Fear of dentistry, hypnotherapy?

Also if you haven't been for a while you will be pleasantly suprised how much dentistry has improved-don't like going nyself but have found the most incredibly gentle dentist in Dubai who removed all my fears

Great post beachymaria and well done for biting the bullet! Synergy clinic on Al Wasl Road have a Hypnotherapist I think, although I've no personal experience from them. Had hypnotherapy done years ago (UK) for a phobia of injections. Aside from being an interesting experience it worked, and although injections can still be an issue, it's manageable. Going to the dentist regularly is so important, so good for you too karengard for doing something about it.

So... its confession time everyone. I have to say that I finally went to see the dentist (last week) after 24 years of total avoidance and denial !!! He did a double take when he read on my form "Last appointment: 1986 or 87" and "current dental conditions : Unknown" So, Karen I totally feel your pain in this phobia ! I went to the guy that everyone here recommends (Dr Madhu in Karama) and he was a saint. I didnt feel anything, and he played loud Modern Talking and Aha music to drown out the noise. I had to have fillings and didnt feel the injection going in or anything after that. He takes his time and will slow right down to reduce pressure etc. He explains everything he is doing and even hid the needle behind his back until I closed my eyes. I almost fell asleep in the chair. My phobia is the sharp pokey steel thing they use to dig around in the beginning and I panic when I get too many things in my mouth and feel like gagging/choking. Anyway, I do quite a lot of meditation and did some intensive stuff in India too, and what I did was stay totally in the moment. Dont try and anticipate what may come next as thats what sends us into panic. Also, a good trick I found was to concrentrate on breathing through your nose the whole time which keeps the focus, and the breathe, away from your mouth and you wont need to swallow etc. He said he would also do mouth numbing/ deaden the mouth for some patients who have trouble with simple cleaning and scaling appointments so they feel nothing at all from the beginning. He used a hand held xray pen thingy in my mouth so not to use the sharp metal thingy too much as it frightens me. Good luck my dear ! I was very very proud of myself and actually felt good afterwards after overcoming my chronic phobia for so long (I had to laugh at the irony of being able to handle the pain of lasering my bikini which is so painful and also going for blood tests, paps etc and in reality they are more intrusive / painful than the dentist was...) <em>edited by beachymaria on 07/02/2011</em>