I know this isn’t much help to you but I do honestly sympathise as I too panicked at the thought of sedation at the dentist.
It bought back the horrors of my childhood clinic visits, the smell of the rubber apron and the mask over my face.
I found a very sympathetic dentist who held my hand and explained everything to me and promised I would be in a twilight world and dreaming.
I was practically carried in on the dreaded day by my son and again my lovely dentist held my hand and I didn’t even know he had given me the injection, I remember nothing, I didn’t dream, I just opened my eyes and wondered why I was lying on a bed with a nurse saying my name. I was genuinely shocked to be presented with three of my teeth in a plastic pot and told I had been an excellent patient as I had a couple of stitches and I had been out for half an hour.
Please don’t be afraid, find a kind understanding dentist, ask around, meet with them before and I’m sure with gentle breathing exercises you will be fine. My dentist has retired now and I am hoping to find a new one so I’m doing a search at the moment, and I will go through exactly the same as yes I’m still panicking a little but I think we are allowed that.