I got over my fear of dentists by being very very upfront w/the dentist about my fear. That way, she knew to be gentle w/me. I was so afraid of novocaine shots when I was a teenager/young adult, I used to have cavities filled with NO novocaine.

If you already have a good dentist, take him to that person. If not, ask around for recommendations. My current dentist is just wonderful.

I've had a good bit of work done -- one root canal, four crowns, and several inlays (removed old fillings). The only thing that freaked me out was the shot in the roof of my mouth when I had the root canal.

With enough novocaine, he won't feel a thing.