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How can I get over my head shaking during X-rays?

Hello,  When I was a child I was in the chair at a routine dentist appointment and was having an X- ray, I was told to keep my head really still, and all of a sudden, my head started shaking, I couldn’t control it and was really embarrassed. I am now 30 years old and still suffer with the same problem. I went to the dentist a few months ago as I’ m having problems with a wisdom tooth and when I had an X- ray my head was shaking like mad, I nearly cried with shame, my dentist has referred me to a dentist that does sedation as I need to have my wisdom tooth extracted and I’ m now scared I will need another X- ray at this new dental surgery, please tell me I’ m not the only person who suffers with this head shaking problem, and how can I stop it from happening? Thank you

Before you do anything else please ask to be referred to a practice that has an X ray machine that takes an X ray outside your mouth .
You just stand with a small peg between your teeth and the machine goes round you .
Its called an OPG or DPT . They are often used for wisdom teeth extractions. so the sedation practice may have one .
Lots of people have difficulties with having X rays inside the mouth its not uncommon , but obviously has an effect on being able to make proper diagnoses .
Please don’t be embarrassed dentists have to deal with people who find it difficult every day , and have to find a solution .
The other thing that can happen is that it becomes a conditioned response , in other words you expect it to happen so it does every time .
But the simplest answer is the extra-oral X ray , and this can then be used for a while in the future possibly for other treatments .Hope this helps
Jenny

Answer provided by: Dr Jennifer Pinder Retired
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