# Anxiety Disorders > Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) >  >  I'm so scared to go to the dentist?

## CeCe

I haven't seen a dentist for almost 10 years. I'm not sure why but I seem to have developed a massive phobia of going to the dentist, despite never having had any traumatic experiences.

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## Cassie

I hope you get the courage to go it?s okay to be anxious over that it?s better to go and get a cleaning etc then to keep holding it off. 


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## Cuchculan

A dentist would be more used to anxious people than you might ever imagine. I am sure they get loads of people who are the same. Just because they don't have an anxiety disorder, it does not mean their anxiety about going to the dentist would be different. A dentist would know how to deal with such people. Might not be as bad as you are thinking.

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## Cassie

> A dentist would be more used to anxious people than you might ever imagine. I am sure they get loads of people who are the same. Just because they don't have an anxiety disorder, it does not mean their anxiety about going to the dentist would be different. A dentist would know how to deal with such people. Might not be as bad as you are thinking.



Good advice!!


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## Goat

What do you think will happen if you go to the dentist?

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## Shredder

Letting the dentist know is the best place to start. 
I had a tooth abyss that was causing me a great deal of pain but I just left it because I didn't want to go to the dentist. It took me 12 months with a constant raging infection in my jaw for it to get so bad that I had to go and get the tooth pulled.  I told them I have anxiety (normally I don't tell that to anyone) and the staff and the dentist were amazing and really looked after me.  I had to get there early on the day of the extraction as they gave me some diazepam to help calm my nerves. 
I believe nitrous oxide can also be an option if required (that's the top shelf stuff!)  ::D:

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## firestar

There were a few years when I didn't go to the dentist - something like 3 or 4, I think. I ended up finally biting the bullet and getting my teeth cleaned. I confessed that my teeth were terrible but that I wanted to make a new start. My teeth are still terrible, but at least I don't have to worry anymore. I see the dentist every 3 months. 

In my case, it wasn't that I had a traumatic experience, but that I just didn't like my family's dentist. The dentist was a man with a brusque, somewhat rude personality. My dentist now is a very nice woman, a decade or two older than me, and I'm much more comfortable around her.

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## CeCe

This thread was brought back up so I thought I'd share an update. It went ok. I had 2 small fillings and he said my teeth looked really good for not going in for such a long period of time.

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## firestar

> This thread was brought back up so I thought I'd share an update. It went ok. I had 2 small fillings and he said my teeth looked really good for not going in for such a long period of time.



Congrats! The first step is always the hardest.

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