and the unknown.
 
WOW Ebony---That is right on the mark!!!
 
Gilchrist that's really sad that you say being born was your first mistake...it doesn't always have to be that way...take it from someone who knows..and since this is such a safe anonymous like forum, I will tell you--I tried to take my own life over 20 years ago...I was sure that being born was my first mistake....I had about 7-8 years of therapy--that was about 15 years ago...I am NOT the same person I was when I tried to kill myself...I have an entirely different outlook on life and I am so glad that it didn't work....So so glad...

I would not have believed anyone at that time that my life could or would improve--but it can--it really really can get better. I had a lot of help, but I put a tremendous amount of work into getting better also. I wouldn't trade my life now for anyone's. Not anyone's....

Just be open to the possibilities...please...
 
For me the fear is dishonesty of dentists and the control they have to worsen the fear in a vulnerable patient especially if they want to get rid of them. I also find it most scarry that current legislaton in the UK allows dentists to refuse to treat a patient without giving a reason and that there is little acceptance of dental anxiety/phobia.

I do not trust them.
 
I also put other and that is making a fool of myself, crying and just looking like the idot I am
 
I have limited jaw opening and a very extreme gag reflex. Also I have had fundoplication surgery for GORD (acid reflux) where the top of my stomach was wrapped around the cardiac sphincter at the top of the stomach to reinforce the muscle, so I can't actual;ly vomit. The suction tube so often makes me gag and retch painfully.
 
probably loss of control, gagging, pain, not being able to swallow, and being tipped back in the chair
 
I hate not being able to swallow. I feel like I'm just gonna breathe in water or blood and start coughing it all up on the dentist and hygienist's face.

I also don't like pain because I'm always nervous and jumpy. It's the jerk reactions I have to pain that I'm scared I might hurt myself or the dentist.
 
The thought of being 'done to' is the worst thing for me. I get quite a strong fear response when I think about that.

The actual treatment part I seem to be able to cope with. Most of the time, anyway.
 
My fear is something going wrong,i dont even know what but something. Im due to have a back tooth removed in 8weeks and its,a badley broken tooth and im soooo,scared,about being told I must,have a general anathestic!!!! I def dont want one of those procedures.....help!
 
My fear everytime I go to the dentist is being embarassed, pain, even though I had treatment in the past, my biggest fear is being told I need dentures or having a tooth out (if I need to have a tooth out in furture , hopefully I can get it replace by an implant.) breaking a tooth/fiiling scared my mouth will look worst.

One of the reason why going to dentist is important.

My mouth is difficult to keep clean. even though I been to the dentist loads of times over the years for 3-6 months checkups I have still have dental phobia, which I still not avoid going to the dentist.

I just wish I could go into my next dentist appointment and stay calm and not worry as much and stress. I don't really want to switch practices.

Being able to see my dental xrays on screen will frighten me and embarrassed me even further.
 
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I agree and have your same fears...

my biggest fear is being told I need dentures or having a tooth out (if I need to have a tooth out in furture , hopefully I can get it replace by an implant.)


After I broke a part of tooth, I broke down crying terrified of going to the dentist because I thought it would be all bad news and the dentist would just say to yank out the teeth and give me dentures.

I just wish I could go into my next dentist appointment and stay calm and not worry as much and stress. I don't really want to switch practices.

I get stressed because I know I'm going to be stressed and anxious at the dentist. I know the procedure I'm getting soon, I know how people who have gone through it said not to worry about it- it's not anything difficult, but in my mind I just don't understand how I will deal with it. And I have about a week and half to go... :cry:

I hate that my dentist can tell that I'm nervous or about to gag.

But I know I would be this way with all dentists, so I'm not planning on switching.

Being able to see my dental xrays on screen will frighten me and embarrassed me even further.

I hate seeing my x-rays. I know everything wrong with my teeth and that's just a horrible reminder of it all. I hate when my dentist shows me what is wrong with a tooth before doing the procedure - yes I know - just do what you need to do. :(

Thankfully - I've been very good with my dental upkeep. Not perfect - I have missed a few days - but I'm doing SOOOO much better than where I was 3 months ago. (There's hardly any blood when I floss, none when I brush, and just a tiny bit of pus between 1 or 2 teeth) Still.... :cry:
 
Pain and loss of control while experiencing that pain in chair. Just like in movies when they torture people by pulling teeth that is my fear. I had tooth with three roots pulled out and shoots didn't work so it was just like that. That is my nightmare.
 
The dental xray as well (holding that thing/film in your mouth) so uncomfortable, got a small mouth as well (so cannot carry 32 teeth, U think because of my mouth about 28 teeth including any wisdom teeth) but one good thing it shows up any problems.

The smells and sounds is up there for me as well. Lost of control, time, annoying the dentist.

The last filling I had my dentist had to give me two injections as she was unsure about my tooth (or probably wanted to make sure it was complete numb before removing the decay and filling it.

The last time I had a tooth removed was in 2007 which was a piece of cake (as I broke a piece of filling from this tooth on a piece of fish batter from the fish and chip shop) it was filled the next day, but was still causing me pain six months later so went to get it removed, maybe I should have got it crowned)

Walking out of the dentist without teeth, would prefer to go to one of these dental pratice same day

I have a disability as well so I get scared.

Having the dentist look in my mouth at each apppointment (this has been my dentist for the last three or four years) even though her assistant does not see all my mouth.

Something what goes wrong

My fear also is throwing up on the dentist (or biting down really really hard on the dentists fingers) and not letting go.
 
Do I have to chose just one biggest fear? I have so many.

My biggest fear is actually a procedure. My biggest fear is needing another root canal treatment or a re-treatment. I've have 4 root canals in my life. Never had a re-treatment, but dread the possibility. All of these procedures were traumatic and painful for me.

My other fears would be needing another extraction and/or implant. I hate needles. I'm terribly afraid of needles and pain. I'm afraid of losing control when I'm in the chair. I'm afraid of laying back in the chair because I get dizzy/light headed.

What don't I fear about the dentist?
 
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