47 years of not going to the dentist , reason , like so many , very very bad childhood experience , now I have issues and for 47 years I have never given the dentist a second thought , till now , from fear alone I have landed in the ER , and the fear was the thought of a Novocain needle , I have lost 25 pound in under 3 weeks due to stress and fear , now I ask , at 60 years old , how far do I take this dental work to restore my teeth , or do I end it all with dentures , I try to be realistic , I have what 20 years at best , 80 years old , at 80 do I care if I have dentures , or do I spend the next 20 years pouring mega money to keep my teeth , and deal with the stress of doing so , I had to see the oral surgeon for 2 extractions and he said to his staff , I have never ever seen a patient as scared as she is ,, when I went to a regular dentist 3 weeks ago I had to be dragged in , and when I saw the dental chair , I passed out and went down like a ton of bricks , and whats funny , nothing scares me at all , and I mean nothing and no one , except the good old dentist , I am so so so confussed, oh and for 3 weeks I have been shaking like a leaf , and I am not a nervous person by any stretch of the imagination , but I guess I am , sorry for rambling on , but I am barley hanging on here , one Scared Gal is an understatment

Hi Scared gal,

I replied to your original post... did you see it?

I've been in dentistry for 35 yrs and fearful patients are extremely common. It is not unusual at all....even to the degree that you have written about here. Most dental offices will try to make the patient feel like their situation is unique because we want the patient to know that they have our full attention. But fear and the dentist go hand in hand for many people of all ages.

It might help you to know that your fainting is most likely a symptom of hyperventilation. Here is a site that will offer you some guidance on how to prevent yourself from hyperventilating.
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/fainting

The fear of dentistry is very real but it can be lessened when you empower yourself to be less anxious by learning to breath in a controlled manner rather than breathing too shallow or holding your breath. This breathing doesn't start when you walk in the dental office door... it has to become a learned behavior prior to the visit so that you feel less anxious in general about facing the fear.

I know this sounds too simple to be true but believe me.... it is simple and it absolutely is affective! I work with patients all the time on their breathing and in every case it just works so much easier if they have practiced it every day prior to their visits. I am talking about people who are scared sh**tless to come to the dentist. Where I have had to have lengthy discussions with them on the phone and then coax them in from the car ... some have had to be held in the chair because they were shaking so violently. I've had both men and women of all ages cry, sobbing in the chair out of fear ... feeling so out of control and so embarrassed that then can hardly speak. But the truth is... once these people learn how to breath differently, their dental experiences are a night and day difference. Those that do not practice it, continue to have anxiety and severely dread the visit which is truly difficult for everyone to deal with and most importantly emotional draining for the patient. This anxiety then often prevents them from regular dental care which leads to all sorts of dental problems ... as you know.

I believe that fear can be diminished when you put deliberate effort into making that happen. It doesn't matter how long you have had the fear or what caused the fear in the first place... once you feel more empowered you will feel less fear.

You said it was the injection of the anesthetic that causes you a lot of fear. Did you know that the injections given today are different than what was given 30, 25, 15, even 10 yrs ago? The area to be numb is gently numbed prior the injection with a topical anesthetic on a cotton tip making the actual stick of the needle often unnoticeable. The anesthetic is delivered (injected) very slowly so that there is no pressure from the medication going in and this allows the area to actually get numb as the anesthetic is being administered. Big bonus there!! Sometimes the anesthetic will sting a bit but that is only for a second or two and it is temporary. Subsequent injections given in the same or surrounding areas are less painful when given in this manner.

Let me tell you the biggest fear that the dentist and the staff have about a fearful dental patient. It is not if they pass out or vomit as we can take care of those issues ... it is if they suddenly move during the injection or during the procedure. This is where the patient can be injured and that is the biggest concern for us. So your extreme fear is not only real and concerning to you but it is to the dentist and his staff as well. So we really want you to feel less fearful and we try to take every measure we can to do that ... but you need take ownership of your fear and take the steps to reduce it for the betterment of everyone concerned... but most importantly for yourself.

As I said in my other post... the dentist can prescribe mild sedatives for you or you can see a sedation dentist. But you will still have to deal with the anticipation of the visit unless you take control of your breathing prior.

Regarding the option to repair your teeth or extract them and have full dentures..... this depends on what and how extensive your dental issues are and what you are willing to commit to for the long term. Dental issues do not get easier as we get older if we have a lot of issues that have been brewing for a long time. Removing your teeth now would be a whole lot easier than removing them at 70 or 80 yrs old for many, many reasons.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself...
Do you have severe periodontal disease? Do you have many teeth that are in hopeless or guarded condition? Are you already missing a lot of teeth? Are you willing to financially and physically accept a long term treatment plan to keep teeth that are still healthy and remove and replace those that aren't? Could you see yourself committed to regular dental care after all of the work was done? Do you just want to patch things up and remove a tooth here and there and always be in an anxious state about your dental health?

These are all legitimate issues to think about and only you can determine which path seems right for you. From a health standpoint if you are concerned about your systemic health ... it is never wise to keep unhealthy teeth or live with periodontal disease. So that is something to think about too.

I know this can be overwhelming but sooner than later you will have to make some decisions. So perhaps if you sort through these things and write down the pros and cons of each... you will be able to see things a bit clearer which may help reduce some of the anxiety.

You are alone... not by a long shot and no one wants you to feel alone or feel so scared anymore. Please believe me when I say that.

Bryanna





QUOTE=ScaredGal;990691]47 years of not going to the dentist , reason , like so many , very very bad childhood experience , now I have issues and for 47 years I have never given the dentist a second thought , till now , from fear alone I have landed in the ER , and the fear was the thought of a Novocain needle , I have lost 25 pound in under 3 weeks due to stress and fear , now I ask , at 60 years old , how far do I take this dental work to restore my teeth , or do I end it all with dentures , I try to be realistic , I have what 20 years at best , 80 years old , at 80 do I care if I have dentures , or do I spend the next 20 years pouring mega money to keep my teeth , and deal with the stress of doing so , I had to see the oral surgeon for 2 extractions and he said to his staff , I have never ever seen a patient as scared as she is ,, when I went to a regular dentist 3 weeks ago I had to be dragged in , and when I saw the dental chair , I passed out and went down like a ton of bricks , and whats funny , nothing scares me at all , and I mean nothing and no one , except the good old dentist , I am so so so confussed, oh and for 3 weeks I have been shaking like a leaf , and I am not a nervous person by any stretch of the imagination , but I guess I am , sorry for rambling on , but I am barley hanging on here , one Scared Gal is an understatment[/QUOTE]