I have this irrational fear of the dentist. I am almost certain I won't be dying in his chair today. I'm also fairly certain he's not going to hurt me, and I am 100% sure he won't screw up (I've been seeing this dentist for about 20 years). He's also pretty easy on the eyes, one of those men who get better looking every year he ages. This dentist office knows me by first name when I come in. They're a great bunch of friendly people I've trusted with my teeth for so long, and I know there's really no reason to be afraid.
I'm getting a temporary crown and a filling replaced today. I've been having anxiety dreams about this for a few days and I seriously tried to rationalize cancelling this appointment until next year.
My Dad likes to blame this fear on what happened to me when I was about 8 or 9. My grandparents in Texas had a dentist who lived next door, and would see me every time we visited. He explained I was going to have too many teeth and suggested he pull some and try to prevent me from having braces. They pulled 7. It did work, I never needed braces. I do think it left me a teensie bit freaked.
Tell me about your irrational fears. What scares you even though you know it shouldn't?
UPDATE: I love my dentist. When he got in there to do the crown, he decided to try saving it with a filling instead. He saved me over $400 this morning PLUS the anxiety of a crown. Even though I ended up with three fillings this morning (I forgot I was getting two fillings replaced plus the crown originally this a.m.), and I'll probably be numb for hours - I am on top of the world!!
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9 comments:
I share your same fear of dentists... due to a childhood experience as well... :( just hearing the drills or cleaning things makes me freak out... :( ugh! but then again, I felt the same way as you did afterward, happy that I went, not in pain.. I guess I'll be able to tell next time I go in whether or not I'm over it. :) Glad your visit went okay.
What scares me is flying. Although I've literally taken thousands of flights, with no issues whatsoever, I still dread the take-off and landing.
Lora, glad you made it through your dentist appointment just fine. While I am afraid of the dentist, more bigger irrational fear is a fear of heights. I can fly OK, and can do heights as long as I'm indoors (ala the indoor observation deck of the Stratosphere), but move me outdoors, and I can't even function. When I was a kid, I tried to help my Dad install our basketball hoop, but couldn't get up on the roof to do it. Same thing 15 years later when I got Mom and Dad DirecTV.
I actually kinda like that numb feeling even though it's better when you are drinking. I don't have a huge fear of dentists. I think I'll have that when and if I ever get a tooth pulled. Damn, he pulled 7 teeth? couldn't he have gone with an even number?
I have quite a few irrational fears.. The first is Doctors (not dentists), I have white coat syndrome, just going into a dr.'s office raises my blood pressure. 2nd is getting cancer (watched my best friend suffer and die from it)and the third is flying.. ok I can admit it, I am nerotic...sigh
Loo, the numb feeling is great, as long as you do not crunch down on "something"-- that being your tongue. My irrational fear, as a result is of novocain! Have even had fillings done with no novocain. But, I love my dentist too -- well his office anyway. Great staff. I have come to the conclusion that the staff of an office can make the biggest difference in whether I like the provider. Glad you made it through OK.
I have an irrational fear of spiders, and since the hurricane blew a roof through my bedroom wall, I have an irrational fear of windy, stormy days.
I am terrified of heights, I also hate going to the dentist despite never having a bad experience.
Oops. I think I just answered this on Vavoom's blog, lol. (Stairs!)
But I have another one for ya... Germs.
Germs, and viruses, and fungi, and all those little things that live on and around us that we can't see. And even some that we can see, like baby spiders. Adult spiders aren't that bad, but baby spiders? You know if you see one, there's a billion more close by just waiting to crawl all over you! Auuugh!
Oh, and semi trucks. Semis (?) are way too big, and way too near. I don't like them, either.
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