My Teeth are a Mess and I am Terrified of the Dentist
I’ve tried going to the dentist a few times, none of them have worked out well. The last one made me feel like a loser insulting the condition I allowed my teeth to get in. But, I also don’t want to keep living like this. Have you encountered people in my position? Is there a solution for this?
Keith
Dear Keith,
I am so sorry for the bad experiences you have had at the dentist. I’m also sorry that a dentist thought berating you would help with your anxiety. You’ll definitely want a better dentist than that! A dentist who is skilled and compassionate. To answer your questions, yes, I have encountered patients in situations like yours. I have a solution as well.
There is a metabolic reaction when there is a patient who is anxious in the dental chair. It has the affect of burning off any numbing medication. It would be hard to have a positive dental experience when your numbing medication isn’t doing it’s job.
The solution to this is dental sedation. Most dentists offer two kinds: nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. The medication relaxes you enough for your metabolism to stay under control and not interfere with the numbing medication.
For someone in your position, I would recommend the stronger of the two, oral conscious sedation. It’s so strong, that you can sleep through the appointment if you want to. In fact, some people even call it sleep dentistry. Be aware that its strength means that you will not be lucid enough to drive and will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment.
There is more good news, though. Not only will you have completely pain free and anxiety free appointments, but because you will be so relaxed, your dentist will be able to have more work done at each appointment (if you want to) that will allow you to catch up on your dental work even faster. People who have avoided the dentist for years find that dental sedation changed their life. You will also find that sedation dentists tend to be both compassionate and judgment free.
One thing I would say, if you end up needing anything like a dental crown and you are considering something like teeth whitening. Get the whitening done first so that your dentist can match the crown to the color you want. The crown will not whiten after it is placed.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Cincinnati, Dr. Fred Smiles.