AG,
I am a TOTAL dentophobe! AND I inherited bad/sensitive teeth from dear old dad. Currently, I have three bridges, numerous root canals, periodontal surgery, and more fillings than I can count under my belt. AND that's with flossing and brushing twice a day.

I grew up with Air Force dentists. The folks who were either drafted and/or couldn't make it in the real world, and wouldn't hesitate to slap you if you cried, or tell you to raise your hand when something hurt....stop....and then continue (without Novocaine). A 'small' cavity didn't need Novocaine. This was in the 50's/60's.

When they would spray cold water on my teeth it was extremely painful, and an air-cooled drill didn't bother a tooth if I'd had Novocaine, but it HURT all my other teeth which I would try to cover with my tongue.

So, once I became of age, I simply stopped going to the dentist (except for removal of wisdom teeth, and with any tooth removal, I get dry sockets). Then, in the intervening years, I had any hurting tooth pulled (this was long ago).

FINALLY, I found a dentist who could deal with a phobic person, and not say "It will be fine" or some other BS. [I was once in a specialist's office awaiting a root canal, and a young boy was in the dental chair crying uncontrollably. Finally, they sent him to the lobby, because they couldn't work on him. The receptionist said, to ME, it doesn't really hurt that much, does it, nothing to be afraid of--like minimizing his fear. And, I said, well it CAN hurt, and I understand why he is afraid....and got a very DIRTY look in return.]

When I go to the dentist, I ALWAYS get nitrous, and tell them I need the max amount they can give (and some will give more than the max). I ALWAYS cry; not just tears; weeping deeply. I ALWAYS tell the dentist I am PHOBIC, not just concerned or nervous, and explain what a PHOBIA is (usually by email or letter, before I go). I ALWAYS take some sort of benzo before I go and don't tell them; if THEY give you 5 mg. of Valium, they want someone to drive you there and pick you up; I would take 10 mg. before I got there, and get the nitrous at the max, and that would keep me in the chair.

Coral (from the behated PsychoBabble) also is in a similar category.

Now that I don't have $$ I haven't been in two years, and am SO worried. I suppose dentures will be next.

No form of distraction (talking, earphones with music, etc. works at ALL for me) unless accompanied with nitrous and a benzo.

You are not alone. There a lots of folks who share your fears, and a lot of them just don't go to the dentist.

Interestingly, I went to drs. for over a year for a sinus infection, and it turned out I needed a tooth removed from a root canal gone wrong. My relief was instantaneous. BTW, I've never had a lot of pain from root canals; and I can't take most painkillers because I come from a VERY vomitacious family, and usually throw up with everything from darvocet to vicodin to percodan. So, if I get an RX for painkillers, I also request Phenergan suppositories if I'm gonna have like surgery or something (the deal is, a Phenergan pill just gets thrown up.).

Anyhow, hope I didn't gross you out too much! But, you are definitely NOT alone.

Good luck,
Shar