Has anyone had a serious phobia of going to the dentist and been cured?

Question

I have not been for over 25 years, and I know I need to go, but can't make myself make the appointment.

Answer 1

A lot of people are scared to go to the dentist. My advice would be to make an appointment for a new patient consultation and invite a friend to go with you. Make sure you let the scheduling person know you are not ready to start treatment at the first appointment. At a consultation appointment the doctor would take x-rays, chart your mouth(including filling, cavities, perio pockets etc) and may take models of your mouth. He would then present your "treatment plan". This would include restoring any teeth that need it (like with fillings, crowns, root canals etc) and probably a series of scaling and root planning appointments-"a deep cleaning". He would only talk to you about the actual treatment. You could tell him about your sever phobia. He may recommend nitrous(laughing gas), or a valium like prescription before appointments. There is such a thing as sedation dentistry where they can put you to sleep using IV sedation for treatment. The doctor needs to be specially trained for this, so most general dentists don't offer it. You will need to look around for this option. Be prepared for an extentive and costly treatment plan, and don't think twice about getting a second opinion. I hope you only need a simple cleaning and no fillings, but that would be rare after 25 years. Even though it seems overwhelming, just do it. There is a lot of new research that shows how important a healthy mouth is to a healty life. Lastly, don't be embarressed. You are not alone. It takes a lot of courage to get over a phobia. Good Luck!!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

You need to make an appointment with a dentist that offers Nitrous Oxide and/or some type of oral sedation medication. Let the receptionist know that you have a severe fear of the dentist. Request that you first come in for a consultation, for that way you will become a patient of record and they will prescribe the oral sedative it will be Valium or Ativan. They will probably want to schedule you for a cleaning after that where they can do a comprehensive oral exam to compose a treatment plan. If Nitrous and the sedation medication doesn't do the trick you may consider seeing a DDS that offers IV sedation, which is unconscious sedation similar to what they use for surgery. It's ok to be scared you are in the boat with alot of people. I work for a dentist and see plenty of patients just like you, you wouldn't believe it but sometimes they even leave smiling.

Answer 4

I am a dental assistant who has a phobia of going to the dentist.Silly, but true. So don't worry about that, you are definitely NOT alone. Usually if you speak to your dentist beforehand about your phobia, they will try to make the experience as easy as possible for you. Try possibly even setting up a consultation with the dentist that you choose to speak to I'm in person about your situation and also meet him and his staff, which might also make your visit a little more relaxed. Sometimes the dentist will use a gas or prescribe you to an anti-anxiety pill to calm your nerves a little also. Good luck!

Answer 5

Ask around your friends and family and find a dentist that is gentle. Have an initial consult visit with him or her to discuss your fears. A sedative could be prescribed for you to take before your visits as well as nitrous oxide being used during the visit. And don't worry, you're not alone... aside from dying, dentists are the next #1 fear. Good luck!

Answer 6

I used to be TERRIFIED of going to the dentist, because once a dentist did a filling without any Novocaine!!!! That hurt so bad I used to almost throw up when I had to go. Even when I knew it was only a cleaning! That was a long time ago, now I always make sure that I can't feel a thing before they start. When I go now, I just try to relax, and before you know it it's over. I don't really know how I got over it, I guess I just looked forward to that relief when it's over, and just made myself go.

Answer 7

Dental procedures have improved a lot in the past 25 years. Just let the dentist know of your phobia and I'm sure they will help you through it. Good Luck.

Answer 8

My wife is terrified of the dentist, almost passing out with fear. She get gassed for everything he has to do. Sounds crazy but the extra money for the gas saves a lot compared to not going at all. See if you can set an appt to talk with the dentist about your fear. Hopefully they will have some other suggestions and be compassionate about your phobia.

Answer 9

I had a HUGE fear and hadn't gone for over 20+ years...I have anxiety over going and a bad gag reflex due to nerves. I finally decided to go when I found out about sedation dentistry. I also found a great dentist who took the time with me to ease my anxieties I had. I decided to do sedation dentistry because I was "out" but could still follow commands from him...but not feel anything. I don't remember anything about the procedure and now I have my teeth clean and healthy again....Just finding a good dentist who is patient and will talk with you helps a lot. I now feel more confident to go back and will continue to go...I just may get laughing gas or something to calm my nerves.

Answer 10

Uh yeah, I had this problem but my dad is my dentist. Looking back I feel bad because he probably can't count all of the times I kicked him in the face or took the water and squirted him. To get over it just go and talk for a while with your dentist...tell him you're afraid and I guarantee it will make any procedure he does on you easier.