Fear of dentist

[noddy5]

I have just spent the night in agony with tooth pain and am now finally after 12 years going to the dentist.I am petrified of dentists and I know the tooth in question needs to be either root filled or extracted.Anyone had either of these?

Don't worry, if yours is a good dentist he'll make you feel at ease and might even be able to use relaxation methods. I've had teeth extracted without problem using local anaesthetic but root filling is not much fun. Better to have that done than suffer with more toothache though.

I've had 2 root fillings, and they really are no worse than having any other sort of fillings - apart from taking longer.

I'm also very scared of the dentist, but I find a few things help me cope:

1 TELL the dentist, they're used to this and some are very good and sympathetic.
2 A personal stereo (I use a comedy tape of Victoria Wood). I tell the dentist that I'm going to listen to it while she's working, so if she wants to tell me something she must tap my shoulder or do something similar to attract my attention.
3 Agree a way in which you can signal the dentist to stop if you're distressed or in pain, eg by waving your left hand.
4 The most distressing bit for me is the injection, so I hold the nurse's hand.
5 Breathing as if I'm in labour!.

I do hope this helps, I can guess how miserable you must feel .

thanks for your replies I am getting v stressed thinking about this but the pain is excruciating and I know I have to go.I will probably make a real fool of myself!

As PC said, take a personal stereo so you can block out the noise and pretend you're not there. Dark glasses or one of those eye-cover things they give you to help you sleep on aeroplanes helps too.

My dentist rubbed anaesthetic gel on my gum to num it, then gave me a little injection (which I couldn't feel cos of the gel) and then when the little injection took effect, gave me the big injection to really numb it properly. Didn't feel a thing.

He/she should arrange a signal with you (waving hand or whatever) which means "stop, it hurts" or "hang on, I'm really uncomfortable".

The main problem with root canals is lying there with your mouth open for a long time. But it is just uncomfortable, no more.

Get co-codamol tablets (ask at Boots for their own brand) and take them before the injection wears off - its liable to hurt a bit for a day or so afterwards (nothing like it hurts now though).

And buy yourself some really nice soup so you don't starve while your mouth is all numb!

Veteran of many root canal treatments here!

thanks all I am reassured by all the messages I feel silly for having left it so long but it has always lurked in the back of my mind and last night I really paid for it!I went to a&e in a cab at 2.30 and they gave me a codeine injection and some to take home.I don't want to ever do that again!

I avoided it for a decade as the last time I had gone it was to have 4 wisdom teeth pulled.
I had to go and have two fillings, it was marvellous, she was Sth African and people in the kow say the yare best ones to go to!
Did not feel a thing!
Honest I felt really silly afterwards for putting it off so long!
But do let them know and try to relax, shut your eyes and think of the bonus of being without pian afterwards
xx

Hi

I have just been through similar to you - I hadn't been to a Dentist since before I got pg the first time (7+yrs ago). I had to go as I had a large hole in one tooth and another the other side of my mouth was aching. I didn't realise it, but I actually needed four crowns. Sounds horrendous, but actually wasn't - and the best bit was that I went to the Dentist six weeks before dd turned one, so I qualified for free treatment and haven't paid a penny

I have a large hole in 1 tooth but they all seem to ache around it.I have taken 2 codeine painkillers so am feeling cool about it at the moment but tomorrow...........I am v embarressed to admit to the dentist just how scared I am!"

Dont be embarrassed, they see it all the time! my new dentist is lovely. i told him how utterly terrified i was (i had left it years and had a broken tooth as a result of it)and even though he had to stop the filling several times (not because it hurt, because i was panicking) he wasnt fazed one bit. He must have had the patience of a saint to deal with me! I had an extraction the next time and i never felt a thing, its such a relief to have it out, you will be in a lot less pain than you are now. look upon it as an achievement

you think about sex ks? nice dentist then?

My dentist is dead sexy!

any bloke that can put up with me going hhhmmm, glllghhgh, shlop (stop)every two minutes must be good! (ooh, hope that doesnt sound a bit questionable)

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I recently went to the doctor for the first time in 10 years. I wasn't in pain (I had let 2 teeth crumble in my mouth in agony rather than go) but decided that as the kids were going then I should go too - and it was free cos I just had a baby.
My dentist was fab - I just told him I was scared and he took it all very slowly and gently. SInce then I have had 2 small fillings, 2 root extractions and a polish, and my teeth look great! I will now go every 6 months, and I'm so proud of myself.

robinw - it is chewing gum that caused my tooth decay. I was an habitual chewer all through High School and it is the four molars closest to the front of my mouth that I have just had crowned.

That was the dentist I went to!

thankyou everyone I am going today at 2.40.I am now wondering if the constant head pains Ive had on the same side as the broken tooth may be linked.I may kill 2 birds with one stone.I have decided to have the tooth out as I have also read that most root filled teeth eventually do need to come out

I think root filled teeth can last a long time, so it is worth going down this route to save the tooth. It's just that the tooth is slightly weakened by the RCT (it is dead in effect). There is also a risk of RCT failing which can make the tooth eventually have to be taken out. But I've heard a lot of people say that they last.

My first root filling was done 14 years ago and is still in perfect condition, although the filling on the crown has had to be repaired a couple of times. Unfortunately I didn't have it crowned when the canal was done, and have since been advised not to crown it properly for cosmetic reasons, because disturbing the tooth might mean the whole tooth woudl have to be removed. So I should leave it alone, if it's lasted this long it's unlikely to go wrong on its own.

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