Fear of dentists

If it's your wisdom tooth I think you can be put to sleep, or just go for a local anaesthetic, when I had my 4 wisdom teeth out (2 each time, yuk) it was just a local. However I had braces as a kid, and lots of teeth extractions (the joys of a mouth like a shark with waaaay too many teeth for my mouth!) so I wasn't overly bothered.

And before you go for the "put me to sleep" option, try to see if you can work up the courage to just go for a local, as a general anasethetic is a far more serious route with more possible complications to consider than a local.

Is the pain in the back of your jaw/mouth? chances are it's a wisdom tooth coming up if it's at the back, you should go for a checkup to see what the problem is as you may not even be in a position to get the wisdom extracted if it's not up far enough yet, sorry to say:( so don't get yourself worked up just yet, you might not even have to have the tooth out.

And it is possible to get over a bad experience, as a kid I had a monstrous dentist, she was a total and utter cow and I'd be screaming in agony like all her other patients, and she'd tell me to stop being a baby and actually slapped me once when I roared - she'd jam the needle in waaay too far and hit bone, and then not wait for it to take effect and rip the tooth out with brute force.
Thankfully she was forced out of practice due to barbaric methods, but I'm telling you this to let you know you can get over a traumatic experience - if your own dentist is rough, or you have had a bad experience with him/her, try going to another dentist, and ask around for recommendations from your friends and family, someone will be able to recommend a gentle and patient dentist who will be able to treat your problem, and possibly help you get over your fear of tooth extraction. Good luck.

For some unknown reason I've fear of dentists too. I can't explain why. But my fear caused me to put off going to a dentist a few years back - and man, did I have an ordeal to go through because of the amount of times I put off having the problem seen to. I ended up having to have an apisectomy which was both highly uncomfortable and costly. Since then I've learnt that despite the fear, dental problems need to be addressed like any other medical problem - as soon as possible. So now I just grin and bear it. Not easy, but definitely necessary.

I got 4 wisdom teeth out under general last year, it was great as I obviuosly didn't feel a thing and when I woke it was like I'd been asleep for a few minutes rather than a few hours.

I really don't like going to the dentist but had to go a few weeks ago, the dentist said that I was getting better as when I was younger it was a major task to get me into the chair at all, however when he was drilling to put in a filling he said I looked like I was going to have a stress heart attack at any second!!

I had braces when I was younger, and I have nightmares about them to this day.
I also had a few bad experiences with some dentists over the last couple of years..

I had a toothache during the year, and was dreading (DREADING!) going to get it looked at. I chose 'Smiles' on O'Connell Street. I haven't looked back since. The dentist was so friendly, explained everything before he did it, and I hardly felt a thing. I went back again this evening for a follow up filling. I didn't get the same dentist, as he'd left to start his own practice, but the dentist I had tonight was just as good. I'd recommend them in a second!

Point is, bad experiences can really put you off, but there are some great dentists out there, and it needn't be a nightmare.

Re getting put to sleep.. the dentist needs to get in an anesthetist to put you out, so it's not that common. I think you'd need to go to a dental hospital.

K.