Fear and embarrassment of going to the dentist.....????

when I was 14 I had the worst dentist experience in my life. I got cuts inside my mouth and bruises on my cheeks from the dentist. I am now 22 and have not been to the dentist for work since. I had a dentist check up last year in March (my first since I was 14!) and I had 10 small cavities and one of my fillings cracked my tooth and another filling fell out. So I know I need 2 root canals and cavities filled. Plus I need root scaling done on all quadrants of my mouth. When I was younger I know I wasn't up to par on taking care of my teeth. (ex: forgetting to brush before I went to sleep or not flossing everyday) but I take good care of my teeth now but the damage is already done. The thing is, I have made 5 dentist appts. in the last month and canceled them all! I am terrified of the dentist. When I call to make the appt. I am shaky and my eyes get teary. My teeth are now starting to bother me and I want to get them fixed but I am scared and embarrassed at what the dentist will say...

Fear and embarrassment of going to the dentist.....????
go get it fixed before it gets worse.





theyve seen it ALL before.
Reply:why?just be strong to do everything
Reply:Yes
Reply:Have a friend call and make you go there. 10 cavities is A LOT.
Reply:go to the dentist. cuts can heal, but teeth will need major surgery and that means pain and no solids. you NEED to go. just tell them not to cut you, and why you cancel and tell them about your experiences. a nice doctor will be gentle and nice and understanding.
Reply:If I were you I would go to the dentist and have them fix it you have to listen to them to prevent the damage from getting more severe and then losing your teeth. You want nice teeth dont you? There is really nothing to be scared of..I was like that too but I had overcome it. I had many cavities well I believe 10 and i never felt pain when they fixed it. So whatever the dentis tell you just listen to them and remain calm dont go and have a panic attack . Im sure youll do fine.
Reply:It is probably better to be brave and go and get it fixed before it gets even worse.





Would you rather spend some time at the dentist getting your teeth fixed or having to live with the cavities for the rest of your life?





You don't have to worry about anything, the dentists will be nice to you, and if it does get to much and you can't take it, i'm sure if you put up your hand to stop them they will let you sit up and just calm down a bit. Its what you want, you have the power to tell them to stop.





Everything will be fine.
Reply:I am extremely afraid of dentist i cry just calling the office, so I know how you feel. call around make sure you find a dentist that is good at working on a person afraid of dentist. then explain your fear they can give you a pill before you go in to calm you down. I have even went to a dentist and had nothing done more then meet him and make sure he knew my fear second have a friend make the appoinment and take you denist do not care if you bring someone. Have the work you feel the easiest to handle done first. The night before you go get a good nights sleep if you can and bring music to listen to while you are there then while you are waiting you do not have to listen to the noises that make it more freaky. I waited to long once due to fear and what would have been a simple fix turned into a nightmare because i let to much damage be done and you know what the dentist said nothing other then he hoped that it had been a better experince and i would come back and get more work done he is now my dentist :)
Reply:I'm not surprised you have a fear of dentists, it sounds like your old dentist was just plain incompetent!





Go to your new dentist and explain that you have a phobia; it's very common and he or she will be able to advise you.


I think you should make a phone call, say that you have a phobia and ask for just a check-up and then to have treatment the next day - or even later the same day if possible.





Come to think of it, it might help your nerves if you go there in person so you can get used to the sight and smell of the place.





Explain that you are in urgent need of treatment and that you NEED to have all the work done quickly - if you are paying for private treatment (I assume you're in the USA) then you should be able to get the appointments when you want them - don't let them fob you off with "oh, umm... yes I think we can fit you in sometime in September and the next after that will be Mid-October". When you are paying for a service, insist on GOOD service!





It's much easier to go to the dentist again if you have been recently because you'll have gotten over the fear of it, but the anxiety may return if you leave it for weeks and months so arrange to have treatment all done in as small a time-frame as possible.





It's extremely important that you get your teeth sorted RIGHT NOW, you are already suffering from necrotized (rotting) roots


and the problem is going to get much worse if you don't get treatment. At the moment you stand a pretty good chance of not losing any teeth, but 5 years from now you could lose half of them - just like that, all gone.





I think you already know what the dentist will say; he or she will just say "okay, you'll need root canal treatment on this tooth and this tooth".... And that's about it. Your dentist isn't going to give you some kind of withering stare like you're a shoplifter or something. It's just a job they do every day and they've seen it all a hundred times before.





If you feel embarrassed, brush your teeth and use mouthwash before you go (and lay off the garlic); having minty fresh breath should make you feel a little better.
Reply:dont be scared!!! is it u dont feel comfortable with ur dentist??? my dentist is the best she is female very sweet.. not psycho!!
Reply:My dentist knows i have dental phobia, and fear of the needle and was tied the chair at age 2. i take my stuffed animal in with me, ask the asst. to hold my hand, and tell the dentist i am a huge baby, i take an eye sleep mask and put it on so i don't see the things going in and out of my mouth.





i DO have the DENTIST perscribe pain meds, and xanax or valium to calm me down. once i'm in the chair and numbed up i'm fine.





I have had 3 wonderful dentists, all give me anti-anxity meds, and pain pills and call me a cab or make sure i have a ride.





Many dentist have the GAS!! woowho!! that is so fun, who cares, let them do anything. So you have many options.





i always have a taxi same driver pick me up and or a friend take me to the dentist and someone give me a ride home. I just won't go otherwise.





your fears are real.


thank god there are drugs and good ones out there to help you thur this horrid time in your life.


I even went to a children's dentist.





i listen to headset, music,, ear plugs, sleep mask, bring in my favorite relaxing jasmine perfume, anything it takes to help me be calm, do bring a pillow to support your neck and breathe.





the dentist i went to last week, had me do a meditation with her to help relieve my fear and stress.





good luck, get a driver, and meds, friends, pharmacy and dentists who perscribe meds want you to be comfortable, believe me, we all are big babies, and afraid, some of these answers the people have lied!





i have cried in the chair, refused to open my mouth, but now i have meds, and am proud to go head bowed and get the much needed work.





i wish u the best of luck!!!


i finish root canal number 1 tuesday and deep root cleanning after that. more drugs please!!
Reply:The problem is not going to go away. You need to go the Dentist and get over these fears. I do not recommend the same dentist, obviously. There are allot of real professionals out there that will take care of you.


After the shot the rest is a piece of cake. If you do not doing anything your going to be in so much pain from tooth decay that you would do anything. Get in and see what can be fixed.
Reply:They have sedation dentistry...it is perfectly safe and you will get a good nap too! You should consider this. When you make your appointment (even to a regular dentist) tell them how nervous you are and you may need some extra time....when you get there they will talk you thru it and be extra nice. Don't be embarrassed, you can think that your teeth are really bad but, if you knew how many terrible mouths that they have looked in on one day you wouldn't feel bad. More people come in with really bad teeth than the people that have good teeth because they don't need work done. Also you may want to start really small like just having one filling. It will help you build your confidence in the dentist and see that its not that bad. I know you don't want to hear this but if you don't start taking care of your teeth by getting them fixed you will eventually lose them......Good Luck and remember you can do it!
Reply:I only remember my parents taking me to the dentist when a tooth was bothering me. Well by that time it's to late for an easy solution like a filling. I would end up needing root canals'. Now, as an adult I have acquired a great anxiety of going to the dentist. So, to build my courage I looked up pics of tooth decay... and boy did I get the courage to make an appt. And when I was done I felt a great sense of relief. Although, I need 2 crowns and ALL wisdom teeth surgically removed. P.S. I had my kids look at the pics too, they went running for their toothbrushes and floss.