I used to have problems associated with going to the dentist. When my dentist and I talked it turned out they were also having a problem with treating me.

On my end I went into panic and anxiety before during and after the appointments. so much so that I would make the appointments and then the day of the appointment I would have an excuse for cancelling the appointment. Finally my therapist said she would take me over to the dentist office, wait for me at the nearest department store and then come pick me up. I still didn't want to go but my lack of bus money excuse was gone and any other excuse I could come up with my therapist would come up with a solution so ultimately it was off to the dentist for many appointments. Becuase I hadn't been in well over a year I had to do the update paperwork. One day my therapist was sitting with me and she noticed I left the question of - other problems that could create dental problems blank. She pointed out the question and told me my panic and anxiety would fit there. So I wrote down sexual abuse survivor. then I was called in and sat it the chair. My dentist saw those words, came around the front of the chair and took extra time explaining the equipment and what she was going to do with each item and during the exam and proceedures from then on out she always took the extra time to tell me every step of the way what was happening. She even allowed time for breaks during the procedures so that I could close my mouth for relaxing my jaw and reinforcing the idea that I was in control of my mouth being open and what went in and so on.

Shortly after this I found out that they were reluctant to treat me because my panic and anxiety during the procedures could cause serious damage. I was constantly flinching, unexpectedly pulling away or forwards in gag reflexes and so on. They were also having another problem medicating me. a normal filling would require my being given more than one numbing shot. In fact sometimes I had needed up to five shots for one - one hour procedure They were constantly trying to adjust the dosage so that I wouldn't feel the pain and I wouldn't end up overdosed

Finally one day my dentist and I were talking before a root canal and she explained the medication problem, and asked if there were any other physical or mental problems that I was being treated for. So I told her that I had cancer, cerebral pasy, kidney disease, Dissociative Identity Disorder ... She stopped me right there and asked "do you remember everything from beginning to end of every appointment?" I know I turned red and said no. She could tell I was embarrased and told me she had a sister with DID and now that she knows I have it she now has the answer to the medication problem.

I was starting out in the chair recieving the first shot. then somewhere along the way the procedures were triggering me into other memory pieces. Since I was not in that memory piece when I got the shot it was like my never recieving it at all which made for the violent reactions of pulling away during the procedures. Since my visits usually end up with my having five shots its safe to assume I ended up into five different memory pieces. My dentist no longer worrys about over medicating me because only that memory piece that got the shot would feel the effects. Now when I require another shot my dentist takes the time to explain where I am and what is happening and gives me the normal dosage shot.

Coming out of the shots is quite comical I am told by a friend who knows I am DID. She can be driving talking to me after an appointment and within 15 minutes of picking me up I am no longer frozen because the first shot had been given an hour and a half ago so has wore off, then suddenly I start talking like I am frozen again (I am in a memory state that recieved the second shot) and the procedure goes on through each memory piece that got triggered and recieved a shot. The funny part of all this is that if I don't get triggered into a memroy state that recieved the shot for days then when I am in that memory state days later I am talking like I have just seen the dentist. For example I go to the dentist. Something triggers me into the angry memory piece named Margo. While in that state I recieve a shot then nothing makes me feel mad or angry for days and suddenly five days later I get ticked off and end up in the memory piece Margo. The last new information stored as a part of this memory Margo is recieving a shot so thats what I am experiencing five days later.

Anyway the point is by my telling my dentist how I was feeling and what was going on, she was able to take steps that made me more comfortable and more safe during my appointments. Please talk to your dentist he/she may be able to help you through this.