Fear of the dentist

[Conce]

I have a phobia about the dentist. It is so severe and my teeth are so damaged that I can no longer eat healthy meals b/c I can't chew. I was a decent looking person until my teeth started to fail. Fear of the dentist has literally ruined my life. I am trying to find sleep dentistry, but really don't know where to start. Does anyone share this phobia or have any answers?

 

[hollydolly]

I have a phobia about the dentist. It is so severe and my teeth are so damaged that I can no longer eat healthy meals b/c I can't chew. I was a decent looking person until my teeth started to fail. Fear of the dentist has literally ruined my life. I am trying to find sleep dentistry, but really don't know where to start. Does anyone share this phobia or have any answers?

Call a dentist tell them what you've told us, and ask them if they'll put you to sleep if they agree to work on you.. They deal with Phobias all the time, so don't be scared. You can't go on not being able to chew.. and further to that, bad teeth has been connected with Heart problems...

 

[Capt Lightning]

There are various levels of 'sleep dentistry' with general anaesthesia in the most extreme cases. Otherwise there is a range of sedatives that can be administered to reduce anxiety. As Hollydolly says, explain your problem and see what treatment can be offered.

 

[Warrigal]

I had a mild phobia about the dentist which I am now free of, but @Conce you sound like you need to take the advice already given here concerning talking to a dentist about the problem.

My daughter is a Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) of a dental/facial unit of a major public hospital in Sydney. They have trained nurses available to monitor patients who require anaesthesia. They also have some of the best dental surgeons available.

I am confident that if you can find a facility that caters to your need you will be very pleased to once again have a healthy mouth. Don't give up.

 

[Capt Lightning]

If you have a fear of the dentist, do NOT watch The "Little shop of horrors" . Actually, it's a very funny, entertaining film.

 

[Lewkat]

I was the same way, but modern dentistry has come a long way from when I was young. The use of lasers, etc., has changed it all considerably.

 

[Dr. Jekyll]

I'm still a white knuckle chair arm gripper when I go to the dentist. My wife convinced/threatened me long ago to get me to go regularly. I soon came to see that the cleaning and checkups could be tolerated in order to avoid the worse things that involved drilling and such. I just offer to buy new covers for the chair arms when I go...