Enjoyed your dispatch. My name is Allen and I too am a dental phobic. Unfortunately, pressing dental issues have turned me into a walking full employment act for ATX dentists—restorative, perio and endo. They all know each other. I think they are in it together. My best advice is 1) ask for as much nitrous that is legally permissible and won’t kill you , 2) plug into your best music and play it loud enough to drown out whatever torture device is being employed and 3) sunglasses. Of course a skilled dentist helps too.
As a fellow dental phobist I would like to share with you how I have (mostly) overcome it.
First, move to Mexico. *ha* ok, that part is optional
Second, get off of caffeine. I weaned myself off over a couple of weeks and it made a *huge* difference in my pre-dental-visit anxiety.
Third, pre-dose. This could include like a half a valium or any anti-anxiety meds, but at this point the only thing I am doing is taking 600-800mg of ibuprofen one hour before my appointment. It reduces inflammation and pain from the start. This part might not be as important if you have nitrous oxide available. In the states I always had it because the dentist would insist. That's how stiff I was. In Mexico it requires a licensed anesthesiologist so no one uses it.
Fourth, get you a dentist w/ the magic touch. They need to inject lidocaine slow and easy w/ almost no pain. This also makes a HUGE difference.
Because of all this I now sometimes actually contact the dentist's chair with the middle of my body, not just my feet and head. I still find myself tensing up and have to take some breaths and relax. Old habits are hard to break. But I no longer fear *going* to the dentist.
All excellent advice. Fortunately for me, I’ve been with the same dentist for 30 years—Steve Van Wicklen—and his is the Phobic Whisperer. The entire team knows when I am coming in that anxiety will fill the entire office. Years ago he gave me an Ativan to take before an appointment and I am such a big pharma lightweight I literally fell over. It’s odd to me that (best of my recall) this was the first time they suggested the nitrous. It totally did the trick. I also did meditation breathing and listened to binaural beats on my super fancy headphones. And the hygienist talked me through every single step of the way. Made it all less frightening. I do think I’m less afraid of the physical pain and that my phobia, as with so many other things, goes way back to childhood trauma and being subjected to butchers disguised as dentists. When I booked this scaling, they told me it’s a two-day procedure. I told them that if they could handle all at once that was my preference because otherwise I might not come back. The Novocain also helped. And probably having gotten so many tattoos. Oh and the ibuprofen idea—genius! My roommate turned me onto that idea the night before. I booked my next cleaning for September. I know if I have an appointment on the books I will show up but if I wait to “book it later” I am going to be in the same boat again. Hope all is well with y’all. The animals are being very, very still.
Hey Spike
Enjoyed your dispatch. My name is Allen and I too am a dental phobic. Unfortunately, pressing dental issues have turned me into a walking full employment act for ATX dentists—restorative, perio and endo. They all know each other. I think they are in it together. My best advice is 1) ask for as much nitrous that is legally permissible and won’t kill you , 2) plug into your best music and play it loud enough to drown out whatever torture device is being employed and 3) sunglasses. Of course a skilled dentist helps too.
Stay cool!
Allen Rothman
Nitrous is THE BEST.
Spike,
As a fellow dental phobist I would like to share with you how I have (mostly) overcome it.
First, move to Mexico. *ha* ok, that part is optional
Second, get off of caffeine. I weaned myself off over a couple of weeks and it made a *huge* difference in my pre-dental-visit anxiety.
Third, pre-dose. This could include like a half a valium or any anti-anxiety meds, but at this point the only thing I am doing is taking 600-800mg of ibuprofen one hour before my appointment. It reduces inflammation and pain from the start. This part might not be as important if you have nitrous oxide available. In the states I always had it because the dentist would insist. That's how stiff I was. In Mexico it requires a licensed anesthesiologist so no one uses it.
Fourth, get you a dentist w/ the magic touch. They need to inject lidocaine slow and easy w/ almost no pain. This also makes a HUGE difference.
Because of all this I now sometimes actually contact the dentist's chair with the middle of my body, not just my feet and head. I still find myself tensing up and have to take some breaths and relax. Old habits are hard to break. But I no longer fear *going* to the dentist.
Hugs to you and all the animals :)
All excellent advice. Fortunately for me, I’ve been with the same dentist for 30 years—Steve Van Wicklen—and his is the Phobic Whisperer. The entire team knows when I am coming in that anxiety will fill the entire office. Years ago he gave me an Ativan to take before an appointment and I am such a big pharma lightweight I literally fell over. It’s odd to me that (best of my recall) this was the first time they suggested the nitrous. It totally did the trick. I also did meditation breathing and listened to binaural beats on my super fancy headphones. And the hygienist talked me through every single step of the way. Made it all less frightening. I do think I’m less afraid of the physical pain and that my phobia, as with so many other things, goes way back to childhood trauma and being subjected to butchers disguised as dentists. When I booked this scaling, they told me it’s a two-day procedure. I told them that if they could handle all at once that was my preference because otherwise I might not come back. The Novocain also helped. And probably having gotten so many tattoos. Oh and the ibuprofen idea—genius! My roommate turned me onto that idea the night before. I booked my next cleaning for September. I know if I have an appointment on the books I will show up but if I wait to “book it later” I am going to be in the same boat again. Hope all is well with y’all. The animals are being very, very still.