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Phobic and panicking!!

(38 Posts)
Redrobin51 Thu 11-Sept-25 20:58:22

Ive twicehad to have wisdom teeth out at dental hospitals. They are very experienced and reassuring and it was literally over in minutes.I could have had sedation if I wanted.
I understand your fear as I had a very scary experience as a youngsters with a school dentist. As others have said I would go to your doctors and explain the situation and how it is affecting you and perhaps they can prescribe a mild sedative to take beforehand.
Good luck, let us all know how you get on.x

fancyflowers Thu 11-Sept-25 18:52:02

@Narnia, I was just going to add, if your GP offers you anxiety medication, then please tell the dentist as it might affect any anesthetic the dentist uses.

fancyflowers Thu 11-Sept-25 18:49:11

Granmarderby10

The blame for dentist phobia lies firmly at the feet of those vile old school dentist clinics that most kids were sent to. The untold damage both physical and psychological.
Why our parents allowed it ? It has been pointed out many times that “in those days” parents rarely questioned health care professionals … Ha!

My experiences were in the early 1960s and 1970s but since then no sympathy or empathy has been shown or offers made to help “victims” - yes really - by the modern health service.

Agree 100%. I can clearly remember a dentist telling me to stop screaming or he wouldn't be able to fill my tooth. And this with no anesthetic.

Granmarderby10 Thu 11-Sept-25 18:06:04

The blame for dentist phobia lies firmly at the feet of those vile old school dentist clinics that most kids were sent to. The untold damage both physical and psychological.
Why our parents allowed it ? It has been pointed out many times that “in those days” parents rarely questioned health care professionals … Ha!

My experiences were in the early 1960s and 1970s but since then no sympathy or empathy has been shown or offers made to help “victims” - yes really - by the modern health service.

petra Thu 11-Sept-25 17:49:38

Narnia

Jaxjacky

I assume you’ll have someone with you, hopefully they will be reassuring and helpful.

Unfortunately my Husband isn't great with this, he says i need to be a "grown up"
He can't understand how i can't jist get it out with local

Maybe one day his lack of sympathy will come back to bite him.
I feel for you as i was the same before I came across a sympathetic Dentist. Let’s just say he asked me why I was crying 😥
Prior to that I paid to be knocked out by Valium.

Narnia Thu 11-Sept-25 17:34:42

Jaxjacky

I assume you’ll have someone with you, hopefully they will be reassuring and helpful.

Unfortunately my Husband isn't great with this, he says i need to be a "grown up"
He can't understand how i can't jist get it out with local

BlueBelle Thu 11-Sept-25 15:46:02

Babs and Monica my GP totally refused to prescribe anything to calm me for a very tricky tooth extraction just point blank refused so hope Narnia has more luck than me

If it’s any consolation Narnia I m scared of the dentist and waiting for the hospital maxillafacial appointment and even the thought gives me the jitters but I ll just have to do it

Jaxjacky Thu 11-Sept-25 15:39:48

I assume you’ll have someone with you, hopefully they will be reassuring and helpful.

Narnia Thu 11-Sept-25 15:28:56

That's reassuring, unfortunately i have no choice in location. My own dentist doesn't offer sedation. I have tried private and they have criteria also on bmi.
Not that I'm very overweight, but deemed to have a higher bmi than they like.
So I've been referred to the local maxillofacial dept of a local hospital.
This also makes the whole thing seem more daunting as i won't know anyone.

Celieanne86 Thu 11-Sept-25 14:31:20

I know this isn’t much help to you but I do honestly sympathise as I too panicked at the thought of sedation at the dentist.
It bought back the horrors of my childhood clinic visits, the smell of the rubber apron and the mask over my face.
I found a very sympathetic dentist who held my hand and explained everything to me and promised I would be in a twilight world and dreaming.
I was practically carried in on the dreaded day by my son and again my lovely dentist held my hand and I didn’t even know he had given me the injection, I remember nothing, I didn’t dream, I just opened my eyes and wondered why I was lying on a bed with a nurse saying my name. I was genuinely shocked to be presented with three of my teeth in a plastic pot and told I had been an excellent patient as I had a couple of stitches and I had been out for half an hour.
Please don’t be afraid, find a kind understanding dentist, ask around, meet with them before and I’m sure with gentle breathing exercises you will be fine. My dentist has retired now and I am hoping to find a new one so I’m doing a search at the moment, and I will go through exactly the same as yes I’m still panicking a little but I think we are allowed that.

M0nica Thu 11-Sept-25 14:19:48

I agree with Babs03. Go and see your GP and see if they will prescribe something to deal with anxiety.

Babs03 Thu 11-Sept-25 14:15:29

Am so sorry you are going through this, but am glad you are having sedation. The majority of us have irrational fears, I was held hostage by a house spider yesterday, took me ages to pluck up the courage to pop a bowl over it then slide a piece of card underneath before putting it outside. My heart was beating fast and I came out in a cold sweat. Had to sit down afterwards.
At least your fear involves a procedure that most of us would find a bit nerve wracking.
Would make an appointment with your GP if you are having panic attacks, they might be able to prescribe something temporarily for anxiety.
Wishing you all the best.

Narnia Thu 11-Sept-25 13:41:31

Firstly let me say i know my issue is trivial in the overall scheme of health worries etc, but i do have a phobia!
I have been on the wait list 9 months to be assessed for sedation for a tooth extraction x2
One I've had multiple infections in and the other could prob be ok with root canal, but because of my issues dentist said easier to just remove.
Im phobic, have a terrible gag reflex so dentist advised sedation.
I've been today for my assessment (shaky legs and felt sick)
They queried sedation as I'm slightly over their bmi limit. As my neck isn't "fat" they think i will be ok.
Now I've seen the place (hospital) and know it's another 2-3 months wait i jist feel a wreck.
When i was told i needed an extraction i had numerous panic attacks and was a nightmare to live with basically.
Now the tooth has settled, no infection recently but i know i could happen again!
The thought of walking in and having the procedure just makes me panic, even jist writing this my heart is pounding!
I realise people have much worse and are fine but i can't face 3 months of this awful anxiety.