I’m panicking about going to the dentist. What should I do?

I can tell you that you belong to a much wider group than you think.
Over more than 30 years of clinical practice I’ve treated, and still do, many patients that tell me,
on the first appointment, that they are scared to death of going to the dentist.
It is fundamental to establish a firm trusting relationship and we have to pay special attention
while treating people to whom going to the dentist is a nightmare.
I’ve never done sedation, I’m a doctor and for many years I was a Maxillofacial Surgeon at the
hospital and I wouldn’t feel comfortable sedating patients without having an Anesthesiologist
present. I know this is questionable but this is how I feel. Besides I have never felt the need of
sedating in order to treat patients.
In some cases and rarely I advise taking an anxiolytic like Xanax one hour before the appointment
(in which case the patient should not drive to the clinic).