Dentist Phobia

[rixalex]

Can anybody recommend a sympathetic dentist to deal with nervous patients? Have been putting of making a visit for many years due to a fear, guess you might call it a phobia. I'm particularly sensitive to the anesthetic injections (in the mouth especially), and ideally would love to find a place that offered an alternative method. When i was younger they still used to gas patients (not Nazi style of course!), and although i appreciate the new method is safer and has less side-effects, i can't help thinking a blast of novocaine might make the experience less traumatic!

(Should have mentioned - i'm living in Bangkok)

Edited September 27, 2007 by rixalex

[rixalex]

Thanks for all the help guys (not)! Guess sometimes you've just got to help yourself.

Just in case this might benefit someone else in the same situation...

I'm pleased to report that i overcame my fears. I went to BNH Hospital on Soi Convent and they offer use of nitruous oxide. As it turned out i didn't need to use, but knowing it was there as an option helped immensely.

It might be expensive, but the service is just amazing at BNH.

[John K]

Sorry I did not notice this thread, I have been working with a dentist in Thong lo getting her ready for anxious patients using hypnosis.

[jEFFREYk44]

Sorry I did not notice this thread, I have been working with a dentist in Thong lo getting her ready for anxious patients using hypnosis.

How does this work and where is Dr.? I am also a dental-phobe

[lazeeboy]

Sorry I did not notice this thread, I have been working with a dentist in Thong lo getting her ready for anxious patients using hypnosis.

How does this work and where is Dr.? I am also a dental-phobe

i had a real problem with dentist going back to my childhood ,went a couple of years ago and was amazed how painless it was ,dentistry has come on since the sixties ,now dont know why i suffered the pains all those years ,if a pleasant experience going for a clean and check up now

[taxexile]

I am also a dental-phobe

hypnotism is somewhat unpredictable.

if you have a real phobia about dental treatment , then find a dentist who can offer nitrous oxide inhalational sedation.

its wonderful for calming kids down enough to be able to work on them.

nervous and phobic adults benefit too.

it is very pleasant. you just breathe in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen vis a nose mask and in a few minutes you are very relaxed , floaty and high. it is very very safe and when it is finished you just get up and walk away.

if the dentist starts treatment with a simple procedure such as scaling or a small filling then you can judge if this kind of sedation will be suitable for you should you need more extensive treatment.

if you need something stronger , then some dentists or dental departments in hospitals can offer intravenous sedation using something like midazolam. this will leave you with little or no memory of the procedure.

intravenous sedation requires more care and monitoring than nitrous oxide , and you need to make sure that the dentist is competent and experienced with this. in the uk it is now mandatory for an anaesthetist or doctor to administer the sedation whilst the dentist gets on with the treatment. a dentist administering the sedation , monitoring the depth of sedation , o2 saturation , pulse and carrying out the dental treatment at the same time will at some time come unstuck and make a mistake.

if i were having intravenous sedation for dental treatment , i would feel more confident with a 2-man set up.

[wileycoyote]

I am more afraid of the dentist than I am of Horror films

Wieley Coyote

[John K]

Sorry I did not notice this thread, I have been working with a dentist in Thong lo getting her ready for anxious patients using hypnosis.

How does this work and where is Dr.? I am also a dental-phobe

Dental hypnosis can be applied several ways. Typically the way I did it in the states was I would first train the dentist and staff on the basics of what to say and what not to say working with hypnotized patients. The second step is the potential dental patient would come to me for a short one time session to get the initial suggestions planted in their subconscious. The third step is at the dentist’s office where the dentist provides their patient with a walkman that contains a recording of me. That recording places their patient in a hypnotic state and reinforces the suggestion given to them in my office. Depending on what is needed either anxiety or pain management are typical. When the procedure is done the headphones come off and the person goes happily on their way. The next time they go to the dentist six months later or whatever, there is no need to come back and see me as they already expect a pleasant experience at the dentist and the recording will be just as effective.

As for the dentist, we have not moved forward other than knowing she want to do this. It is just a matter of timing to get in and train her staff. Se has already doing what I taught her so far and she is very impressed with the results. If you have a real interest in doing this I will contact her and get her and her staff up to speed. That only takes about 45 minutes of training.

PM me if you want more info.

Edited October 11, 2007 by John K

[Naam]

I am more afraid of the dentist than I am of Horror films

i used to fear dentists, my wife and God. in that order.

for what it's worth... last january i had 5½ hours of surgery under full anaesthesia in Singapore where they partially sawed into my jaw bones to remove four wisdom teeth which never grew out. it was some kind of emergency operation as cysts had formed around them and "eaten" up the bone. it was discovered only by coincidence when consulting a local specialist about a complete remodelling of my "dining room". everything went well and the remodelling took place about 6 weeks ago. cost for the operation in Singapore ~500,00 Baht (paid by my health insurance) and cost for crowning all my remaining 22 teeth 432,000 baht, which is a fraction what it would have cost in Europe.

since that time i don't fear dentists anymore and thinking of what i could do to lessen the fear generated by my wife.

[rixalex]

I am also a dental-phobe

hypnotism is somewhat unpredictable.

if you have a real phobia about dental treatment , then find a dentist who can offer nitrous oxide inhalational sedation.

its wonderful for calming kids down enough to be able to work on them.

nervous and phobic adults benefit too.

it is very pleasant. you just breathe in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen vis a nose mask and in a few minutes you are very relaxed , floaty and high. it is very very safe and when it is finished you just get up and walk away.

if the dentist starts treatment with a simple procedure such as scaling or a small filling then you can judge if this kind of sedation will be suitable for you should you need more extensive treatment.

if you need something stronger , then some dentists or dental departments in hospitals can offer intravenous sedation using something like midazolam. this will leave you with little or no memory of the procedure.

intravenous sedation requires more care and monitoring than nitrous oxide , and you need to make sure that the dentist is competent and experienced with this. in the uk it is now mandatory for an anaesthetist or doctor to administer the sedation whilst the dentist gets on with the treatment. a dentist administering the sedation , monitoring the depth of sedation , o2 saturation , pulse and carrying out the dental treatment at the same time will at some time come unstuck and make a mistake.

if i were having intravenous sedation for dental treatment , i would feel more confident with a 2-man set up.

Very interesting - thanks for all the information.

As i mentioned, i was overall very impressed with the service at BNH. There was one thing however that initially disappointed me. Having read the pamplet in the waiting room about nitrous oxide being available for nervy patients, i assumed it would just be a simple case of making the request to the dentist. However, once i was in the dentist chair and had explained my phobia, the response although sympathetic, was reluctant. Bearing in mind i had read about how safe and easy it was to administer, i couldn't understand why they don't just give it to you by matter of course if you are at all uncomfortable. When i asked the dentist why he was keen to talk me out of it (the nitrous oxide i mean), he just said that it was unnecessary for minor work such as fillings. I kind of felt that was my call. Not wishing to appear to much of a big baby though, i did follow his advice and went ahead with the treatment. As it turned out it was pretty pain free, so in some ways i guess he was right. I still feel though that if nitrous oxide is so safe and good, why don't all dentists just have it there and give all patients the option without trying to talk them out of it. Anyone know why it isn't more readily available?

[chiang mai]

I had four back teeth removed by a dentist in England when I was a young lad, 45 years ago. At that time dentists used only nitrous oxide and the dentist I went to clearly didn't give me enough. The experience of having those teeth pulled without complete sedation stayed with me ever since because the pain was excruciating. The experience also stayed with many other people also since half of the people in the waiting room at the time were either in tears or scared to death as I emerge - my late mother who accompanied me on the visit had fainted and was being brought round using smelling salts!

As a result of that childhood experience I stayed away from dentists for many many years, 40 to be precise. Then a few years ago whilst living in Chiang Mai I decided to bite the bullet and go get a check up. Expecting that I would need loads of work to be done I was pleasantly surprised to find that needed only four fillings and a crown. Terrified nevertheless I explained my circumstances to the dentist and she was most understanding. We went ahead with the work and it was all entirely painless and of course I was thrilled. I now go to the dentist on a regular basis without any fear whatsoever.

The message here is that dentistry and medicine has moved on considerably over the years and there is now no reason whatsoever for anyone to fear the dentist, even cowards like me.

[rixalex]

I had four back teeth removed by a dentist in England when I was a young lad, 45 years ago. At that time dentists used only nitrous oxide and the dentist I went to clearly didn't give me enough. The experience of having those teeth pulled without complete sedation stayed with me ever since because the pain was excruciating. The experience also stayed with many other people also since half of the people in the waiting room at the time were either in tears or scared to death as I emerge - my late mother who accompanied me on the visit had fainted and was being brought round using smelling salts!

As a result of that childhood experience I stayed away from dentists for many many years, 40 to be precise. Then a few years ago whilst living in Chiang Mai I decided to bite the bullet and go get a check up. Expecting that I would need loads of work to be done I was pleasantly surprised to find that needed only four fillings and a crown. Terrified nevertheless I explained my circumstances to the dentist and she was most understanding. We went ahead with the work and it was all entirely painless and of course I was thrilled. I now go to the dentist on a regular basis without any fear whatsoever.

The message here is that dentistry and medicine has moved on considerably over the years and there is now no reason whatsoever for anyone to fear the dentist, even cowards like me.

Great story - inspiration for all us cowards!

[John K]

Sheryl please back me up on this, but nitrous oxide is not something you want to be doing if you have been indulging yourself in Viagra or other medications like it as you could quickly find yourself dead in the dentist chair. Nitrates and Viagra don’t mix.

[rixalex]

Sheryl please back me up on this, but nitrous oxide is not something you want to be doing if you have been indulging yourself in Viagra or other medications like it as you could quickly find yourself dead in the dentist chair. Nitrates and Viagra don't mix.

Popping a viagra before visiting the dentist hadn't even occured to me, however the awkwardness of trying to cover up ones protrusion whilst lying in the chair could nicely take the mind of any other anxiety.

[chiang mai]

Sheryl please back me up on this, but nitrous oxide is not something you want to be doing if you have been indulging yourself in Viagra or other medications like it as you could quickly find yourself dead in the dentist chair. Nitrates and Viagra don’t mix.

a deadly combination that I would hope most folks are aware of.

Edited October 12, 2007 by chiang mai

[taxexile]

Nitrates and Viagra don’t mix.

very true , but ....

afaik nitrous oxide is not a nitrate.

[Free-spirit]

Hi Rixalex,

In response to your post regarding your fear of dentists and needles etc, I would suggest a different approach to those already listed above. Most of the posts above are approaching your internal problem (fear) by changing external variables (by finding a sympathetic dentist or taking mind-altering drugs etc). While such approaches may have some benefit they are not addressing the problem at its source, so they can not be considered as a real cure to the problem, only a temporary fix at best. The source of the problem is a neuro-association in your mind between needles/dentists and fear. So in order to be free of this fear/phobia for good I would encourage you to approach this issue with a therapy such as EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique - so that you can effortlessly release this phobia at its source - forever!

I worked with a lady here in Phuket last week, who had suffered a 40 year phobia of water, ever since almost drowning in the bath aged 4. Forty years later and she still couldn't even allow the water from the shower to go over her face when washing her hair without overwhelming panic arising! Last year her family came to Thailand and swam with dolphins, this was one of the saddest days in her life as although she desperately wanted to join them, the fear of water was too overpowering for her.

We had just 2 sessions together, spaced 2 days apart and each session 90 minutes in length each. The 1st session we collapsed past traumatic responses to the childhood memories around water. The 2nd session we met at a deep swimming pool and began releasing fear as it arose one step at a time. Within 90 minutes she was smiling and laughing while bouncing herself up and down in the deep end of the pool by herself going completely under the water! She could not believe it - a life time of fear painlessly dissolved in just 2 sessions together.

I hope you pursue such avenues for yourself so that you too can find the internal emotional freedom you desire.

wishing you well,

Tim Robins

Phuket

Edited July 28, 2008 by Free-spirit

[nariad]

Fear of Dentists,go and see Dr Aree at Pattaya International Hospital on soi 4.She is a real cutie ,sings softly in Thai while doing the deed.No pain and an excellent dentist.The nurse holds your hand when being given the needle.Had 5 crowns ,root canal done tootal of 4hours in the chair ,biggest problem trying to stay awake.

[Wrong Turn]

Can anybody recommend a sympathetic dentist to deal with nervous patients? Have been putting of making a visit for many years due to a fear, guess you might call it a phobia. I'm particularly sensitive to the anesthetic injections (in the mouth especially), and ideally would love to find a place that offered an alternative method. When i was younger they still used to gas patients (not Nazi style of course!), and although i appreciate the new method is safer and has less side-effects, i can't help thinking a blast of novocaine might make the experience less traumatic!

(Should have mentioned - i'm living in Bangkok)

One think you can do is: tell your new dentist your situation in advance..

Have you tried to relax by getting (laughing) gas? It helps me.

I had a bad experience at the dentist when I was 10. I had cavities filled and I have a negative image of my elderly dentists just drilling and drilling with noisy equipment into my mouth.

30+ years later, I cringe and tighten up when I have certain procedures done. My current dentist spotted this right away and asked me if I had a bad experience at the dentist in the past, and I said yes, and explained.

My current dentist then wrote in my medical file to give me the laughing gas when coming in, to calm me down.

Maybe the gas will calm your nerves and fear of the anesthetic injections.

Good luck.

[ozzydom]

The OP is one year old so I dare say the problem has been resolved by now.

[yabaaaa]

Fear of Dentists,go and see Dr Aree at Pattaya International Hospital on soi 4.She is a real cutie ,sings softly in Thai while doing the deed.No pain and an excellent dentist.The nurse holds your hand when being given the needle.Had 5 crowns ,root canal done tootal of 4hours in the chair ,biggest problem trying to stay awake.

Something you should remember as I was told this by a dentist who is a customer of mine in the Uk is all people have different pain thresholds what might be fine for one could be agony for another. I always have iv sedation in the UK. I have had gas as a kid and no problems with that. I just find the dentist exetremely painful, injections in the mouth dont bother me at all but everything else does. IV is expensive in Thailand quoting me 35-40000 baht I can get it in the UK for 5000 but the work done in Thailand and cost of crowns etc is very cheap. One dentist told me today they dont use ga s now as its carconogenic???

I have asked about gas with DR Sunil dentist in Bangkok and Bangkok Dental Centre also anyone got an experience with them???

Anyone know how much gas costs?