I'm not sure if I qualify as having a full-on phobia about the dentist, but if not, it's somewhere in that realm, and it doesn't really make me feel like any less of an idiot. :/ I finally did get a fantastic dentist who was willing to do what it took to make it work for me. All the other dentists would say, "Oh, no, my hygienist is great, I'll go very slowly, you'll be fine. Just give it a try." This usually ended with me in tears and in full-on panic mode, and the hygienist screaming at me, which didn't make it easier to get me to go again. I ended up from about ten years old until about 30 years old not having a single successful dental checkup. (It's fortunate that I have very good oral hygiene otherwise.) Every few years, I would decide to give it another go because It's Important(tm), with more or less the same results.
The dentist I'm with now basically said, "Okay, let's assume that you've thoroughly proven that that road isn't worth even trying and we'll skip right over even attempting that and move right to the drugs." He now tokes me up on nitrous until it becomes okay for me, and that works (for me -- it doesn't work for everyone). But even some of his experiments have gone awry. For a little while he said that probably once I'd had a few good visits we could start easing back on the nitrous and I'd get over my fears gradually, but that proved disastrous (and if anything, I need even heavier doses now because of those experiences). But for the most part, it works. I do cancel about 50% of my appointments, though. If there's anything else stressful at all that's going on my life at the time, it's a total no-go. Also, any change in plan or unexpectedness will throw me. Like, last time okoshun accidentally said, "Ready for the checkup tomorrow?" on a Monday when the checkup wasn't until Friday. The suddenness and unexpectedness of it jarred me so much I couldn't go, even once we got it sorted out.
I even know what the root causes are (or at least, I suspect I do), and they're entirely psychological, but that knowledge doesn't seem to help much.
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Date: 2006-07-17 01:36 pm (UTC)The dentist I'm with now basically said, "Okay, let's assume that you've thoroughly proven that that road isn't worth even trying and we'll skip right over even attempting that and move right to the drugs." He now tokes me up on nitrous until it becomes okay for me, and that works (for me -- it doesn't work for everyone). But even some of his experiments have gone awry. For a little while he said that probably once I'd had a few good visits we could start easing back on the nitrous and I'd get over my fears gradually, but that proved disastrous (and if anything, I need even heavier doses now because of those experiences). But for the most part, it works. I do cancel about 50% of my appointments, though. If there's anything else stressful at all that's going on my life at the time, it's a total no-go. Also, any change in plan or unexpectedness will throw me. Like, last time
I even know what the root causes are (or at least, I suspect I do), and they're entirely psychological, but that knowledge doesn't seem to help much.