Dental Work

[Seagreen]

Ive set myself so goals to improve the things I can control in my life. One of my biggest concerns is some overdue dental work that I have been putting off for a long time. I really, really dislike going to the dentist! There will be 3 appointments but once its all done I know i'll feel better. First appointment is next Saturday. At the moment the plan is just to "get through it". Is anyone else scared of going to the dentist?

 

[Seasounds]

Yes, yes! You certainly have company on this one. These are things that help me:

• I let the dentist know I'm the anxious type , and that the may want to give me extra time.
• I ask for a dentist who works well with anxious patients.
• I take an anti-anxiety medication prior to the appt.
• I take a friend.
• I ask the dentist to tell me each step they are doing.
• I raise my hand, if I can't talk, to have them stop, so I can communicate a need to them.

 

[Karen12]

Yes, I'm terrified of dentists and I just had some major work done a little while ago. Due to a small bone spur in my jaw I am very, very hard to numb (the spur blocks the main nerve so the needle can't get to it). I've been drilled on raw too many times to count. I always sit down with a new dentist and explain this up front but they rarely believe me until they try to numb me, lol.

I made sure to pick someone who would listen to me and go at my pace. I needed to know he would respond if I ask him to stop, wait, or slow down. Check Yelp and other web site reviews, that was how I chose my current dentist. It's a long drive to his office but it's very clean and relaxed with a very nice dentist. I get anxious lying on my back as you have to in dental procedure chairs. In this office I can get up and walk around whenever I need to. I usually only walk around while waiting for the numbing agent to work, but I like to know I can get up during the procedure if I need to.

I take a small stuffed animal with me to hold. It sounds silly but it definitely helps (there's another dentist office in town that keeps stuffed animals on hand and routinely offers them to kids and adults)! I also hold some kleenex in one hand in case I need to dab my eyes. Sometimes I listen to music on my phone with earbuds; most dentists don't mind this as long as you can still hear them speaking to you.

The staff there is cheerful and friendly and they don't make me feel weird for needing what I do.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Going to the dentist has been very hard for me, but I like the dentist I have now and everyone on the staff treats me very well and I am doing so much better now although for the fact that I had to have my teeth pulled, I had to be put out for that one.

I am rooting you on until the visits to the dentist ends for you. Hugs.

 

[Friday]

Yep. Major trauma stuff, there. I almost didn't click on the thread, because even thinking about it gets dicey. <grin> But being scared ticks me off, so I clicked on it.

Irony: I have several friends who are, in fact, dentists / orthodontists. It's like.. Seriously??? Not another one! (Bunch of adrenaline junkies, that field of medicine
Find a lot of ER docs out playing hard, too).

 

[shell]

I had never been nervous until recently, but had some major work in the chair that involved surgery and I couldn't stop shaking, while they were cutting away some bone. They were amazing and helped calm me, I am sure they see it all the time even though I had never reacted that way before.

Before I knew it I was finished, and while it was difficult they never made me feel bad about reacting so badly, I hadn't told them about my PTSD because I never reacted before, perhap in hind sight it might have helped them understand my very physical reaction, as they kept stopping because they thought I was in a huge amount of pain.

 

[Melp283]

I've got dental anxiety as well. I now go to a sedation dentist. Best. Decision. Ever.

 

[Neverthesame]

You are definitely not alone when it comes to dental anxiety. I can think of alot of unpleasant things I would happily endure, in lieu of going to the dentist. As other people have mentioned before, it is always good to find a dentist that is gentle with anxious patients. If possible, you may want to inquire about sedation.
Good luck. It will feel a million times better when it's over.

 

[Kefira]

Late to the party on this. I avoid dental work at all costs too, so I normally end up having to have a huge amount of work done after not going in for two or three years. I've also, unfortunately, had very bad experiences with dentists in the past. There are some good tip lists out there. Things that help me:

Bringing comfort items- weighted blanket/pad, stuffed toy, crystals or meditation counters
Music- anything to minimize how much of the noise I can hear
Having them work with the chair sitting or as close as possible to upright
Someone to take me there and home

Sedation is awesome, as mentioned above however I would make sure you talk to your dentist beforehand. The drugs don't knock you completely out and the last time I have work done one of the main memories I have is of the dentist pleading with me to stop moaning like they were hurting me. So probably a heads up that you have trauma issues would help anyway, but even more so if you're going to be drugged and out of it.