severe dental anxiety, who else?

I'm sitting in the chair waiting for an extraction and nervous as E36 M3 . Unreasonably terrified really. I'm not really the type to be scared of things but I am of dentists

As a kid I was terrified. As an adult, I find myself falling asleep while they work on me.

Admittedly, the more intense the work you get done, the less terrified you become, because you've been there and done that. In my opinion.

Gee, thanks for the pic

It's a pain in the ass. 1-2hours sitting still is hard enough when I don't have my mouth yanked open. I'm not too keen on the idea of being put out every time I need dental work, but it would certainly make the experience more bearable.

My teeth, despite being in good shape are pretty jacked up from wisdom teeth that came in all funny after I refused that surgery.

No tooth aches, no sensitivity.

I wish they'd knock me out

Start asking for mild sedation before you get dental work done. It might cost you $50 but to be relaxed for your proceedure rather than tense and stressed it seems like a good price.

I found that my legs were shakey and weak after getting dental work done. I examined what was going on and realized that my quads were locked up the whole time in the chair due to the stress of the moment. Consiously relaxing helped a lot. Also I request no epinephrin when possible, it makes your heart race and raises anxiety levels.

Good luck!

I was scared of the dentist and didn't go for 8 years. Want to see a pic of my teeth?

I have one tooth without a filling. It is a wisdom tooth. I had to make a run on Thursday because a hole in one got bigger. We filled it along with two others.

My doctor does a great job and I'm not scared anymore. That is good because my teeth are weak and I'll continue to see him regularly.

I have 3 extractions to get done today. Been in the chair an hour and one is done. And it didn't get numb.

TIL: you can lose teeth without them causing any pain. The nerves in the teeth actually retreat as the tooth decays, to the point that tooth falls out with no nerve connections. In cases like this you're actually more likely to be in pain from the infection of the root resulting from the abscess if you don't see a dentist after losing that tooth.

My biggest issue with Dentists is that I felt that every SINGLE time I went to the dentist (twice a year as a kid) that they'd find cavities that required being filled. Every time. It didn't matter how much I brushed, flossed, etc., they'd find a cavity. I thought to myself, my grandmother ate tons of sugar, had minimal dental work, and had her teeth in her 90's. Did she get cavities filled as a kid? Doubt it.

I have to have mild sedatives for tooth work. I have crohnes disease and the last thing anybody wants is me getting tense and then having to run for the toilet in the middle of working on my mouth

ryanty22 wrote: I have 3 extractions to get done today. Been in the chair an hour and one is done. And it didn't get numb.

And you're still cognizant? You've got nothing to worry about. You got this!

Extractions are my least favorite.

I've drank Mountain Dew (or diet dew) nearly every day of my adult life. I have one filling at age 43, and I wasn't sedated or given a shot to do the dental work. One tooth was cracked using my teeth as pliers, but other than that injection, I absolutely love visiting my dentist.

My son is almost 3, and going for his second checkup next week. Start them young, and hope he doesn't get anxious.

Me too....I have this illogical fear that dentists were all trained by the Viet Cong or Dr. Mengele just to cause you as much pain as possible My wife finds it hilarious that I can almost chop off a finger and not care or get stitches with no problem but when it comes to dentists, EEEEKKKKKK

Fobroader wrote: Me too....I have this illogical fear that dentists were all trained by the Viet Cong or Dr. Mengele just to cause you as much pain as possible My wife finds it hilarious that I can almost chop off a finger and not care or get stitches with no problem but when it comes to dentists, EEEEKKKKKK

This is me to a T. They pulled 2 of 3 and told me I'd need to come back for the 3rd taking valium before the appt. Especially seeing how hard they had to work for the second. Was numbed 4 separate times and still felt like a knife in the bottom of my jaw.

So I'm not the only one. (Like heart-pounding fear even thinking about them.) Navy dentists in boot camp didn't help my fears either.

Jerry wrote: So I'm not the only one. (Like heart-pounding fear even thinking about them.) Navy dentists in boot camp didn't help my fears either.

No, the "dentists" I saw while I was in the Air Force certainly didnt help my phobia......"your gums are bleeding when I stab them with this metal spike"..Thanks Doc.....

I am glad that going to the dentist is usually only ever six months or so..

By accident I once found myself in the chair of a pediatric dentist. A most remarkable experience. Starting with the mirror he handed me. I could watch what he was doing! That was not only fascinating, but calming. He also talked me through the whole procedure, explaining everything as we progressed.

I'd suggest asking for a mirror, and to have the dentist talk to you. My dentist enjoys this, and has fun with a curious patient, as do the lab techs. If your dentist can't handle that notion, use a different dentist who does.

92dxman wrote: I am glad that going to the dentist is usually only ever six YEARS or so..

fixed that for you

My kids are making fun of me because I can't talk right now. Little bastards eventhe 4 yr old is picking on me

I had a lot of dental work done at a dental school. Since they were doing clinicals, the advantage was that I also got to learn quite a bit about what they were doing and what to expect. That put my mind at ease, because there was no surprise factor. While some of that work needs to be reworked after a decade, at least I know what it entails.

As a big bonus, the bill was less than a tenth of what a regular dentist would have charged.

Derick Freese wrote: I had a lot of dental work done at a dental school. Since they were doing clinicals, the advantage was that I also got to learn quite a bit about what they were doing and what to expect. That put my mind at ease, because there was no surprise factor. While some of that work needs to be reworked after a decade, at least I know what it entails. As a big bonus, the bill was less than a tenth of what a regular dentist would have charged.

The thought of seeing one who has a successful practice pretty much terrifies me let alone students we Ho don't have years of practice. You're either a sadist or insane.

ryanty22 wrote:

Derick Freese wrote: I had a lot of dental work done at a dental school. Since they were doing clinicals, the advantage was that I also got to learn quite a bit about what they were doing and what to expect. That put my mind at ease, because there was no surprise factor. While some of that work needs to be reworked after a decade, at least I know what it entails. As a big bonus, the bill was less than a tenth of what a regular dentist would have charged.

The thought of seeing one who has a successful practice pretty much terrifies me let alone students who don't have years of practice. You're either a MASOCHIST or insane.

FTFY