Fear of having a filling at the dentist with injection in gum on friday

[sandy35]

Hi i know there have been a few threads on dental phobia lately but i have an appointment on friday and i am so scared and nervous but know i have to have this done. I have to have a filling with an injection in gum that i have never had before. I don't think this all down to going to the dentist but i am very petrified of needles and i tend to have panic attacks and very bad anxiety if i know i have to have an injection. I think this is all down to not being afraid of injections until when i had my rubella at school when i was 13 and it really hurt and made me feel very sick. I just now think that if i have an injection im either going to be sick or it will make me feel dizzy or faint or i may have a panic attack.

I am trying to see the positive like there are many people who have this done many times and I have got away quite lightly with only needing a filling now after joining this dental practice a year ago and before that i did not see a dentist for five years as was too scared and nervous just in case i had to have a filling or any other work done. In the last year i have had an appointment every 3 months and i have had a scale and polish and it has felt sore having it done as my gums are not in a good state but at least i know that didn't involve an injection.

Unfortunately, i am having negative thoughts that are really affecting me at the moment. I didn't have anything planned this weekend so i just sat in the house worrying. My mum is also going to the dentist with me on friday even though im 34 and she knows i need someone there for support. She did actually say that if i make a fuss about it then she will be really angry with me. I think that was a very unsympathetic thing to say to me as she knows i suffer from anxiety. With all this i can see me being a nervous wreck on friday morning.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated as i am getting into a state about it. Thanks for reading.

[nomorepanic]

Hi there

I have the filling without the injection as I hate them.

Yes it hurts but only for 10 minutes or so and it isn't that bad without the numbing.

Maybe try that

[sandy35]

Thanks Nicola for your post. I did actually have a filling without an injection when i was about 19 years old and yes it hurt a little bit but i did get told then that if the hole in the tooth has been any bigger than they would have no choice but to have done the injection. This time though i don't think i will be so lucky as it is a hole in of my wisdom teeth and think that would hurt like hell. I am surprised they haven't referred me off to hospital to have my wisdom teeth out instead but maybe the dentist may say something about that after i have the filling.

[nomorepanic]

I had a filling back in March and he insisted I had the injection so I got him to agree that he used the non-adrenalin one and only half a dose and I did manage that ok and the numbness wasn't for too long!

[daisycake]

I know where you're coming from with the panic attack/injection thing, I took one with my HPV jab last year; not nice considering it was at school and my mates had a good laugh afterwards. Didn't happen the next twice because the nurses were knew it might happen again and helped me control it more.

As for the dentist; mine's numbs my mouth first with gel and then gives me a jab; maybe your's could do the same? Stops you from the pain, if anything.

Maybe mention to your dentist that you're worried and they might be more sympathetic?

Hope everything goes fine, try to relax x

[Vanilla Sky]

I agree with the post above, do tell the dentist your fears, they hear this sort of thing all the time. Tell him your afraid you may faint and believe me it's better to say beforehand then it allows the dentist to be gentle with you and then he ( or she) will then talk you through the whole process and its makes you feel more confident in thier hands when you understand what is happening step by step. I tell my dentist every time i go that i am nervous , he knows me now and trust me they would rather know that your nervous because if you faint ( which i did one time... cringe ) it's a lot of hassle for them! So just tell them how you feel , nothing to be embarrased or ashamed about , there are hundreds of peolple scared of the dentist . Don't worry , I bet after all this you'll be fine and wondered what all the fuss was about !

[sandy35]

I had a filling back in March and he insisted I had the injection so I got him to agree that he used the non-adrenalin one and only half a dose and I did manage that ok and the numbness wasn't for too long!

I think that is a good idea

[sandy35]

I know where you're coming from with the panic attack/injection thing, I took one with my HPV jab last year; not nice considering it was at school and my mates had a good laugh afterwards. Didn't happen the next twice because the nurses were knew it might happen again and helped me control it more.

As for the dentist; mine's numbs my mouth first with gel and then gives me a jab; maybe your's could do the same? Stops you from the pain, if anything.

Maybe mention to your dentist that you're worried and they might be more sympathetic?

Hope everything goes fine, try to relax x

They know i am anxious as it is on my records and that i suffer from mental health problems. Yes mine said she was going to numb my mouth with gel first which is a bit more reassuring. I still worry about the after effects of the injection eg like going dizzy and faint.

[sandy35]

I agree with the post above, do tell the dentist your fears, they hear this sort of thing all the time. Tell him your afraid you may faint and believe me it's better to say beforehand then it allows the dentist to be gentle with you and then he ( or she) will then talk you through the whole process and its makes you feel more confident in thier hands when you understand what is happening step by step. I tell my dentist every time i go that i am nervous , he knows me now and trust me they would rather know that your nervous because if you faint ( which i did one time... cringe ) it's a lot of hassle for them! So just tell them how you feel , nothing to be embarrased or ashamed about , there are hundreds of peolple scared of the dentist . Don't worry , I bet after all this you'll be fine and wondered what all the fuss was about !

Thanks for the advice. Sorry to hear you fainted when you went once to your appointment. I can tell im nervous because this is all i can think about at the moment and it is affecting my sleep pattern. I knew i would be like this when the appointment was getting nearer.

[JonRhodesUK]

What I do at the dentist is imagine myself leaving my body and standing up. Then I walk out of the surgery, whilst trying to visualise everything as clearly as possible. I then imagine walking through the streets or maybe even flying to a relaxing destination like a beach or a garden. This really distracts you from any fears or pains, and helps keep you calm - and its quite fun too!