sedation dentistry question?

I'm terrified of going to the dentist - because of this my teeth have been suffering. Well as of friday i have had the worst tooth ache ever, it hurts if i close my mouth and my teeth touch that tooth. I havent been to the dentist since i was a kid (im 20 now) I was wondering about sedation dentistry...is it safe? Also i don't think we have dental insurance, so how much will it cost? I don't know what to do, im suffering with this toothache, but im embarrassed to go to a regular dentist, and i fear the pain..
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I feel your pain, as i just went to the dentist for the first time in 14 years last Thursday (after a traumatizing dental experience as a kid), and lucky me, I found myself in the dental surgeon's office the next day getting an abscessed tooth pulled. All the while, my dental phobia is well on it's way to being out of my life. As far as sedation goes, some dentists will give you two pills to take; one an hour before your appointment, and one when you get to the office. This will pretty much put you in a relaxed state of mind, not having a care in the world. Some also offer laughing gas, IV sedation, etc etc. Mind you, for IV sedation and such, your toothache will be nothing compared to your bill. Even when they pulled my tooth, they used Novocaine, and I was so numbed up, I was actually amused by slapping myself before the doctor came to get the work done! If I were you, I'd just take a deep breath, call up the office, let them know of your fear, and go on in. Just tell your dentist about your fear, and if he's a good dentist, he will be understanding. More than likely, he's going to just look at the tooth that's been bugging you, take a few X-Rays, and that'll be it. Especially with your toothache, I definately wouldn't let that go. If it's abscessed, and you let it continue on it's course, it can become life threatening. Good luck to you, I hope you feel better soon. =EDIT= I looked up IV sedation, and you're looking at $250.00 for that alone, the simple tooth extraction being around $80 if you needed that (may or may not.)
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