Dreaded trip to the dentist from someone with panic and anxiety disorder

[CubBL]

I don't usually come to reddit for this sort of thing but I just don't want to feel alone during/ through this.

I have panic and anxiety disorder, and a HUGE fear of the dentist. When I was younger I witnessed my mother being taken to the emergency room out of the dentists chair due to an allergice reaction. Seeing her sitting there lifeless has mentally scared me in a way ever since. I do a great job of brushing, flossing, and washing my teeth as much as I can to keep them healthy. Mainly to avoid the dentist as much as possible. This morning however, the front of my tooth chipped off. Enough to warrant a dentist visit. There is not getting around it. My heart sank and is still drowning. So I have to type this all out. I need some sort of group to vent this to. I don't wanna be alone.:/ I understand this may seem like some sort of a parody post because it's just the dentist, right? Well as I mentioned earlier, being a victim of horrible panic and anxiety, I might aswell be doing a back flip of the eiffel tower. I mean not literally... but that's about how scared I am. My fingers are literally shaking as I type this. I take zoloft and klonopin. So I hope that helps me through this. I just need to put this out there, I don't wanna feel alone during this. I always feel slightly better to know other people can relate in a certain way. Even tips or whatever. I just want a digital hand to "hold me through it" in a sort of way. :S

It's 6am now. So I will most likely be making the call to the dentist, or show up in a few hours at the earliest I suppose.

[glimmer2525]

I don't usually come to reddit for this sort of thing but I just don't want to feel alone during/ through this.

I have panic and anxiety disorder, and a HUGE fear of the dentist. When I was younger I witnessed my mother being taken to the emergency room out of the dentists chair due to an allergice reaction. Seeing her sitting there lifeless has mentally scared me in a way ever since. I do a great job of brushing, flossing, and washing my teeth as much as I can to keep them healthy. Mainly to avoid the dentist as much as possible. This morning however, the front of my tooth chipped off. Enough to warrant a dentist visit. There is not getting around it. My heart sank and is still drowning. So I have to type this all out. I need some sort of group to vent this to. I don't wanna be alone.:/ I understand this may seem like some sort of a parody post because it's just the dentist, right? Well as I mentioned earlier, being a victim of horrible panic and anxiety, I might aswell be doing a back flip of the eiffel tower. I mean not literally... but that's about how scared I am. My fingers are literally shaking as I type this. I take zoloft and klonopin. So I hope that helps me through this. I just need to put this out there, I don't wanna feel alone during this. I always feel slightly better to know other people can relate in a certain way. Even tips or whatever. I just want a digital hand to "hold me through it" in a sort of way. :S

It's 6am now. So I will most likely be making the call to the dentist, or show up in a few hours at the earliest I suppose.

I'm so sorry to hear that you had to witness such a frightening thing with your mother's allergic reaction. No doubt that can cause all kinds of trauma and fear. Up until a few months ago, I actually worked in dentistry. I can assure you that you are not alone in your phobia, but it really is never as bad as it seems. I suggest you visit a dentist who has a good reputation. Staff are always trained to help you feel at ease, and you can even tell them that you are nervous and ask for a break if you need it during the procedure. A good dentist and his/her staff will allow you that. Be sure to take your meds as usual. if the chip in your tooth doesn't go very deep, you may not even need to be numbed. But if you do, don't fret. Dentists and their assistants are used to working with nervous patients. I sat down and did some breathing exercises with a patient one day to help ease her nerves. Little did she know that I, myself, have suffered with panic disorder for awhile. So many patients have said that their experience at the dentist was absolutely not nearly as bad as they had feared. It may sound generic, but try to focus on other things while you're there.. Like where you want to take a vacation someday soon or what you want for dinner later today. Take full deep breaths, try not to hyperventilate if you get nervous. I wish you the best of luck :)

[UncleWibble]

I totally understand.

I was hacked around with by an English NHS dentist in the 70's when I was a kid and he was a real hack merchant. Put me off for a long time.

First - talk to everyone in your area and find a good dentist. Personally, in my own experience I find the South African dentists the best - had two, both were way more skilful, careful and produced better results than any other nationality I have come across. But I did have an Australian once and he wasn't bad either. All the English ones were crap. Anyway - point being - find a good one by word of mouth first.

Despite the excellence of my current dentist, anything more than a simple filling tends to freak me - I have a bad gag reflex and hate the poking around.

Today I went to see mine about a crown for a tooth that broke 2 years ago and survived with a "temporary" filling, which fell off last week (which says a lot about his skill because he said it would only last 6-12 months!).

Knowing I was going to have trouble with the silicone impression thing you have to bite on for a minute and not liking injections that much, I asked for a mild sedative.

He wrote me a prescription for diezepam (valium) and told me to test a single 2mg yesterday, then to take 2-3 today before the visit depending on how the first one reacted.

Did have to take a taxi instead of driving - but the effect was excellent. I was not off my face, but I was pretty calm, and whilst I felt the odd twinge of the injections, I wasn't that bothered - the twinge did not magnify into anxiety and panic like it usually does. Whilst valium does not as far as I know suppress the gag reflex, it did enough that it was not a problem and he got a really good impression to make a crown from.

So for anything more than a checkup, I'm just going to do that now - and get all my old fillings fixed next week if any show up to be failing when he does some x-rays. Felt a bit zonked this afternoon, but managed to do some work from home (computer based). Feel fine now, in the evening.

There are some sedatives that are more powerful - Halcion/triazolam and even IV options that will have you more or less asleep. Trouble with the heavy duty ones is you need someone else to bring you home and stay with you - but the valium is light enough not to be an issue.


There are options for people like us - talk to the dentist and tell him your fears and ask about a mild sedative and see how it goes. Obviously tell him about any other meds you are on.

And you are the customer - if you don't like what he's saying, walk away and try again with another guy.

[gypsylee]

I don't usually come to reddit for this sort of thing but I just don't want to feel alone during/ through this.

I have panic and anxiety disorder, and a HUGE fear of the dentist. When I was younger I witnessed my mother being taken to the emergency room out of the dentists chair due to an allergice reaction. Seeing her sitting there lifeless has mentally scared me in a way ever since. I do a great job of brushing, flossing, and washing my teeth as much as I can to keep them healthy. Mainly to avoid the dentist as much as possible. This morning however, the front of my tooth chipped off. Enough to warrant a dentist visit. There is not getting around it. My heart sank and is still drowning. So I have to type this all out. I need some sort of group to vent this to. I don't wanna be alone.:/ I understand this may seem like some sort of a parody post because it's just the dentist, right? Well as I mentioned earlier, being a victim of horrible panic and anxiety, I might aswell be doing a back flip of the eiffel tower. I mean not literally... but that's about how scared I am. My fingers are literally shaking as I type this. I take zoloft and klonopin. So I hope that helps me through this. I just need to put this out there, I don't wanna feel alone during this. I always feel slightly better to know other people can relate in a certain way. Even tips or whatever. I just want a digital hand to "hold me through it" in a sort of way. :S

It's 6am now. So I will most likely be making the call to the dentist, or show up in a few hours at the earliest I suppose.

Hey there :)

My teeth have literally fallen apart in the last couple of years so the dentist to me is like most people and the hairdresser. I've had five root canals, three extractions (in the last year), countless fillings and two abscesses. And I'm still at it. Good times!

There's a forum called Dental Fear Central which I've looked at a few times after having extractions (my fear is dry socket, which really is something to be scared of).

A chipped tooth is like a weekly event for me lol. My only fear of the dentist now is how f'n expensive it is. I'm in the public system but it's slow and tedious.

Anyway you'll be fine! Check out that forum I mentioned.. I think there's even a section for people with anxiety disorders.

Cheers,
Gypsy x

[CubBL]

Thank you so much for all of your responses! It means a lot to me. Also I feel a little bit better about the situation. Still anxious but I have taken your suggestions and experiences into account. :)

[UncleWibble]

My last trip last week was to get a full set of X rays - the type he puts an electronic sensor in your mouth to get an instant picture of about 3 teeth at a time - that normally makes me gag like crzy and he's never been able to get further back than my premolars.

This time (and expecting the worst in terms of needing fillings) I took 8mg valium (after checking with him as the prescribing person).

It went really well. He did not want to do right at the back, but I made him (on the basis I wanted everything checked and fixed for once and for all, at least for now).

Yeah - slightly uncomfortable - but OK. I found sipping a glass of water just before really helps me as it makes the throat feel like stuff should be there as part of the swallowing.

But he got 2 sides, perfect. He said I was "better than his best [undrugged] patients" - so that's the form for me. And he pronounced all my fillings sound - except for a tiny bit of decay right it the back - but as it's hard to fill, he's going to try doping it with some fluoride gel to see if it will remineralise.

I have the crown due to be fitted on Friday - and as the prep is all done, I might not bother with the valium for that.

The only 2 downsides with valium are I won't drink alcohol for 2 days after (mixing is a bad idea, and I do not want to find out how they react with me) and of course no driving on the day.

[gypsylee]

Hey I'm back at the dentist this Friday and next Wednesday. I've already been four (?) times this year, including a difficult extraction of a molar. So just think, it could be worse.. You could have my teeth! LOL.

[UncleWibble]

Poor you :(

My teeth are mostly made of mercury and the new white stuff anyway - there's not a lot left to go wrong :)

I will be on my 4th visit by the end of the fortnight - but that includes the hygienist.

[gypsylee]

Poor you :(

My teeth are mostly made of mercury and the new white stuff anyway - there's not a lot left to go wrong :)

I will be on my 4th visit by the end of the fortnight - but that includes the hygienist.

Same, plus 5 root canals. I'm waiting on an inheritance from the UK (which takes forever) then I'm going to spend a heap on implants, crowns, whatever. I'm at the stage where I'd spend tens of thousands on my teeth because I'm so over having problems.

[UncleWibble]

The job is done (except the pending visit to Cat the hygienist. She will chop my nuts off for nit flossing again.

I did not bother with the valium for fitting the crown as it was only a bit of polishing, a little tweaking of the opposing tooth with a drill to make the bite work and gluing the thing on.

Nothing painful - but i did notice that since I was used to feeling happier about things because of being stoned the last few times, I felt better about it despite no drugs.

What I saying is that if a good dose of a mild sedative gets you into the dentist and feeling either OK or even quite good about it, it seemed (to me anyway) to create a bit of positive feedback.

I'll still take the valium if I'm expecting work to be done, but I generally feel better about the dentist now.