Teeth fillings dentist phobia... O_O

[Lace Neil Singer]

I have recently been to the dentist for a checkup. The following things happened there:

1. The back wisdom tooth I have which broke in half is fine to leave where it is as it is not infected. That's GOOD cuz there is no way that I'm having it removed. It would scare me half to death to have that big an operation.

2. I have dentist phobia. This meant that the appointment took twice as long as it ought to so therefore I had no choice but to book another appointment to get the problem teeth I have dealt with.

3. I have a chip off the inside of one tooth and a filling in another. Both need filling up. Cuz the filling has some decay in it, they need cleaning first, which means a needle. Guess what, I have needlephobia too. -.-

Which means I am going to have a long appointment which will consist of hyperventaliation, panicking, and hopefully, getting my teeth fixed. On the plus side tho, I found out that I qualify for free dental treatment.

[KiaKat]

See if they're willing to give you an anti-anxiety med before the appointment?

[PepperElf]

You may want to ask your dentist about other options too.

i know for my Mom the dentist recommended an alternative to regular novocain because of her panic attacks (mom can't stand not being able to breathe) and she said it helped reduce her stress in the chair. (IIRC the regular stuff has Epinephrine in it, which can increase anxiety etc.)

[fireheart]

See if your dentist does sleep dentistry or something along those lines.

What I used to cope when I get fillings (and now just standard appointments) is I take in my iPod or other music device and just have music going while they're playing around in there. It doesn't help when you're getting teeth removed though!

[AnaKhouri]

My son's dentists administers nitrous oxide before doing any dental work that involves needles. I think some dentists do it for adults too. Works like a charm, at least on 3-year-olds.

[BookstoreEscapee]

(IIRC the regular stuff has Epinephrine in it, which can increase anxiety etc.)

Never heard of that. I've had a number of fillings and I get anxious but only once have I had a full-on panic attack (I was about 18 and luckily my mom was with me becuase I'm not sure I could have driven home). Never thought the shot might be a contributing factor.

What I used to cope when I get fillings (and now just standard appointments) is I take in my iPod or other music device and just have music going while they're playing around in there. It doesn't help when you're getting teeth removed though!

My dentist's office has TVs in most of the rooms and they give you the remote if you want it.

I've had several teeth pulled (my jaw is not big enough and I had to have 4 premolars pulled before I could get my braces, then later had to get my wisdom teeth out before I could ditch the retainers; I also had baby teeth pulled a couple times for whatever reasons I don't remember) and have been knocked out every time. I can not imagine being awake for that.

See if there is anyone that does sedation dentistry, or see if you can get an anti-anxiety med like xanax (if not from the dentist from a regular doc). Xanax kicks in in about 15 minutes; it won't sedate you but it'll help take the edge off.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'll try that; I'd prefer to self medicate myself if at all possible. The dentist I go to is very good at stopping stuff and calming me down, which is why my appointments always take a long time. There's always a radio going which helps a lot. My appointment is not next Monday but the Monday after; I couldn't have it next Monday cuz I'm working overtime.

[PepperElf]

yeah i'd never heard of it either until Mom came home from the dentist and told us about it. It was the first time she'd never had to raise her hand to say "i need to breathe"

Plus, if anything the alternative stuff was better for her anyway since she has a heart condition


Radios music: oddly enough, one time at the dentist the radio was on, playing Iz's version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow/what a wonderful world" which really relaxed me. so a couple of times i've popped that on, or played it in my head.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm also glad I won't be presented with a giant bill afterwards; I put off going to the dentist before cuz I was worried about the cost but my mum found out that cuz I get tax credits that means I'm entitled to free treatment.

[MoonCat]

I can relate. I've had to have a lot of work done on my teeth, and while they are looking really good now, there's more he wants to do. I have an impacted wisdom tooth which is NOT bothering me, but he says it affects the rest of them and should be removed. For this, he says I need to go to an oral surgeon; the thought of that is stressing me out, both for the cost and for the idea of dental surgery. He also wants to pull another tooth that is not in good shape, which also is not bothering me YET. I still owe him a large chunk of money so all this will have to wait.

It's good that your dentist understands about your anxiety. Mine is cool that way, too. I just have to really make myself relax, release the tension in my body by taking slow deep breaths, and think about good things while he's working.

[KhirasHY]

I'm generally pretty bad at the dentist as well, but the last few times I've gone, I've taken my phone and had it play music the whole time...the most relaxing things I could find, in fact. I didn't think it would work, but one of my visits I actually fell asleep on the damn chair, so I'd say it had a decent success ratio

[MaggieTheCat]

For what it's worth, not all extractions, even wisdom teeth extractions, are big operations. Mine came in perfectly straight but they were so far back that I couldn't keep them properly clean and the options were either extraction or lots of fillings (and probably extraction at a later date when they were too far gone. Plus one of them was broken as well.) They did not knock me out for it. They numbed my gums with a topical gel first, then injected a local numbing agent, then pulled...the whole thing took...maybe 30 minutes? And most of that was just waiting for the numbing agent to kick in. The actual extractions took less than 5.

Hope everything goes well for you at your next appointment.

Edit to add: Okay...the broken wisdom tooth did take a little longer to extract...like 10-15 minutes, because it was all busted. I had that extraction done at a different time than the others so I forgot it took a little longer.

[Teefies2]

I'm sorry to threadjack, but I need some advice in the dental area:

My son, who is 19, refuses to go to the dentist. His reason is that he never has any cavities (yay him!) so he doesn't see the need. However, his wisdom teeth have come in and, while they don't bother him, they are pushing his other teeth forward, so that now all his teeth are crooked. As he says, it's not life-threatening, but I would like to see him get it fixed.

Any suggestions on how to get this guy to the dentist, keeping in mind that he doesn't like "Mom" to tell him what to do? Thanks!

[Food Lady]

Fillings are the easiest for me because I know that they are the simplest procedure, and that helps me mentally. Extractions are somewhat uncomfortable for me, but that's because I have extra tooth roots. For most people, it's easier to go through than it is for me. I'm out of the ordinary. I've had a root canal and while it's loooong, it's not painful. It's not horrific. It's more tedious than anything because it's a longer procedure. Maybe it would help to focus on the fact that there's no pain involved, and they can stop anytime if you need them to. I hope I don't read as insensitive or trite. I guess what I'm advising is to try to let logic override your emotions. It's the only thing that helps me.

[KatherineB]

I'm sorry to threadjack, but I need some advice in the dental area:

My son, who is 19, refuses to go to the dentist. His reason is that he never has any cavities (yay him!) so he doesn't see the need. However, his wisdom teeth have come in and, while they don't bother him, they are pushing his other teeth forward, so that now all his teeth are crooked. As he says, it's not life-threatening, but I would like to see him get it fixed.

Any suggestions on how to get this guy to the dentist, keeping in mind that he doesn't like "Mom" to tell him what to do? Thanks!

Wait until someone he has a crush on tells him they like every part of him except that?