- Joined
- Jun 8, 2013
- Messages
- 66
Hi everyone.
Ok. This is going to be a bit of a long story. Please hang in here with me.
I have a history of dental traumas starting back when I was a young child. My first traumatic experience involving dentists and teeth that I can remember was when I was 9 years old. This particular instance wasn't anything out of the ordinary per se, but the way I perceived it and processed it was as a traumatic experience. I went in for a routine exam/check up and cleaning and ended up with a couple of cavities.
Being a child I didn't have a say in the matter and my parents and dentist decided for me to have the cavities filled the same day. I was given no explanation and no choice in the matter. I basically felt forced into it and helpless. This is when my fear of the sight and sound of the dental drill started.
Over the years I went for my routine dental work faithfully even though each appointment led to an increased fear and anxiety regarding dentists and dental work.
It didn't take me long to start developing many triggers for my fear and anxiety. Mention of cavities and fillings make things worse. Even knowing that I'm going in for an exam/check up and/or cleaning makes me really nervous now. Other triggers include visual things, such as the dental explorer or dental drill.
Now, I did experience many traumatic experiences over the years between ages 9 and 28. I'm 28 now. I don't know if this was bad luck or poor dentists or some combination, but that's what happened.
Most recently my fear, anxiety and nervousness have worsened due to having 4 root canals done in a 2 year period. The first one was done by a general dentist for people with a low income. I was nervous at that appointment due to my history and the unknown of never having had the procedure before. I think it was around that time that my numbing issues started. I'm very difficult to get completely numb and staying numb. I often need more novocaine injections during procedures and this includes simple fillings.
My last 3 root canals were done in about a years time and two of them were done a couple of weeks apart from each other. This procedure is especially hard for me due to TMJ pain and problems. It's very difficult for me to keep my mouth open for a 1 1/2 hour procedure. These 3 were all done by the same endodontist. I trusted him at first, but have lost trust in him now. He was good at first about stopping when I needed him to the first time I saw him. The last 2 times I saw him, I felt that I was rushed and forced through the procedure. I'd use the stop signal and he wouldn't stop. The only times he'd stop is if I told him I was in pain and he'd only stop for a few seconds to give me more novocaine.
That's what started my loss of trust in him. At my last appointment with him for my most recent root canal, I'd had enough. Let me try and explain. When I first started having this pain come back 4 weeks ago, I started to get anxious even back then. I knew what it felt like and where that had led in the past. It didn't help that this problem has been recurring due to misdagnosis or undiagnosis in the last 8 months. That has really played a major role in all of this. I told my doctors what was going on and they did nothing but re-examine and come to the same conclusion.I don't know why my telling them I'm in pain wasn't enough. They kept looking for physical medical evidence which they couldn't find until a week and a half ago.
So the anxiety never completely goes away when I know I need work done. It started when the symptoms started. It got worse when I went to the dentist and sat in the chair. It got even worse when I went to the endodontist and sat in that dental chair.
For me I get a fight or flight response in these situations. I can make myself sit there and endure it, but the whole time I feel like I want to get up and run. This is even with my coping skills that I use. The music distracts me and I squeeze the stress ball when the anxiety really gets high.
I'm glad that they did my root canal all in one, 2 hour appointment. Having it in two appointments is really hard for me.
The appointment was nerve wracking for me like I expected. I just have really bad dental anxiety and phobia, so it was difficult for me. I was on edge emotionally the entire time.
All in all it went ok. My nervousness didn't help, but I let them do the procedure. It was one 2 hour appointment which is hard for me. The root canal was successful and the affected tooth was not infected which I'm grateful for.
My endodontist always gives a topical numbing agent before he injects the Novacaine and it helps some, but you can still feel some pain from the needle. Normally I think the doctors give you two shots of pain medication. I have very sensitive teeth and for me they had to use 5 shots that day. He gave me two, then let them work. Then he gave me another two and let those work. Maybe about a half an hour into the procedure I had to get the last shot, because I started to feel pain. I've always had a hard time with dental numbing and that day was no different.
I think I became dissociative during the procedure in order to deal with my anxiety and phobia. The music in my head phones helped me to zone out and my vision was blurred and I wasn't focused on anything in particular.
I also have TMJ problems and during a long procedure like this they tend to act up. The last hour of the procedure was painful for me, because my jaw started hurting and that lead to a major head ache.
The endodontist knows about my history with TMJ but didn't let me take breaks to rest my jaw when I needed to. I ended up moaning from the pain and the doctor knew to speed things up a bit. It's really hard to talk with that dental dam on, but he knew what the problem was without me saying anything.
I've tried using bite blocks before, but that actually makes my pain worse, so I don't use them.
Him not stopping though, despite my using the stop signal several times and despite the fact that I was moaning in pain. It just made me completely lose my trust in him. I was moaning in pain and I kept moving my head, trying to get even remotely comfortable. I wish I could've just got up and walked out, but I felt trapped.
So, that was my worst dental appointment ever. Now I find it extremely hard to trust anyone who works on my teeth. That includes dentists, dental assistants, hygenists, endodontists and orthodontists. Anyone who works on my teeth is going to have a hard time gaining my trust from now on.
Now I've finally made the decision to see a new dentist and I've see him 4 times now, but I'm still having a hard time trusting him or his staff. I really want to trust them, but my traumatic history makes me keep distancing myself so that I don't get hurt again.
I'm trying to get past this. I want to get past this. It's just very difficult.
Thanks for listening.
JJ
Ok. This is going to be a bit of a long story. Please hang in here with me.
I have a history of dental traumas starting back when I was a young child. My first traumatic experience involving dentists and teeth that I can remember was when I was 9 years old. This particular instance wasn't anything out of the ordinary per se, but the way I perceived it and processed it was as a traumatic experience. I went in for a routine exam/check up and cleaning and ended up with a couple of cavities.
Being a child I didn't have a say in the matter and my parents and dentist decided for me to have the cavities filled the same day. I was given no explanation and no choice in the matter. I basically felt forced into it and helpless. This is when my fear of the sight and sound of the dental drill started.
Over the years I went for my routine dental work faithfully even though each appointment led to an increased fear and anxiety regarding dentists and dental work.
It didn't take me long to start developing many triggers for my fear and anxiety. Mention of cavities and fillings make things worse. Even knowing that I'm going in for an exam/check up and/or cleaning makes me really nervous now. Other triggers include visual things, such as the dental explorer or dental drill.
Now, I did experience many traumatic experiences over the years between ages 9 and 28. I'm 28 now. I don't know if this was bad luck or poor dentists or some combination, but that's what happened.
Most recently my fear, anxiety and nervousness have worsened due to having 4 root canals done in a 2 year period. The first one was done by a general dentist for people with a low income. I was nervous at that appointment due to my history and the unknown of never having had the procedure before. I think it was around that time that my numbing issues started. I'm very difficult to get completely numb and staying numb. I often need more novocaine injections during procedures and this includes simple fillings.
My last 3 root canals were done in about a years time and two of them were done a couple of weeks apart from each other. This procedure is especially hard for me due to TMJ pain and problems. It's very difficult for me to keep my mouth open for a 1 1/2 hour procedure. These 3 were all done by the same endodontist. I trusted him at first, but have lost trust in him now. He was good at first about stopping when I needed him to the first time I saw him. The last 2 times I saw him, I felt that I was rushed and forced through the procedure. I'd use the stop signal and he wouldn't stop. The only times he'd stop is if I told him I was in pain and he'd only stop for a few seconds to give me more novocaine.
That's what started my loss of trust in him. At my last appointment with him for my most recent root canal, I'd had enough. Let me try and explain. When I first started having this pain come back 4 weeks ago, I started to get anxious even back then. I knew what it felt like and where that had led in the past. It didn't help that this problem has been recurring due to misdagnosis or undiagnosis in the last 8 months. That has really played a major role in all of this. I told my doctors what was going on and they did nothing but re-examine and come to the same conclusion.I don't know why my telling them I'm in pain wasn't enough. They kept looking for physical medical evidence which they couldn't find until a week and a half ago.
So the anxiety never completely goes away when I know I need work done. It started when the symptoms started. It got worse when I went to the dentist and sat in the chair. It got even worse when I went to the endodontist and sat in that dental chair.
For me I get a fight or flight response in these situations. I can make myself sit there and endure it, but the whole time I feel like I want to get up and run. This is even with my coping skills that I use. The music distracts me and I squeeze the stress ball when the anxiety really gets high.
I'm glad that they did my root canal all in one, 2 hour appointment. Having it in two appointments is really hard for me.
The appointment was nerve wracking for me like I expected. I just have really bad dental anxiety and phobia, so it was difficult for me. I was on edge emotionally the entire time.
All in all it went ok. My nervousness didn't help, but I let them do the procedure. It was one 2 hour appointment which is hard for me. The root canal was successful and the affected tooth was not infected which I'm grateful for.
My endodontist always gives a topical numbing agent before he injects the Novacaine and it helps some, but you can still feel some pain from the needle. Normally I think the doctors give you two shots of pain medication. I have very sensitive teeth and for me they had to use 5 shots that day. He gave me two, then let them work. Then he gave me another two and let those work. Maybe about a half an hour into the procedure I had to get the last shot, because I started to feel pain. I've always had a hard time with dental numbing and that day was no different.
I think I became dissociative during the procedure in order to deal with my anxiety and phobia. The music in my head phones helped me to zone out and my vision was blurred and I wasn't focused on anything in particular.
I also have TMJ problems and during a long procedure like this they tend to act up. The last hour of the procedure was painful for me, because my jaw started hurting and that lead to a major head ache.
The endodontist knows about my history with TMJ but didn't let me take breaks to rest my jaw when I needed to. I ended up moaning from the pain and the doctor knew to speed things up a bit. It's really hard to talk with that dental dam on, but he knew what the problem was without me saying anything.
I've tried using bite blocks before, but that actually makes my pain worse, so I don't use them.
Him not stopping though, despite my using the stop signal several times and despite the fact that I was moaning in pain. It just made me completely lose my trust in him. I was moaning in pain and I kept moving my head, trying to get even remotely comfortable. I wish I could've just got up and walked out, but I felt trapped.
So, that was my worst dental appointment ever. Now I find it extremely hard to trust anyone who works on my teeth. That includes dentists, dental assistants, hygenists, endodontists and orthodontists. Anyone who works on my teeth is going to have a hard time gaining my trust from now on.
Now I've finally made the decision to see a new dentist and I've see him 4 times now, but I'm still having a hard time trusting him or his staff. I really want to trust them, but my traumatic history makes me keep distancing myself so that I don't get hurt again.
I'm trying to get past this. I want to get past this. It's just very difficult.
Thanks for listening.
JJ