Dentist Phobia -(Not For The Squeamish!) - Any Idea?

[andy-hughes]

For years I had a serious phobia about dentists, and required tranquilising to be able to enter the building, never mind up the stairs, into the surgery, and then sit in the chair.

Eighteen years afgo, I had an appointment, and my wife called to say she could not collect our youngest from school, which meant that i could not have my tranquilisers and drive the car, so i attended the dentist withou them, and was fine.

No problems, no more sedation for the intervening eighteen years, inlcuding a couple of root canal fillings.

Today, I attended an emergecy appointment with another dentist at my usucal practice - my dentist was booked up. I was advised that I had a fractured tooth which needed urgent extraction, so I agreed to have it done there and then.

With no feeling or fear or panic, i advised that i felt faint, and when i woke up, I found that I had vomited and gone into shock - I awoke with the proverbial crowd around me - various nurses and my own dentist from next door.

So - given that my conscious mind has no problem with the dentist, I am intrigued by my reaction - any theories?

[jno]

Octavius, yes, that's also true. Dentists 40 years ago just didn't care.

andy, just ignore dumb comments about being a wuss. Concern over pain is normal.