Toothache.

You'll get thru this just like you get thru everything, you are a strong woman.

Remember what I said, dentists have come a long way since you were last there. LOVE that sedation, even the novocaine isn't so bad anymore. Be sure they know how scared you are. Sometimes they will give you a little laughing gas, ha ha ha ha h a Sometimes headphones so you don't have to hear the tools, but the tools are dramatically quieter and better now. NOT the jackhammer you are imagining.

Don't wait, the longer you wait, the worse the infection can get, or seem better, but just be walled off into a huge abscess waiting in the wings. (to strike when you least can deal with it)

omg! i just went through a toothache ordeal so i really feel for you. :-(

here are some household "pain relievers" you can try:

oil of peppermint (the only thing that truly worked for mine)
oil of cloves or ground up cloves if you have whole cloves in your spice rack
aspirin put directly IN the tooth (this worked for me too)
also, massage the area in between your thumb and forefinger. somewhere in the middle you will find a "painful" spot. this is a pressure point. massage and then press and hold for a minute (this can help)

for fear: exhale longer than you inhale. inhale while you count to seven, hold for the count of two, then exhale to the count of eleven. 7-2-11. all the while, do your best to concentrate on the numbers as you count. try not to let your thoughts "run the show."

it's okay to be afraid of the dentist. i am too. i hate him. her. them. i always think: "what kind of person wants to be a dentist?" funny thing is, they are generally nice people and they want you out of pain too. they really do.

you can do this. you really can. just remember, in a day or so, this will all be a memory ("ooh! remember when i had that awful toothache? gad! i thought it would never end!" you'll say). a year from now, you'll hardly remember the incident at all.

good luck to you. and godspeed too!

gypsyblue