Dental Phobia

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Does anyone else suffer from this? Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment that I'm pretty nervous about, which is weird since the last one I went to where I had a filling I wasn't too nervous, mind you I took a lorazepam before going.

It's not the dentist I'm afraid of, it's the needles and any pain associated with the procedures. I cannot have epinephrine shots (I have a severe paradoxical reaction to them), so I have to get multiple shots sometimes to numb my gums and the tooth.

I have to be put under for any dental work. The bright light in my face. Fingers in my mouth. The sound of the drill or even the polisher. Any and all leads to instant meltdown. And I have to be put on xanax or lorazepam before going and usually the night before so the anxiety doesn't keep me awake.

No, I'm the opposite. I find medical/dental procedures interesting. One time I asked them to show me the needles and tools they were using. They were reluctant at first as they're trained to hold them on angles that the patient cannot see them, but I told them I was totally fine with needles and surgical instruments etc and have given diabetic kids their insulin shots and have seen old dentist needles in museums etc.. so they agreed to show me the needles and things they were using. I knew roughly what to expect, but I was still surprised a bit by the size & that the metal designs haven't changed much in more than 100 years. Pretty neat.

Freezing can be a pita, though. I've had to have it done a few times and it usually takes a few extra freezing shots until I can't feel anything, and getting the shots is one of those "annoying pains" that doesn't feel very nice but you know you just need to accept and carry on with.

I wish every office had cameras/displays so you can always watch your own procedure being done. That would be worth switching dentists for.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

I think the main reason for me being nervous this time is that the tooth might be extracted, and the last one I had extracted wasn't pleasant. Had an epinephrine shot (stopped having them after this), went into a full blown panic attack, when I calmed down I was numb for quite a few hours. When they were extracting the tooth, it wasn't using a forceps, more like the dentist shoving my tooth to the left of my mouth (it was my back right first molar) and I almost swallowed it when it popped out.

I'm seriously hoping I don't have to get the tooth extracted, root canal is bearable for me until they put the ring around the tooth, which is painful as all hell.

Smoke a medicinal marijuana cigarette before you go to your dentist appointment. Problem solved. It's science.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.