1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Anxiety Disorders

Dental dread

Posted , 3 users are following.

Fairy28
Fairy28

Health anxiety tipping me to the edge and now need three deep fillings and absoloutley dreading it - don't know how im even gonna get in the chair. Has anyone tried anything from the doctor to take the edge off the fear ? I need something or im not gonna get through this, the thought of even going to the doctor is bad enough - fear keeps me away. The clock is ticking and Friday is the day, if I leave it and cancel again im risking infection. Help please x

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann Fairy28

    Posted

    I was given sedatives for procedures when i was in throes of anxiety. No point suffering. A good experience can help you slowly build up more trust and confidence. I have, following medical therapy for my anxiety completely lost fear of dentists - a bonus!

    Are you in any sort of therapy?

    • Fairy28
      Fairy28 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Thank you , yes ive started counselling but it's early days yet so not really feeling that positive as the anxiety is still overpowering . It's very hard just to go to the doctors aswell, in fact I find it difficult sittin in the waiting room but im going to have too if I want help - viciou circle at the moment. So glad you've conquered your fear of the dentist, I wish I could. Thes things take time and it's not something you can rush it's finding ways to deal with it.

  • sstiles3
    sstiles3 Fairy28

    Posted

    Phone up your dentist and explain the situation.  Dentists spend time learning how to deal with anxiety and are used to anxious patients.  Would it make it easier if the dentist explained things completely beforehand and then during the treatment so you know exactly what will happen?  Would it make it easier if someone else was there with you? 

    Learning something like EFT can help to control anxiety as well.  It's something you can do yourself and you can learn it quite quickly.  There are some free resources online or you could visit a practitioner and they can tgo through a personal session with you.

    • Fairy28
      Fairy28 sstiles3

      Posted

      Thank you for that but no, having things explained to me would make me feel worse - I don't want to know anything. I would rather be knocked out and wake up when it's all over but for the procedures that have to be done you can't go to sleep for only extractions - in fact I would rather have them out just so that I could be unconscious - it's that bad. My dentist is straight faced and im sure he is loving the fact that I'm freaking out - I will have to face my doctor and get something to make me feel like I just don't care what happens, I will look up EFT thank you - I feel ive left it too late though , im just gonna up on in a frantic anxious mess unless I do something, God im dreading it I really am - can't sleep im a wreck.

  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 Fairy28

    Posted

    I can SO relate this! I use Xanax. One .025mg gets me through it. I dont use meds overall so it works.   I have such tmj too so the whole process stinks!  You are my twin in this area and i have had a lot of dental work the past year. Some put you into twilight if you want it. Of course i never  took that option either. Haha. Xanax works well. But i also get the aftershock of it all and have a week of worse tmj and feel like poop. Wow i seriously live this.the same things has happened with other doctors i have ailments and i think I hate doctors. I cant stand hearing diagnosis or about my own issues. Its not even denial i find it incredibly anxiety producing. I have had numerous surgeries in my time. Dont bow out. I have done that as well. I ditched a surgery last year and i infuriated a doctor that way. Had to get a new surgeon he was just way too angry at me.  I use doctors that understand me now. Took a bit to find them but i did. Same with dentist. My dentist told me she gets anxiety too so she understands. A lot of dentist actually understand its some surgeons that get really angry. I have eye issues and when i go there have been times i thought my head would just pop off and id be left on the floor i was so scared. They had to get some cart to hook me up to heart stuff on a couple of occasion because my bp soared so ..i was scared. So strange isnt it. Inhave since learned that will cause more body damage then whatever they wanted to do to me. So i have calmed down in that area a touch. And my own doctor and eye doctor agreed i can use a xanax if needed for these horrible moments. i just want to be healthy very badly. And i think i have had enough procedures and such for one lifetime. Suffering is not my thing lol. 

    How i even got thru some surgery last year is he didnt tell me. He said he would do it in parts. And when i got there he grabbed my hand and said ok lets do this and went for it. I agreed. No time for anticipatory anxiety at all. I was so happy with that i cant tell you. The buildup is horrific. 

    So for the dentist it has to be done. Very important for your health. Ask for a xanax and then 20 minutes later when it kicks in do the work you need to do. I am with you in spirit. You can do this.

    • Fairy28
      Fairy28 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Hi here and thanks for support . Im gonna have to make an appointment with my doctor tomorrow as times is running out, I feel very anxious about the whole thing I can't tell you - there's no way out of this unless I pull my own teeth out ! trust me ive been tempted to drink half a bottle of something and get drunk enough to feel no pain and get the pliers out - seriously, that's how bad it is - anything to avoid the obvious...... I was freaking out just sitting there while the dentist was loving telling me all the work I need done, Hes a poker faced pain inflictor im sure, or is that just the way I see him..... Nobody understands me and how scared I am, then anxiety takes over even more and I start worrying that what if my face never recovers from the needle numb and it stays like it forever - so then im thinking maybe I'll just not go and put up with the pain, the nerves will eventually die and then toothache will go yayyyy ! that's How my mind works, but then how will I smile with a mouth full of bad teeth - it's all so so horrid...... Like you ive had so many surgeries, one big one that was a five hour op and lots of little ones beforehand, lots of horrid internal exams and horrid gyne problems, been poked and prodded , scanned and procedures that have left me freaking out at the sight of anyone medical - my doctor looks at me like I'm totally weird , he frowns at me and swivels round in his chair, I can't stand him and have zero confidence in him...... trouble is he's my only option as he's the only doctor in our village practice so it makes him feel like a king - ive left it too late for any other options and thinking this will go away when it won't. ...... Reading my anxiety self help notes are not helping right now, im too stressed out - also it doesn't help that my hubby had a tooth extraction in hospital a few weeks ago which was supposed to be a safe place and ended back in there with an infection where his face blew up like a balloon and he was in agony, ended up with intravenous antibIotics etc, it's all such a nightmare - I hate teeth and all the problems that go with it, wish I could just go to sleep and wake up with a full shiny set of implants all done and no more dentists ever. God knows where this will end.

    • Fairy28
      Fairy28 lisalisa67

      Posted

      In fact I would rather have a baby than do this I really really would, and that's saying something my first baby weighed 10lbs - why oh why does it make us feel this bad - absoloute nightmare, I hate teeth.

    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann Fairy28

      Posted

      Teeth really suck LOL - nature was unkind when it made them anything less than self-cleaning unrotting things. We all agree. Ask for xanax....though i used to be given notable quantities of valium instead as I was very persistantly a wreck smile You can do this and will one way or another. With you in spirit too! <3

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.