Oh Judy!!! I’m a dental whimp too! I hope it goes well, just keep your mind focused on the end result...which I’m guessing will be no more tooth ache?

If you haven't already, consider calling the dentist's office and telling them you are feeling nervous. They can help.

But even so, focus on how much better off you will be when it's over and done!

I know this won't help...you will still be nervous, as I am every time. But, I have

had a few extractions over the years, and I can honestly say, that I have never

felt any pain with it, and I certainly have with other procedures...fillings, etc. I think the thinking about it is the worst. No...it isn't fun, but shouldn't be painful.

Good Luck to you!!!!!

funny thing is there is no tooth pain, but a very sharp edge irritating my tongue. 45 minutes and counting.....

Just keep telling yourself that the dentist deemed that this tooth needs to come out. And that you want the best for your mouth. Just keep doing that for the next 45 minutes. Also keep telling yourself while you're in the chair that this will be over soon this will be over soon this will be over soon. Do lots of shoulder shrugs tightening your shoulders up towards your hat ears and then relaxing them before you said it down in the chair too. It helps to keep your shoulders or relaxed consciously make your shoulders and arms relaxed as often as you can. It helps to focus on other things besides the procedure.

I was nervous all the time going to the dentist and I just started telling myself this is the best for my health and my heart and it really helped to put it into perspective. You've made it Loom over you. It will be over soon I promise and you will be fine. You have great resiliency. :-)

I get "laughing gas", my insurance won't cover it but it's worth $75 to me. I cannot stand having anything done in my mouth either so I feel your pain (pun intended) trying to make you laugh...did it work?

Try to approach it with a sense of wonder and curiosity...how much skill they have, how many years of training they've gone through, how much experience they have, how medical technology has changed, what improvements they've made to make it easier for you. It's not the simplest thing, but changing your perspective and approach to the situation will reduce your anxiety.

Best of luck to you!

Good luck. When it is over, you will probably realize you had nothing to fear.

Just doing a quick fly-by to check on you. :) Hope you are smiling now.

I have had many extractions over the years.......including all my top teeth (those that remained) for a denture. While it is never a pleasant experience - I can think of several thousand things I'd rather do - it IS pretty much painless. I did have mild sedation with the denture extractions, which did make things a lot easier to handle.

I don't want to scare you off and with only one tooth being pulled it may not make any difference but IMO, it is the noise of the extraction that is the most disturbing. If the office doesn't have headphones and music, bring your iPod and listen to some soothing (or rousing R&R if you prefer) tunes to mask the sound. It really helps :-)

It'll be over before you know it; well, it probably is over by now. Hope it went well.

When I have to do something that makes me nervous or uncomfortable, I do a little chant in my head that goes like this: "I can do anything for one minute, I can do anything for one minute, I can do anything for one minute..." and pretty soon one minute has passed and then another and next thing I know whatever it is is done.

I hope all went well. I used to be a dental wimp, too. I blame it on a dentist I went to as a child who did a filling with NO novocaine. I neglected dental care for years because of the anxiety and the feeling I would have a heart attack in the chair, as well as feeling smothered.

I finally had to brave the fear and went to a dentist, recommended by friends, who happened to be a woman. What a different experience for me and I realized some of my anxiety was having a man I didn't know in such intimate, close proximity to me. She worked with me to lessen my fear and I also discovered I was hyper sensitive to epinephrine used in novocaine. it made my heart race out of my chest and I found out that they can use novocaine with NO epinephrine. What a difference.

The last thing I learned was to close my eyes and not look at any instruments, especially the shot! It hurt a lot less (not at all really) when I didn't see what was coming. I'm now a champ patient, have had an implant and a couple of root canals with no fear AT ALL. And I can now see a male provider with no anxiety. It all went away.

I hope the same for you someday!

Hope it went well for you!

Waiting to hear that all is well.

It did not come out, I thought I was going to get it pulled since that's what I asked for. He does not think it should be pulled. And did nothing!! I said can you put a temp filling in- NO can you file it down-NO can you do anything to get rid of the sharp edge- NO. Not impressed to say the least. Going to another dentist in the near future. UGH...… Of course it needs a crown, $$$$$

Seems to me, it could be numbed and ground down a little, that’s what my dentist would do, in fact I have a chipped front tooth and he will do that. Crowns aren’t always needed, that’s their way of making more $$$$

Well that's frustrating! Definitely find yourself a new dentist. :(

I was at the dentist yesterday just for a cleaning and check-up. For the first time ever I had a male hygienist and I swear he believes that plaque is the enemy of all, the scourge of the earth. Fortunately I never have much plaque. Otherwise he did a good job.

I know from what my own dentist says and does is that they will work really hard to save a tooth rather that pull it in order to save the integrity of the jaw and mouth.

I had a really sharp part cutting my tongue, too. I guess a piece had broken off. My dentist took a file, smoothed it off and didn't even charge me for the couple of minutes it took him. I don't understand why your guy wouldn't smooth off the sharpness.

Judy...glad your ok. What your saying sounds right...just file the rough edge. Yes, a 2nd dentist would be a good idea.

I just broke a tooth, had it capped. Six hours and 2 teeth later, oh and a $1000(I have dental insurance or it would have been $1800)....seems my back up dentist office had been sold. All new dentists. I didn't see anyone from the old staff. My regular dentist is wonderful....but even if she'd had an opening, she can't make teeth in the office in 30 minutes. She still uses old technology and a lab to make caps. Takes 6 weeks to get one made.

Well, that is odd. Definitely time for a second opinion. I agree with what was posted above; save the tooth if at all possible.

Dentists who pull teeth specialize in pulling.

If you think your dentist would recommend a crown because they would make more money find a new dentist.

Just filing down a tooth is only sometimes possible. Maintaining the proper height of a tooth is important because the tooth opposite can move to meet that tooth if the tooth is short. I learned that when I had a wisdom tooth break and they pulled it and the one opposite for that reason. Crowns also help distribute stress on the tooth keeping it from cracking under use.

Ability, experience, common sense, and patient empathy vary considerably from dentist to dentist. Some of you really need to move on and find a new dentist. It's not all that unusual but some of these episodes fall short of what's reasonable to expect. Especially yours, Nicole. That dentist sounds inept.

Dental procedures should involve a minimum of pain and stress. If you
get worked up about it before you even walk in the door, the
likelihood/chances of having a tolerable experience are greatly reduced. A procedure with the right dentist should be positive, comfortable and effective, something you want to tell others about and one for which no anxiety is produced for future visits. Everyone should have a dentist who will give you such experiences, and a dentist who puts patient well-being before their own. They're around to be found.