How do you deal with extreme Dentist phobias?

Ths is really bad but because of my dentist phobia I haven’t been for over three years! I am so scared of the dentist that even a check up is enough to have me in floods of tears and I have also been known to throw up or have a panic attack before an appoinment. What makes this stranger is that I am really paranoid about the health of my teeth and I am constantly cleaning them (which I have recently found out is not all that good for them!). Unfortunately I have no advice for you because I have yet to get over my own phobia but rest assured you are not alone!

Pop in a video of ‘Marathon Man’.

Some dentists will prescribe an anti-anxiety medication, such as Xanax, to take just before your appointments.
Also, if you can afford it since most insurance doesn’t pay for it, and have someone who can drive you, you might want to find a dentist who does sedation denistry. They “twilight” you so you’re not all the way out but you don’t remember anything.

Thanks for the support Leanne, i have had teeth pulled before but was always put under because i really can’t deal with it. Today is another story, i am just getting a local and will be awake for the experience, one which i am already nervous about.

Having a “stress ball” to squeeze may also help :)

I have a 10Mg Xanax sitting here in front of me, i will be taking it an hour before my visit, last time i went to him i had a molar pulled and had some Laughing Gas, it did the job, but i don’t think he did the local right, when he gave me the third shot in the roof/pallet of my mouth it hurt and continued to hurt for weeks after, it hurt more than getting the tooth pulled. Doesn’t help that i don’t like needles either…

my mom was smacked by her dentist as a child and had severe fears of dentists from then on out until a few years ago when she found one who was comfortable with. maybe if you talked to the dentist and let them know you have certain phobias they will work with you and try to make you feel better about it. that is if he or she is a good dentist and not a jerk-face.

@bright_eyes00 smacked by a dentist? That’s horrible. Why?

Take your iPod too. My dentist will give me a Valium. I am supposed to take one the night before to get some sleep and then take one an hour before the appointment. He also tells me to take 800 MG of Motrin before I come in so the shots will hurt less.

Thanks for all the reply’s, i have to leave here at 2:00PM Est time, and i am still not to thrilled about going. The most important thing to me at this point is just getting the tooth out, it’s caused a lot of pain in the last couple of days, iPod is a good idea…..

Ask if you can get the gas. I require it. I am in googoo-gagga land while on the gas. I fucking hate hate needles and with a bit of gas I don’t even notice them shooting me up. iPod helps too. I watched a few episodes of The Office during my last trip to the dentist.

I don’t mind the shots, but the noise the drill makes is aural torture.

like the others said, have them prescribe .5 ativan or valium 1 hour before your appointment – really takes the edge off

John, i had the old gas before and it did help, but it did not help the pain from the shot, i may ask him this time if he can use more numbing gel or something..

No need to ask for the sedative really as i already acquired one from a family member, it’s a 10mg xanax so it should do the job, trails you kind of hit the nail on the head, it’s more the anticipation of going than it is anything, never took a sedative before hand so maybe it will help!

I take a painkiller or anti-anxiety before hand.

Sounds like you have it pretty much under control.

For the future, you might consider a different dentist, one that is specifically a “pain free” practitioner.

There is a dentist in my area who advertises specifically to people who are afraid of the dentist. I don’t know how big a town you live in, but maybe there is a similar practitioner near you. A lot of people share your fears.

You know Darwin, out of all the reading i done on this subject, i found that finding the right dentist that actually practices the right techniques is what would fix my problem. Ever since i had that bad experience with the shot in the roof of my mouth by him it’s been worse. I also read that a traumatic event while being at the dentist can cause this. For example i had dry socket one time and if anyone has ever had that then they know it’s one of the worse things to deal with. I had to go get it packed with gauze and the pain was so bad i nearly fainted…

You gotta remember 90% of the time i have went for extractions, i been put under which was really easy for me. The last time i went to have one pulled i had the Gas and it helped but that was also the time that shot in the roof of my mouth was done and that’s what really has me nervous, maybe i will just talk to him about it and let him know what happened last time, the tooth has to come out today, i can’t take the pain any longer.

YES! I had a lot of trauma with bad dentists. My current dentist is also a personal friend and it makes a big difference when you can communicate with the person. Let him know your fears and why. It really helps.

@OutOfTheBlue Make sure you don’t eat/drink anything (other than taking the Xanax with the tiniest sip of water possible) just in case, after you speak with your dentist, the dentist is willing to put you out. The dentist won’t have that option if you have food or liquids in your stomach.

@BraveWarrior I understand the procedures of going under as i have done it in the past, but unfortunately this time, i am braving it with just a local because around here it cost no less than 275$ for them to put you under and i just can not afford it right now, thanks for helping though, just talking about it is helping. When that xanax hit’s ill be in lalal land lol.

Do lots of drugs (prescription ones) and reward yourself after. Get yourself a few iTunes or a new jacket you’ve been wanting. And you can have ice cream! Bribe yourself. It’s not just for kids anymore.

@ubersiren LMFAO!!! Such great advice!!!

I was that way, scared to death of the dentist. I interviewed a few when I was planning to have some mjor dental work done last month..
I found one about 30 minutes from home that really made me feel comfortable. He explained and told me what was what. I took a valium since I was scared, but once in the chair (it was massaging) and had my Ipod going, I really didn’t even feel the shots. He put some gel on first that stopped the shot pain.

I realize now that knowing what is going to happen, and feeling totally comfortable with the dentist, made it easier. I have another appt and don’t think I’ll even take the valium, I was that comfortable with him.

Years ago I was deathy afraid of the dentist and had nightmares that he was going to hurt me on purpose since he knew I was scared. That kept me from going to the dentist for years! I just finally had to make the effort to find the right one no matter what. Lucky I finally did!

Good luck today!

@Skippy Thanks, god knows i need it! The reason the shot hurt so bad last time is because i personally don’t think he used enough topical, i could be wrong though, i dunno im feeling better now that i have been talking to all you fine folks about it! now because of ubersiren i feel the need to spoil myself today :)

Thanks again everyone!

@OutOfTheBlue ; He probably hit a nerve last time. My childhood dentist was a sadist. I think he AIMED for the nerve!

@Judi He may very well have, i read some where that they actually practice certain techniques while in school to avoid painful locals and that many of them do not continue to practice this once they graduate and move on. It was in the roof of my mouth and the nurse said it hurt because the skin is so tight in that area, several people have told me it still should not have hurt. It wound up hurting for about 2 weeks after the extraction.

I also have extreme dental phobia. Then later in life this developed to all medical care, fabulous huh? My heart rate goes up dramatically and thus my blood pressure as well. At the dentist I have been so nervous they have asked me to come back after taking an anxiety pill (that they gave me) just to clean my freaking teeth.

Some things that work for me:
1. Keep your eyes open but look past the dentist to a spot on the wall. When you close your eyes your ears become more sensitive to the sounds that are going on. When they are open the sounds won’t be as horrifying.
2. Breathing Techniques. Deep breathing in particular.
3. Using Nitrous or other anxiety medicine before/at the dentist. I just tell them how nervous I am and they can clearly see I’m telling the truth. Most dentists have been willing to work with me.

Well im off to see the Devil, thanks everyone for the help!

@OutOfTheBlue Let us know how it goes! And enjoy an extra scoop of ice cream for me! ;)

Seriously, wishing you luck.

We have a local dentist especially for people who are scared of it. Right when you walk in he puts you to sleep, even if it’s just getting your teeth cleaned.

Woohoo! I was a big boy today!! LMAO! It wasn’t near as bad as i thought it was going to be but i am thinking the Xanax helped a lot. The frigging shot in the roof of my mouth hurt like hell though and he said there was nothing he can do about that.

Glad you survived. Now go get that ice cream.

YEAH!!!!!!! I’m glad it was easier than you expected. Next time make it a bottom tooth, OK?

@Judi LMAO! I think you are correct, it wouldn’t really take a shot in the palate to extract a bottom tooth although i have read that numbing the bottom jaw is harder due to a thicker bone density and the nerves being located deeper in the gum/bone so it just takes a few more shots to get numb where as the upper jaw most of the nerves are located near the surface of the gum and jaw, funny thing is i read on several MD sites, that there are ways for a palate shot to not be uncomfortable, his reasoning was some people have sort of a padding up there and some do not.

So here’s my thing, for the people who do not know what a “topical” is, it’s when he put’s a numbing gel on a swab and swabs the area making it numb for the “Local” which is the shot with the ever so scary needle.

Well once the topical is done, shouldn’t he let it sit for at least 5 or 10 minutes giving it a bit of time to work? Should he be firing the local in right after the swab? I know i am not a dentist and all but 90% of the people i have spoken to said it did not hurt and it shouldn’t hurt if done properly.

o0o well doesn’t matter now that its over, i really want to thank you guys for the support today, it truly helped!

@OutOfTheBlue Glad you made it out alive. I cannot get teeth pulled unless completely knocked out, no matter the cost lol. Top teeth are much better at healing, and less chance of a dry socket. Good luck!

@casheroo Thanks a lot, and yes i made it out alive, and didn’t even see horns growing out of my dentist’s head LMAO!! I usually get knocked out but couldn’t afford it this time and with no insurance it would have been expensive…

Now the dry socket thing i think i have figured out, ABSOLUTELY NO STRAWS!! I am a smoker (i know disgusting but im trying to quit) and i have found a method for smoking after getting a tooth pulled, it worked last time so i think i will be ok!

@OutOfTheBlue Ya the xanax can help quite a bit. There is something however they can do about shot pain. And that is practice. When you have a good dentist the shot pain is always significantly less than with others. Just like people who take blood without hurting you vs. those who leave a big bruise.

@RedPowerLady I totally agree, i will be looking for a new dentist next time, this time it had to be done and right away, the pain was unbearable! All is well now though! To be honest i don’t even need the pain killers, the pain left from the extraction is very minimal..

@Leanne1986 i have no idea, i guess the guy was bad with kids who squirmed so he would smack them on the face (not full blown back handing) but smacking cheeks or pinching and stuff. really scarred my mom and a couple of my uncles.

@OutOfTheBlue Glad all is well and the pain is gone :)