Extreme dental anxiety.. do I need laughing gas, laser dentistry, AND IV sedation?

I have EXTREME dental phobia. I might need some cavity fillings. I've heard about waterlase laser dentistry, but still heard someone still needed a shot for it, just no drill. I've also heard people taking laughing gas and still being awake and feeling pain. I took 1mg of xanax the other night and it didnt do much. What should I do? Just find a dentist with laughing gas, laser dentistry, and just in case IV sedation for a cavity filling? I cannot see a needle going towards my mouth, not as long as I am somewhat conscious. Please help... this is from bad childhood experience with dentists.

Extreme dental anxiety.. do I need laughing gas, laser dentistry, AND IV sedation?
No, all of these together would be overkill. If you are truly that frightened, then an IV sedation will likely be the least stressful for you.





However, relax for the moment. Unless you are in pain that needs immediate treatment, your first appointment will only be a complete exam and x-rays. There will be no needles involved for that. Your dentist will use a sharp instrument that can sometimes seem frightening but all he/she is doing with it is poking the hard surfaces of your teeth to determine their condition.





When you book your appointment, clearly state that you just want an exam at that appointment. Don't book your cleaning at the same which some offices prefer to do. If your anxiety is that deep-seated it might be a bit much to handle being in a dental environment for two or more hours.





When you see the dentist discuss your anxiety with him/her. Dentists are quite accustom to fearful patients and usually very empathetic. If you don't get that sense from this dentist, move on to another until you find one that you feel is capable of understanding your anxiety. Don't forget that you are a patient, but also a consumer in this. You get to choose who you want to be your dentist so find someone that you can feel comfortable with. I would look for a dentist that specializes in IV sedation or "sleep dentistry". Though, with the right dentist you may surprise yourself and find a comfort level that will help you work past your fears and eventually be okay without full sedation.





At the exam they will determine what work you need done, if any, and explain the treatment options available. Ask all the questions you want. Too often fearful patients are in such a hurry to get out the door that they fail to get the answers they need only to find themselves at home later fretting because they don't know what's happening. And if you do forget to ask, then call the office and ask the doctor to call you to discuss it. Understanding your treatment is often critical to achieving some command of your fears.





Lastly, yahoo answers probably isn't the best place to get information for an extremely anxious patient. Bad news always travels faster than good news so when you ask 'how painful is a root canal' you are guaranteed to get several responses reciting horror stories. Meanwhile, the other 70 - 80% of root canal patients that had painless, uneventful root canals are seldom heard.





Good luck!
Reply:Funny thing, I feared needle as a kid, and my dantist never used them for fixing small cavities.


After first dental fixing with local anestesia (with injection) I refuse to get teeth threated without it.


Of couse, first time it was quite scary. But in generall, the shot itself is painless in most of cases, and you wont feel the dentist working afterwards.


The problem with laughning gas is, it is not as effective as local anestesia.