Taking The Plunge But Still Need Some Help

First off, let me say thanks to whoever came up with this site, I've been lurking on it for the past few days and just reading everyone else's stories makes me feel like I am not such a freak for having a fear of a dentist.

My last dentist's visit was just before my 20th birthday. I'm 22 now, and hadn't been back for an exam. This was largely because the hygenist cleaning my teeth did so in such a fashion it literally felt like she had pulled out each tooth one by one and cleaned them before putting them back in. I used to "premedicate" before my visit to help with that feeing, and that time it didn't work. My mouth was sore for two days after the visit.

Yesterday, I decided enough was enough, and that I didn't want to end up like my father, who I'm pretty sure doesn't even bother going anymore ever since he quit smoking. I picked up the phone and made an appointment for the 23rd, and I have never felt so proud in my life. I feel like this site gave me the courage to do so, and I can't thank everyone enough for it.

I still have some nerves building up now, and will probably continue to do so until the exam. About a week ago I noticed a tiny brown spot the size of a pin point in the middle of my second to last molar on my bottom left side. I'm pretty sure it's a cavity, but there's no painful sensitivity there despite the rest of my teeth being sensitive. If I run my tongue over it it feels rough, but it doesn't catch. Looking in the mirror I can see what looks like white stuff in the grooves of the bite surface of the molar. I'm unsure if this is the "halo" everyone refers to with cavities or if they are actually what is left of the sealants I had placed in my younger years. Since I discovered it I've taken extra care in brushing near that area and have started using a restoring mouthwash to see if it's really just a soft spot or a stain.

A wisdom tooth has started erupting in my upper right side of my mouth. I've thankfully been blessed with only two, and both on the top, so if they do get pulled it'll be easier to prevent dry socket. The other hasn't erupted yet, which concerns me because that's awful late. The one that has erupted also concerns me because it's almost straight down, but not quite. The side of the molar that faces inside the mouth is a bit further in than it should be, with the side facing out of the mouth facing a bit up toward the inside of my cheek. I'm convinced it's impacted, because it's diagonal, but wasn't sure because it has almost finished erupting and the bite surface has almost completely emerged. When I booked my appointment I asked for a referral since my usual guy doesn't do the pulling himself.

I am a bit nervous about what to expect. In the past, I have taken my iPod in with me while they work because it makes an excellent distraction (at least until they try to talk to you), but because it has been two years I am sure they will be more thorough with my exam, have plenty of questions, and of course the two problems I mentioned above. I've been trying to take this in stride, jokingly telling myself if I can get through a pelvic exam without sedation, having a tooth filled with Novocaine shouldn't be an issue. But it's still the procedure involved that frightens me, or the possibility that I might need a root canal instead or even worse, an extraction. I guess I like to go in with a pretty good idea of what they will say instead of being surprised once I get in the chair.

So far my family and friends have been excellent help. My mother understands I am phobic, and the dentist I am seeing is one she sees. I actually went to him when I was younger, but when we moved he was too far a drive so my brother and I went to a pediatric dentist until I entered college. I then went back to this one, and I love him. He's very gentle with his patients, and my mother swears by him. She's had root canals and crowns put in by him, and she claims she never feels a thing. My friend was over with me today and we discussed wisdom teeth, and he recommended me an oral surgeon who he adored. She did such a good job putting him out he barely remembered being there, had little to no pain thanks to some codeine, and was actually eating solid foods like steak by day 4. And he had 4 teeth pulled.

So I guess to sum it up I'm looking for possible answers to what the stain-like thing is on my molar, whether that wisdom tooth (or teeth) will need to be pulled, and how to keep calm and relaxed at my exam in two weeks.

Thanks so much for reading, and I look forward to being an active member here and hopefully helping others here too. Making the call seriously helped me calm down some about my fear, because I've realized the sooner I take care of this, the less likely it will get worse down the line.

Hi Nashida

Welcome to the forum.

Great choice in deciding to say "no" to the fear. Anxiety lessens when you confront that which you are afraid of. You are not alone. Dental anxiety is very widespread and effects people of all ages. The only solution is to face the fear and not let it control you. Which is what you are choosing to do.

Based upon what you are saying, the odds of needing a root canal on that tooth with the pinpoint area is probably about zero. It could be nothing or a tiny area that needs cleaning up and some bonding.

Anxiety causes us to believe the worst will happen. This is because fear of the unknown is the anxiety monsters favorite food.

Many people do not get all four wisdom teeth. They can also come in at different times. You are young so what you are experiencing is not unusual.

Wisdom teeth are not usually extracted unless there is not enough room for them or other issues.

I am confident your potential problems are minimal. The fear and worry is causing you more discomfort than any dental procedure.

You have a dentist you know and trust which is a huge part of the battle. Learn from professional athletes, do not rehearse failure. Focus on everything that can go right, not on what can go wrong.

Believing in yourself and your ability to deal with what ever you are dealing with is a major part of overcoming the fear. This is because the fear works overtime to convince us we are hopeless and helpless. This is not true. You are choosing to be proactive. You will do great.

Thanks Stress Doc, good to know my anxiety is fairly common. I'm my family's "what-iffer": I always tend to focus on the what-ifs of a given situation rather than try to focus on what it is.

I'm still feeling pretty confident now, but we'll see what happens when the 23rd rolls around. My mom has an appointment the Saturday before to finish fixing a broken crown, I'm sure by then I'll start wigging out.

Anything I should do the day of the exam to prevent that pain from the scraping? I swear I get a deep cleaning at each exam, and I'm sure I'll get one at some degree at my next appointment. I used to take two Tylenol pills a half hour before my cleaning, but the last cleaning I got those pills didn't even work.

I'm also concerned about my sensitivity. It mostly affects my front teeth, but at times my whole mouth has painful twinges when exposed to heat, cold, or sweets. I had chalked it up to acid erosion but I'm wondering what else it could be. I'm panning on bringing it up at my appointment to see if maybe I can get some kind of fluoride prescription or something to build up a defense against the sensitivity.

Hello Nashida!

Firstly, congratulations on making the appointment! That's one of the biggest steps.

I too am a 22 year old dental phobic. I had a very traumatic experience with my orthodontist as a child and my phobia escalated since. Between the ages of 14 and 18 I went once due to to an abscess and severe pain and was treated terribly in relation to my phobia. This combined with the dreaded words 'root canal' caused me to flee and not return....until this week. I was chewing on a mint and my upper premolar on the right side (the offender that is already filled and needed root canal years back) broke off leaving roughly half a tooth and a full filling intact. This coupled with what I thought was the state of my mouth pushed me to call a dental surgery my father visits in hysteria - I was scheduled in for a consultation appointment the next day (yesterday). I had 10mg of diazepam before I went, and although I was sure this had no effect, I did not cry a tear nor have a panic attack (a first). This coupled with my wonderfully understanding and patient dentist meant that although I was only scheduled for a consultation with no touching of my mouth, I managed a full checkup, three x-rays, and filing down of my broken tooth (with a temporary filling put on). I really couldn't have done it without him, he was absolutely amazing. You're dentist also sounds brilliant

As for your fears about what they may find, I believe our imagination runs away with us in these situations when we are experiencing anxiety.
I was sure my broken tooth would need to be extracted and I would need many root canals and fillings etc. In reality my dentist told me I had a generally healthy mouth and gums and needed a crown on the broken one and one small surface filling on a molar on the opposite side of my mouth along with a scale and polish. What you are seeing could simply be plaque, with us not going to the dentist in so long we miss out on the cleanings everybody else generally gets twice a year. Some things your toothbrush just can't get off! The sensitivity could be just that - many people have sensitive teeth that are otherwise healthy. I have a friend who has terribly sensitive teeth but has never had/needed one filling, and she frequents the dentist.
I wouldn't worry about your wisdom teeth not being all there, I'm actually 23 this year and don't have any! My dentist yesterday said that if anything this is a blessing rather than a curse as they serve no purpose anyway and he doesn't think I will ever get them. Also, I don't know if you are in the UK (on the NHS), but due to it being a somewhat complicated dental procedure, wisdom teeth are generally only extracted if causing pain.

Your pain with the scale and polish last time is likely just a bad experience due to a rushed/insensitive hygenist; your mother has had much more extensive work done from the dentist you are visiting and has never felt any pain!

To sum up, you have nothing to worry about. I too am a huge worrier and 'what-if' person in general, but please believe me when I say that if I can do it then anybody can. I have been known to vomit, cry, have panic attacks and faint in the dentist and managed yesterday without a hitch. The feeling of being so proud of myself afterward far outweighed any fear or anxiety I experienced while in the surgery.

Best of luck to you and know that many people have gone through this and are here to support you.

Peace
xx

I hate to bump this, but now my appointment's a week away and I'm still getting the nerves.

I'm still not sure what those white things in the grooves of my teeth are. I've tried to tel myself those are the sealants from my youth, but I live sticky food so much there's no way they could have lasted that long. My younger brother, who loves teasing me about my fear, told me it's calcification, the same thing his orthodontist found after removing his braces (he pretty much never practices any oral hygiene whatsoever, he just waits until he's sitting in their chair to have his teeth cleaned). That's just opened up a whole new wave of anxiety for me, because I have no idea what that is and have no intention to try and look it up either (Google + fear = DANGER, abort mission!).

I had my friend over yesterday and was talking with him about my fear, and he asked to take a look at my "cavity". He's definitely not a dentist (but a psychology major, lucky me!), but he thinks it's a very deep stain because of how grooved my tooth surface is. He's got two such stains on his own teeth, and they honestly look like a mountain range on a map. He had me take a floss pick and try to put the pointed end where I thought the cavity was (bad idea, I know.) It caught....I felt no pain but the tip caught for a second, and it's a fairly large, flat tip roughly the size of a pencil point. He saw the color drain from my face assured me it was because of my tooth's surface area, saying if I were to take that tooth out and get a cross-section of it, where the point stuck was in an area shaped like a V, so it was going to catch. But I still don't feel reassured.

I still have a week to go and part of me feels ready to burst out and cry...

Hi

White can be a number from plaque to pre-caries. Nothing to worry about. A good cleaning and you should be fine. They might need a sealant or a bit of bonding material.

I seriously doubt you have any big problems with your teeth, other than thinking about them constantly will drive you crazy.

Minor issues can be solved easily. Put away the mirror, flashlight and anything else. Also, no prodding, poking or the like.

The pain from the anxiety, stress and fear is 1000 times worse than any dental visit.

Trust your dentist. You will be in good hands. All the worry in the world will not change your teeth. It will make your life miserable and feed the fear monster.

Every time you want to stare at your teeth or talk about them, go for a walk. Do not give into the desire to feed the monster.

I work with an excellent dentist. We see many people that have worried themselves sick or things that are very minor. The first thing we tell our guests is; Thank you for coming. We want to help you ease your fears and restore your dental health. You are in good hands, let's chat.

I can virtually promise you that you will be fine. I am not discounting what you are feeling as it is very real. You are not weak or a baby or anything else. We all have challenges we face in life and confronting them is scary. You are doing the right thing.

Facing fear takes a great deal of courage. The fear intensifies because "the dental fear monster" (my own name for it. I actually have developed a cute graphic I use.) does not want to lose control. It lives because the fear feeds it. As you take action to move forward the monster starves, grows weak and will die (No one will turn you in to the society for the prevention of cruelty to fear monsters.)

You will beat this. Believe in yourself and your ability. You are more than the sum of your fears. I give this small poem to our guests at the dental office.

"All is well do not fret. All is great just not yet"

Relax, you will do great.

Blessings

Hi, Nashida,
I SO agree with everything Stress Doc has eloquently said.
The anxiety over a looming dental visit is SO MUCH WORSE than the actual visit itself.
I had built up fear of dental visits for over 20 years when finally pain won out and I made an appointment. Of course, I was freaked out over what was the dentist going to find, will ALL my teeth need to be extracted, etc.,etc.,
Sure, I needed some extractions, but just a few (not all 32 like I was anticipating) and the dentist actually gave me a compliment on my oral hygiene. He said that since I brushed my teeth so well that the rest my teeth were in pretty good condition. Imagine that, a COMPLIMENT from a dentist!!!
The first appointment is usually just X-Rays, an assessment of what's going on, a get-to-know you visit.
I have had quite a few dental treatments in the past 2 years and I can assure you they are virtually painless!!
Try to keep busy during this time of waiting. Try NOT to think about the appointment (I know, easier said than done, but if you're busy, that will certainly help) Also, once you get past the appointment, try to reward yourself with a little something.....a magazine you like but don't normally buy...that way , maybe you can focus on looking forward on the little reward and maybe not so much on the visit itself.
Please STOP looking at your teeth.....nothing is going to get THAT much worse in the next week and a half......all you are doing is causing yourself undue anxiety...I know easier said than done..but try.
Once you get past the appointment, you will feel SO proud of yourself !!!
It will be OK!!!
Keep us posted!!
A BIG ,
Jen

This is why I love this place. I can bawl like a baby though type and no one really judges me.

I've got some artworks and things to play with that I've been putting off for a little too long, and I tend to dig out the sketchbook when I get nervous and just draw whatever comes to mind. I'll try doing that whenever I get the urge to peek in the mirror at that tooth.

Good idea!!
Or post here if you want to look at that tooth!!
I was a "posting maniac" in the days leading up to my first appointments! In fact, I still post in my journal when I have a upcoming visit and someone always leaves a post with words of encouragement.......this forum is full of wonderful people!!
All the best,
Jen

Only four more days to go and already I've found yet another thing that concerns me.

I was brushing my teeth before going to bed last night and felt a bit of pain from the molar, specifically along the side that faces into the mouth. Of course, as soon as I felt it, ice slid down my spine. It happened a little again this morning when I brushed after breakfast.

I'm wondering now if it really is a cavity, I was beginning to like the idea that it was a deep stain or perhaps an arrested decay but the twinge I felt last night has changed that. I'm also wondering if it's something completely different entirely, because both times the twinge happened it was after I had eaten or drank something acidic or citrus-y, like orange juice or lemonade.

This has almost always happened in the past, the first time it ever happened was when I had finished drinking a Lemonade Coolatta, and my mouth just hurt. I learned real quick that if I didn't clean my mouth after having a citrus drink I'd be in pain. Maybe someone has an answer to this acid thing? I did ask my dentist years ago and he said it was because my enamel is thin...is there something I can do for that?

Also discovered through my mom that the dentist doesn't use nitrous oxide at all...

Hi Nashida

That sounds like sensitive teeth. This can be due to thin enamel or micro-tubals in the tooth structure, which is a hereditary problem. The dentist can give you a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth which can seal these and cause your teeth to be less sensitive.

This is a common issue and is easily fixed. Teeth like this are sensitive to heat, cold, acidy drinks and food or very sweet things.

If the enamel is thin there are bio phosphate rinses and pastes that can help. Teeth can also be bonded in the thin areas.

Both these conditions can be easily dealt with. You will do great.

Blessings

Been meaning to ask this too...what exactly is bonding? My mind's picturing the dentist using some kind of "dental glue" on my teeth, which makes for a funny mental image but probably isn't the right answer.

Hi

Dental bonding is very popular. Anesthesia is usually not necessary unless the bonding is being used to fill a decayed tooth. The bonding can be shade matched to conform to other teeth

The surface of the tooth will be roughened and a pre-bonding liquid is applied. This helps bonding material adhere to the tooth. The tooth-colored, putty-like resin is then applied, molded, and smoothed to the desired shape.

An ultraviolet light or laser is then used to harden the material. After the material is hardened, your dentist will further trim and shape it, and polish it to match the sheen of the rest of the tooth surface. It takes 30-60 minutes per tooth for bonding.

I don't mean to impinge on Nashida's thread, but thanks a lot for the info on dental bonding, Stress Doc!!! I am having most of my front teeth bonded on Sept. 1st!

You're not impinging at all chickenjen, if anything that saves the hassle of making a new thread.

So I decided to mess around with something new. I have sensitive teeth toothpaste, I used to brush with it, but never really noticed a difference (probably because I rinsed it off using the fluoride rinse!). Last night I brushed and rinsed as usual, but after rinsing put some of the sensitivity toothpaste on my finger and "fingerbrushed", letting it sit on my teeth overnight much like the fluoride foam after a cleaning. It made a big difference today, which helped because I was at the beach and wanted to enjoy the day, not worry about sensitive teeth (and it was a gorgeous day, too, way worth it!)

I pestered my mother some more about our dentist and how he handles fillings and such since the second half of her root canal is tomorrow morning. I'm glad I asked about it, since I found out he's probably one of the best around. He uses the topical numbing gel before the injection, so you don't feel anything at all, and he actually waits until it's nice and numb before doing anything. He goes slowly, pausing to make sure nothing's being felt, and there's no pain afterward at all. He even uses a hand signal if he needs to stop (which I think is just waggling the pointer finger). This makes me feel quite a bit better, especially since my mother really trusts this man and has for quite some time.

So thankfully I have a very busy weekend to distract me from the appointment, plus my younger brother's getting his senior portraits done the morning of my appointment, PLUS an outing the following Tuesday. Plenty of distractions!

Appointment is tomorrow, and - get this - I'm kind of excited to go. I am eager to just get the visit done so I can stop worrying about that molar (probably helps an outing is planned for the following day). Plus, I forgot how good it feels after a cleaning to run my tongue over my teeth. And now that I know how my dentist handles fillings, I feel like I'll be able to handle that fairly easily too. He also has one of those Water Lase drills, has anyone had that used on them before? What is it like?

I'm planning on taking my iPod with me to listen to while they work, since that always helped in the past. They will probably take Xrays, could the player be damaged by it if it's in my pocket under the lead coat? I'm also planning on taking Advil or something like it before I go to lessen the discomfort I get after the probe scraping.

I should go and put my dentist's name and things up under the recommendations board. I've adored him in the past and really do feel like a moron for not going for so long because he really is one of the good guys who listens.

Nashida said:

I should go and put my dentist's name and things up under the recommendations board. I've adored him in the past and really do feel like a moron for not going for so long because he really is one of the good guys who listens.

Click to expand...

Yes please can we have the details - sounds exactly what we want - track record of quality painfree care and listening

Good luck for the appointment tomorrow! I'm sure it will go great, you will be proud of yourself.

Honestly, I really don't think I would have been able to do it without this site. I had been lurking on it for days before finally plucking up the courage to call and make the appointment. I'm so glad a place like this exists.

I'll try and get tomorrow before I go, otherwise we'll have to wait and see what he says.

Hugs to all!

I don't know where that burst of courage came from, but it's suddenly gone this morning. I found myself still looking at that darn molar again, still freaking out, despite my efforts not to.

I was up at 5 this morning freaking out, and I hadn't slept well last night at all. I don't want to chicken out of this appointment, I need to go, but boy am I dreading it.

I've attached to this post a picture of the molar in question. The pink arrow's pointing to what's been freaking me out for the last few weeks. Sorry for the poor quality, it was taken on a cell phone camera which was all I had.

What the heck is this thing?