Afraid of the Dentist
Moderator: bbsadmin
Me, too--huge phobia of dentists. When I was 11 or 12 I had 4 molars pulled and I hate to go to the dentist to this day. I haven't seen a dentist now for about 5 years but it's not quite as scary as it once was. I have an appointment this summer. I was also afraid of going to the orthodontist because I was convinced I would need surgery to correct my bite. I'm glad I went and got more information. It's amazing what a person puts off in their lives because of the fear. It's good to move forward, isn't it? By the way, I'm 46 and in braces for the first time.
Ceramic upper & lower 2/22/06--3M Clarity
"Ever notice how instant gratification takes too long?"
I forgot to ask this. Do you think you need braces? If you haven't seen a dentist in a while, are you basing this just on what you see? There are some things that can be corrected with veneers and other things, rather than braces. My dentist gave me an option of not getting braces - he said that braces would be better, but not a requirement.
badteeth, There are many people here with severe dentist phobia. For some is fear of pain/needles and for others is this huge anxiety over being embaressed at the thought that your case is probably the worse case this dentist has seen and that fear of laying back in the chair and opening your mouth to a total stranger. The fear of hearing awful news.
I know all to well about nightmares. In fact I had so much anxiety that lasted for about 2 weeks. I ended up taking a sleeping pill each night to help me deal with all this. This was only because I had made the appt for the Orthodontist! I am getting 6 extractions on Monday morning and being put under general anesthesia for it. Am I scared? Yes I am but I know I won't feel a thing and its a 30 min procedure +they let me rest for another 30 minutes. The only way to correct my problem is by gettinng braces. I am not a teenager. I am married and have wondered many times how this will affect my marriage.However my hubby is just very supportive and knows how much this means to be .Trust me you will regret it more getting all your teeth pulled and getting false teeth. It doesnt matter if you are 10 yrs old or 50 yrs old. If you have fear issues,you should explain to the ortho how this has affected you for a long time.You might be pleasantly surprised at how understanding many dentists/orthodontists once they are aware of your situation.
You will not regret having a beautiful smile.
Gennel
I know all to well about nightmares. In fact I had so much anxiety that lasted for about 2 weeks. I ended up taking a sleeping pill each night to help me deal with all this. This was only because I had made the appt for the Orthodontist! I am getting 6 extractions on Monday morning and being put under general anesthesia for it. Am I scared? Yes I am but I know I won't feel a thing and its a 30 min procedure +they let me rest for another 30 minutes. The only way to correct my problem is by gettinng braces. I am not a teenager. I am married and have wondered many times how this will affect my marriage.However my hubby is just very supportive and knows how much this means to be .Trust me you will regret it more getting all your teeth pulled and getting false teeth. It doesnt matter if you are 10 yrs old or 50 yrs old. If you have fear issues,you should explain to the ortho how this has affected you for a long time.You might be pleasantly surprised at how understanding many dentists/orthodontists once they are aware of your situation.
You will not regret having a beautiful smile.
Gennel
I have a HUGE fear of anyone who is a doctor...anything to do with health... The only doctor I don't mind is the optometrist...I actually love him!
I still get really stressed out about every visit to my ortho, dentist, and hygienist...but they are so nice that I am not as scared as I was. Seeing the ortho every 4 weeks also helps because I'm getting so used to it that it doesn't stress me as much as it used to.
It's weird because I don't have a fear of needles or anything like that...it's just the whole thing of being near a doctor...someone who can diagnose a disease and all...that's my biggest fear...
I still get really stressed out about every visit to my ortho, dentist, and hygienist...but they are so nice that I am not as scared as I was. Seeing the ortho every 4 weeks also helps because I'm getting so used to it that it doesn't stress me as much as it used to.
It's weird because I don't have a fear of needles or anything like that...it's just the whole thing of being near a doctor...someone who can diagnose a disease and all...that's my biggest fear...
~~~~~~
Ceramic top braces: January 9th, 2006
Metal bottom braces: May 1st, 2006
Badteeth,
My advice is just to bite the bullet and go to the dentist. I have always been terrified of the dentist - I think due to the fact that I had 6 teeth out when I was 12 years old and was sick for 2 weeks after. I am not scared of the orthodontist (even though I regularly have tears in my eyes during adjustments because of sensitivity - I have quite bad recession), or even the periodontist (where I sat through 2 sessions of deep cleaning under the gums with what felt like about 12 needles at each session) and am going for jaw surgery too. Up until about 3 years ago, I had probably only seen the dentist 6 times since I was 18 (I'm now 41).
I am still a nervous wreck at the dentists, but I sometimes take a calming CD to listen to, and when I had 2 teeth out before I got braces, saw my doctor for a prescription for Valium so that I would be calmer. My current dentist is very quiet, calm and gentle and my dentist phobia is gradually improving.
It will be worth it, as your self-confidence and self-esteem will improve 100% with healthy, straight teeth. You will smile a lot easier (I no longer put my hand over my mouth when I smile).
Good luck
Chrisk
My advice is just to bite the bullet and go to the dentist. I have always been terrified of the dentist - I think due to the fact that I had 6 teeth out when I was 12 years old and was sick for 2 weeks after. I am not scared of the orthodontist (even though I regularly have tears in my eyes during adjustments because of sensitivity - I have quite bad recession), or even the periodontist (where I sat through 2 sessions of deep cleaning under the gums with what felt like about 12 needles at each session) and am going for jaw surgery too. Up until about 3 years ago, I had probably only seen the dentist 6 times since I was 18 (I'm now 41).
I am still a nervous wreck at the dentists, but I sometimes take a calming CD to listen to, and when I had 2 teeth out before I got braces, saw my doctor for a prescription for Valium so that I would be calmer. My current dentist is very quiet, calm and gentle and my dentist phobia is gradually improving.
It will be worth it, as your self-confidence and self-esteem will improve 100% with healthy, straight teeth. You will smile a lot easier (I no longer put my hand over my mouth when I smile).
Good luck
Chrisk
HI and welcome!
Count me in. I was afraid of dentists as well and avoided going there. Until I found a very nice doctor who took my fears seriously and eventually removed all my four wisdom teeth successfully. After that my fear disappeared. Now I even like to see my dentist and watch her reaction when she sees my progress
Go to different doctors and decide if you like him or her. It is perfectly ok to just walk away if you don't feel comfortable. It is your money anyway, and you are the costumer.
If you are worried about your looks in braces keep in mind that nowadays there are ceramic braces which look a lot better that traditional metal ones. Besides braces make you look younger! Maybe you get a new hair color or something and take advantage of that. Many people find braces cute and young! Don't be afraid. Bad teeth or a denture - this is a turn off. Improving yourself is not. Besides it shows you are brave, thinking about the future and don't have a money issue. What women want
Count me in. I was afraid of dentists as well and avoided going there. Until I found a very nice doctor who took my fears seriously and eventually removed all my four wisdom teeth successfully. After that my fear disappeared. Now I even like to see my dentist and watch her reaction when she sees my progress
Go to different doctors and decide if you like him or her. It is perfectly ok to just walk away if you don't feel comfortable. It is your money anyway, and you are the costumer.
If you are worried about your looks in braces keep in mind that nowadays there are ceramic braces which look a lot better that traditional metal ones. Besides braces make you look younger! Maybe you get a new hair color or something and take advantage of that. Many people find braces cute and young! Don't be afraid. Bad teeth or a denture - this is a turn off. Improving yourself is not. Besides it shows you are brave, thinking about the future and don't have a money issue. What women want
Nov 2 05 braced, 1/1/07 debanded & got positioner
yes, you're not the only one. Many people dread going to the dentist including myself so I'm also guilty of neglecting my teeth for many years but when I saw that my molar has almost dissappeared from erosion, I got scared and got treatment right away and I just went from there.
When I got all my cavities taken care and realized that the treatment now a days are virtually pain-free I also got deep cleaning and now I'm in braces, who knew??? it's a lot of work but I'm happy to oblige.^^ best of luck to you.
When I got all my cavities taken care and realized that the treatment now a days are virtually pain-free I also got deep cleaning and now I'm in braces, who knew??? it's a lot of work but I'm happy to oblige.^^ best of luck to you.
mother of one.