Must go to the Dentist

Umm idk how dentists check teeth over there, but over here, for regular checkups, they put these strips in your mouth. You bite them, then they put this machine over your face. I think it emits X-rays. Then somehow a picture of your teeth is taken. It's a very simple procedure. Then they just clean your teeth.

And at the end, my dentist tells me whether there are problems with my teeth based on the X-ray pictures. Half a year to a year later, I come back and do it all over again.

I'm assuming you're just visiting for a regular checkup, which if similar to how it's done over here, is not terrifying at all. If not, then I wouldn't get too stressed either. It's better for you to get checked for whatever reason, so that the dentist can catch any problems with your teeth/gums (if any) before they become worse.

 

Have you asked about pre-sedation? The doctor can write you a prescription for Lorazepam or Haldol to help with the anxiety. You can always bring a friend or family member with you for support. Check to see if you can play music while getting it done. You can always tell the person cleaning your teeth to take it slow, and you can tell them to stop early if you need to.

 

Let the dentist know you are nervous, they have seen it all before! And really you have nothing to worry about, the dentist doesn't want to hurt you. I assume you have a problem that your going about? Remember, your dentist can help you avoid a lot of pain in the future.

 

I wish I had an answer for you, Vodkabaret. I "cope" with my phobia by avoiding the dentist, and I know I need to stop that. Thing is, I'm terrified of having laughing gas or any of that stuff because I'm afraid of what I'd say. Last thing I need is to come out to my dentist before my family, ha!

Do you have something you could bring to help distract you? MP3 player? Phone? Hand-held gaming device (that's my inner geek talking)? And yes, the picture you chose to represent your question resonates with me, too.

May your visit to the dentist be as easy as possible!

 

It might be worthwhile asking friends for recommendations, and trying out a couple of different dentists with routine exams before letting someone do something drastic.

As in any relationship where people are dealing intimately with your body, trust and communication make a big difference. I found a dentist I can trust, and although I still tense up, it really it helps a lot. She always explains what she's going to do, tells me what she's doing while she's working, and gives me choices. I trust her so much I even let her drill without anesthesia in certain circumstances. I know she'll stop if I change my mind.

I actually find the gynecologist much worse. Ugh.

 

In addition, I believe some beta blockers can be prescribed for one time use as a means of inducing bradycardia, i.e. slow heart rate, and thus relieving anxiety.

 

I used to cope by avoiding the dentist. This led to some major problems with my teeth, and LOTS of dental work (none of which I was sedated for). In the end, if you can find a decent dentist, it's not all that bad. Mine would stop when I told her to (she mentioned that I have extremely sensitive teeth), and one time for a filling I just would not permit her to continue. She aborted the entire procedure, didn't charge me a dime for it (it went to my insurance as an emergency dental procedure or something, which there's no charge for), and said "come back next week, we're going to try this a different way". She did exactly as promised, and this other way there was no pain or discomfort at all. She did a root canal as well on another tooth, again, maybe some slight discomfort during the procedure, but none after either session (it's done split into two appointments, at least that's how mine did it. Then there's the crown and stuff - all in all about 5 appointments for a root canal and full restoration)

In fact, I'm going to the dentist again in a few weeks. It's not anything to be incredibly concerned about, IF you have a GOOD dentist. I had no idea how much difference that makes,

 

google "painless dentistry" and see if you can find a listing in your area

 

Just be sure to tell your dentist that you have a high fear of dentists and a very low tolerance for pain. They don't want to have to deal with a patient who is all tenses up or jumping around in the chair. I told my dentist that, and they gave me enough injections in my head to numb a horse. Of course, I would rather find a dentist who does the little pill painless dentistry thing. Maybe next time I'm due, I'll look for one of those.

 

From what I know, wisdom teeth can only be removed by a suregon. There's a whole procedure, and most of the time, it's done under full anesthesia. Most people get them removed when they're teenagers, but it can still be done later. You'll be a bit swollen and sore after the operation, but it should heal quite fast. If you're not certain of what your dentist has said, you should go get a second opinion. But if it's for wisdom teeth, I doubt your previous dentist will remove them. And if you look up the procedure, you'll understand why it has to be done by a surgeon.

 

I would say the surgeon, but you should do what you feel is the right thing (sorry, that sounded weird/cheesy, but it's true :/)

 

Wisdom teeth can be pulled by a dentist, it depends on how they grew in. I had two of mine pulled when I was 19.

If they're impacted, then they need to be cut out, and that's something a surgeon has to do. If you trust your old dentist more, you can ask him, but chances are he'll send you to a surgeon, too.

 

I don't want to be rude, but you have to face your fears because eventually the problems will increase and than you are forced to go, so either way you have to go. It's better for you to go today than tomorrow and you will be relieved when its over.

 

I had a couple of wisdom teeth extracted by an incompetent idiot who actually had to leave part of the teeth in as he couldn't get them out. When I finally went to a real oral surgeon who was unbelievably skilled (he froze me with two syringes simultaneously), he also had to break the tooth in pieces because part of the teeth had fused to the bone. Lots of grinding and sounds like steel splitting but in the end I was all sown up and in pain for about 3 days after.

It went well, and the pain was managed with analgesics.

 

No, it wasn't necessary, the oral surgeon did a great job (the pain did last a while though, it was a huge job).