Really Bad Dentist Phobia

Today I had my first dentist appointment in... about 2 years or so. The simple fact of the matter is that when encountering a dentist, I freak. Severely.
He only checked my teeth, and when he tried to poke around with a metal pick I clammed my jaw shut and refused to let him look at anything until he had put down the sharp object. The miniature mirror was bad enough. Then he asked me to sit down in a special chair and take an x-ray.
All my life I have been reared on the knowledge that x-rays are terrible things that can cause cancer, etc, etc..
and so I freaked and refused.
I felt so cornered, so angry. On one hand I have a toothache that keeps me up until 9am, and on the other hand I have a fear so strong that when forced to look at it the only thing I could think of was "suicide."
My mum got worried, and talked to my dad, and they want to make some changes in my diet, and force me to eat fish. I'm a vegetarian, by the way. After that I have to develop courage from nowhere and go and get a filling, because according to the dentist it's a main molar, so it cannot be extracted.
What I wanted was a sleeping pill, or some laughing gas, and then to have the tooth quickly extracted. So now that that option is gone I'm seriously stuck in a dead end. I wish that I had the words to explain what going to the dentist feels like for me. I wish. If someone could finally understand what I have to go through, then I would be one step closer to being... at peace, I guess.

Yeah, not going to happen. Every person who bothers to comment on my phobia just tells me that I'm a coward who has has to "grow a backbone" and stop whining.
At least my parents actually woke up from their daze and realized that I have a serious problem.

//T.L.//

Thank you for the support :)
I was sure I was going to get a dozen "chill, girl, and stop being a stupid coward" answers, so it was really nice to know that other people have the same problems. :-D

//T.L.//

I hate dentists as much as war. but i deal with it. ur lucky i go every 6 months.
♥ Jigaboo ♥

i never had a problem with dentists... i had a nice, sweet dentist that was friendly...

and then, on the day of my appointment, she was off at the hospital having her baby.

i had a subsitute.

the subsitute didn't seem to know anything about teeth; it looked like he was pretending to know what to do!

he used the metal scratching tool on my ~fillings~.... gah. it was scary. he gave me toothaches; i didn't have toothaches until after he took out my fillings with that tool...

when i left the dentist's, my mouth was bleeding.

now i have a huge crack in my left molar.

soo im not scared of dentists... im scared of ~subsitute~ dentists!!

dentists definitely suck, take it from someone who's had braces twice, headgear, cavity fillings, the works. the fact of the matter is though, if you don't want your teeth rotting out of your mouth you gotta suck it up. you might want to consider getting professional help to discuss it and you should definitely discuss your fear with the dentist. if they don't know they're freaking you out, they can't help you. if they're not helpful, you should find a more sensitive dentist.

I totally HATE dentists (as jigaboo said) as much as war!!!
But you know what my brother loves going to the dentist. he says his teeth feel grungy. well brush um for god's sake!!!

*~Panzie~*

@}---}---

haha;; Never get braces than!! I have to go to the orthadontist every 5 weeks. and Every 6 months to get teeth cleaned. I have had to get two surgical exposures. But weird thing.. I really like going to the dentist. and orthadontist. I didn't feel any pain with my surgical exposures.. and the laughing gas rocked. like totally. lol. :]]

I would love to get gassed.. drugged, whatever. Anything so that I can just black out and skip the ordeal of pain and fear.
I've had this phobia for so long, I couldn't imagine life without it.
My only idea is to take my mp3 player and play REALLY loud music while the drill is on, and read a book at the same time. He also has a TV in his office. I'll ask him to turn that on. And I think I'll take some tranquilizers or something, just so that I can avoid going hysterical.

Thank you for the funny anecdotes, everyone. :)

//T.L.//

Wow...You kinda sound like me. I haven't been to a dentist in 4 years though. I won't even let them look inside my mouth. Last time they told me I have something like 8 cavities. Which was a total lie and they were trying to stick a really long needle in my mouth. (I'm not even that bad when I have my blood drawn which I have to every 6 months cause I'm Diabetic) I started flipping out!!!! Its like Come on thats my dang mouth!!!!! haha then the time before that I threw up all over them. I gag when anything goes in my mouth that isn't food!! That is a good idea about the MP3 player! Hmm... Maybe I'll have to try that if I ever decide to go back! haha

~Shae

:) hey don't worry my father is a dentist too,even he is a really funny and reliable man,i fear too...

I love my dentist, he's nice and always makes me laugh when he's poking about which is nice.
However, i've never had a tooth out, thats the one thing i'm scared of. Fillings and check ups don't bother me.
Does your dentist have like a world map on the ceiling. Cos looking at that takes your mind of things if that helps?
*Gem*