[nicole84]

I have one last wisdom tooth and its coming up under and into my molar... some of it has come through in the last few months and just in the last few days its started hurting... i'm so scared of going to a dentist though I haven't been in 9 years as my teeth have been fine till now... any ideas on stressing less? I'm worried i'm going to have an anxiety attack or something... arghhh

[jefftele]

not many folk like the dentists i used to fear them until i realised yes it may hurt and i can stop having treatment if i want, its about being in control-a wise dentist told me this! it helps me

[daisiesneverlie]

I feel your pain hon, i recently had to have a root canal done and i was scared that i would have an anxiety attack in the middle of it, i did however find out that going to the dentist is alot different now, they try to relax you with music or dvd and have new painless ways of doing things, they also allowed my spouse to sit with me while it was being done. Maybe someone could go in with you. Be sure to explain to the office that you have an anxiety condition before you even go...they should be accomodating....good luck

[Juliana]

Hi Nicole. I used to be phobic about the dentist. I have an inner ear problem that makes me extremely dizzy and nauseous when the chair gets tipped back.

When I had my wisdom teeth removed, the oral surgeon gave me liquid valium the whole time so I didn't feel any pain and I felt wonderfully calm throughout the whole procedure. If your wisdom tooth is impacted like mine were, you will probably need it surgically removed and the oral surgeon will knock you out for it.

If your wisdom tooth isn't quite so bad and can be removed during an office visit, you might consider finding a sedation dentist.

I had my first cavity a few years ago and I was terrified. I found a sedation dentist in my area, though. He specializes in treating people who have phobias about going to the dentist. You could see if there's a dentist like that in your area. When I went to this dentist, I was given a couple of valium when I first got there, and then about 30 minutes later I went in for the dental work and had nitrous oxide the whole time. I wasn't scared at all and I didn't feel nauseous or dizzy. I'm not scared of going back to him now because I know I'll feel calm when I'm there. It turns out I need drugs to handle the dentist.

Good luck! I hope you get the wisdom tooth fixed soon. It can be so painful and can lead to infection. Worrying about it just adds to your anxiety. I put off getting my wisdom teeth removed for many, many years and they ended up putting so much pressure on the rest of my teeth during all those years and they were infected and SO painful by the time I finally got up the courage to have them removed. I have very crooked teeth because I put off having my wisdom teeth removed for so long. I wish I had gone to have them removed sooner.

[Soidhonia]

Hello.
I am sorry that your teeth are hurting at this time, but the sooner you take care of the problem of the tooth the better you will feel in the long run. Also if you tell the dentist that you are very anxious about the procedure, then the dentist can help you if they know you have an issue with anxiety. You may also want to call your therapist and see if you can adjust your medication until the procedure is over to help lessen the severity of the anxiety you may be having at this time.Take care Soidhonia

[ocdchick]

I can feel with you-when I go to have my teeth cleaned-I have sensitive teeth! - I take my portable CD player along with a relaxing CD-ocean waves, etc. That helps take my mind off things!



OCDC

[SandyWeb]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
nicole84 said:
I have one last wisdom tooth and its coming up under and into my molar

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Sounds like it's impacted, which is a surgical procedure done in the hospital by an oral surgeon, not a regular dentist. They will put you to sleep for that, and then probably give you codeine for a few weeks or more to help with the pain (since they have to cut the tooth out....it's not a simple tooth extraction).

However, if it's not impacted and it's coming down on its own into an open space (or the side of your gum), that would be considered just an extraction in a dentist's office. But guess what? You may not know this, but where I live, dentists are lawfully allowed to prescribed anti-anxiety meds. So go to the dentist, get the x-ray (which doesn't hurt), ask for a prescription for an anti-anxiety med to help you make it through the procedure PLUS the few days leading up to the procedure, and then book your appointment. They may even give you codeine because wisdom teeth are big....ouchie to the gum! But probably no cutting if it is already breaking through.

Good luck! My wisdom teeth actually weren't impacted, but I elected to go to the hospital and be put to sleep. I was a scaredy cat.

God bless,
Sandy

[Juliana]

And don't forget about the nitrous oxide!!! I love that stuff!

[nicole84]

yeah I think i'll have to be put to sleep for it. Theres some of it coming up through the skin but most of it is underneath my molar. And cos I dont have private health cover I have to go to a public dentist which scares me also, as they might not be as good!!! I'm going to ring today to get an appointment...

[tiodlliwi]

Well, it is good to know there are others fearful of dentists out there! I have struggled with this for years... I panic even for a cleaning! Anyways, something I always find that works for me is telling the dental hygenist right off the bat that I'm a little nervous. From then on, they are usually pretty accomodating- offering water, asking if you're ok, etc. Good luck with the procedure and let us know how it goes!

Hi Nicole,
Get it out as soon as possible. It'll only get worst if you don't take care of it now. I left mine in and they ended up crowding my other teeth so bad that I now need braces. Be brave-get it over and done with. You can do it.

[nicole84]

I'm still scared of it... and now that its not hurting i've just left it again. I know I have to do something soon, I don't want my teeth all messed up

[Juliana]

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Jax2923 said:
Hi Nicole,
Get it out as soon as possible. It'll only get worst if you don't take care of it now. I left mine in and they ended up crowding my other teeth so bad that I now need braces. Be brave-get it over and done with. You can do it.

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That's what happened to me too, Jax. I'm trying to save up for braces.

[Juliana]

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nicole84 said:
I'm still scared of it... and now that its not hurting i've just left it again. I know I have to do something soon, I don't want my teeth all messed up

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I went through that for many, many years Nicole. One of my teeth would hurt like heck for a while, then the pain would go away and I'd forget about it, then it would come back, etc. My wisdom teeth kept breaking through the gum. It would be painful and swollen, and then it would close over for a while and then it would break through again... and I just kept putting off dealing with it. My wisdom teeth started coming in when I was 16 and I didn't get them pulled until I was 30. In those intervening years, the rest of my teeth were getting very, very crowded and crooked and I ended up with 3 cavities (my ONLY cavities) between my molars because they were too close together to floss between. It's best to get it taken care of now. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore. If you go to a dentist who does sedation, it can be stress- and pain-free. I wish I hadn't put it off for so long.

[nicole84]

I know I need to do something about it... theres just so much else going on right now thats put it on hold I can only handle so much at one time!

[Juliana]

I understand where you're coming from sweetie. You have more than enough to deal with right now. Just focus on doing nice things for yourself and feeling better.