Dentist fears

[adamb100]

I have to see a dentist today about a cracked tooth. The dentist is my biggest fear though. Any tips to countering this so I can walk out of the dentist still living?

[thebruce44]

Ask for tons of gas.

[1992casey]

Just keep telling yourself that visiting the dentist is a lot less painful than not visiting the dentist.

[hawing]

Be up-front with your dentist about it, or even the reception staff when you call for an appointment. It's such a common fear that no one in dentistry should be surprised or offended by it, and they can then proceed in a way that takes your fear into account and hopefully eases it.

 

If you don't like the way they respond when you tell them of your fear - like if they're all "so what" or something - explore your options for a different dentist. There are dentists who gear their practices to dental phobic patients.

 

For some reason I'm OK with the dentist, but I do get anxious about other medical things. I've learned to be forthcoming in telling health care providers about it (though at my regular clinic, evidence of my anxiety is all over my chart anyway) and more often than not, they respond thoughtfully.

 

1992casey is also correct. Confronting health problems (dental or otherwise) can be scary, but letting them go unaddressed is usually worse. Good luck.

[TracyThom]

The honest answer is nitrous oxide. I HATE going to the dentist. Hate it. I get anxious and my stomach gets upset if I know there is going to be any drilling involved. My last two procedures (outside of cleaning) have been for a root canal and a tooth being pulled. I had nitrous both times and everything was fine. The gas took the edge off. They could have cut my leg off and I wouldn't have cared.

[1992casey]

Not every dentist has gas. It's great when it's available, though, and I'd definitely want it for anything surgical. It doesn't do anything for pain (there are other options for that). But as TracyThom says, it makes you not care.

 

I've had gas at the oral surgeon's. Another (more extreme) option would have been Valium. The disadvantage to Valium is that you can't drive home.

 

The root canal specialist I went to didn't offer gas. Technically, fixing a root canal isn't supposed to hurt because the tooth is dead. I had to ask for an extra shot of Novocaine, though.

 

Routine drilling (cavities/crowns) shouldn't require anything beyond Novocaine for most people. I say that as a person who's very concerned about pain. If you feel pain when the dentist starts working, he/she will shoot you up again.

 

About a year ago, my dentist actually convinced me to have a cavity filled without Novocaine. It was so small that it took about 15 seconds worth of drilling, and he actually drilled for about two or three seconds at a time. He'd have stopped and given me Novocaine if I decided I needed it, though.

 

Anyway, Adam, how did it go?

[Bikeage77]

My dad is a dentist, so I grew up around his office and have no fear of it. That's not to say I hate being drilled. I've only had two cavities and he's coaxed me into drilling. Both times I've said I'm never doing that without a shot again.

 

It's like a mass amount of electricity being charged through your face. Worst. But Casey's right, it's a 10 second process and the pain goes away right away...otherwise you sit with your face numb for the rest of the day.

 

Also, my dad's favorite quote is "Your hands shouldn't bleed when you wash them, your gums shouldn't bleed when you floss"

[1992casey]

Sizable cavities take several minutes to drill rather than 10 seconds. You definitely want to be numb for those.