Yikes

So.. I've finally obtained dental insurance after not being to a dentist in over 8 years. I am terrified. I desperately need to get my teeth cleaned.. I can see and feel the tartar buildup on my bottom teeth. My gums bleed when I brush. When I was younger I had excellent oral health. I went to all my scheduled cleanings and brushed and flossed daily ( as I still do). When I was 15 I got braces and underwent a series of oral surgeries to realign my jaw. During this experience I became terrified of dentists and pain. I haven't been back to a dentist since getting my braces removed in 2004. My teeth have since shifted and you would never be able to tell that I ever even had orthodontic care. I'm pretty sure I have moderate gum disease and the gapping in my teeth causes emotional discomfort too. Im only 26 and i dont want to lose my teeth! Please, any advice would me much appreciated!

Catpern,

I feel like 4 years ago I was in a very similar situation (though I am a little older than you). What I can tell you is that I also had a TON of tartar buildup and lots of gum inflammation. I also had a pretty difficult/traumatic experience with braces and now have no signs that I ever had them. I went to the dentist expecting the absolute worse and also expecting a hugh lecture about the state of my teeth. When all was said and done, I needed a lot of fillings, but at the time, nothing more. I still have all of my teeth (except for my wisdom teeth which I finally found the courage to remove -- with a lot of encouragement from my dentist) and my gums are in great shape now (it's amazing what removing all of the tartar buildup can do!). I have a huge fear of losing my teeth b/c my father had full dentures before age 40 due to gum disease -- but, ever since I've started going to the dentist regularly I've had absolutely no problems with my gums -- which is a HUGE relief.

Just start slowly. Get recommendations for dentists from friends and coworkers, make an appt to just talk with the dentist if that would help (though for me, I think it was good that I started with a cleaning and got over that big hurdle). You should also definitely tell the dentist/hygienist that you are nervous -- it's important for them to know this.

And, keep posting on here -- people on here are so incredibly supportive -- take advantage of all of the support that's offered here! Please keep us updated on your journey.

Hi,

We have very similar stories. The second I got my braces off, I vowed never to see a dentist ever again. Just thinking about the pain it caused me made me feel sick and I related dentists with that pain and fear. I finally decided enough was enough and I had to get my teeth cleaned.

It took me a long time to google various dentists and eventually I stumbled upon a website that had an office that looked very promising. They had painted their walls brown and there were no pictures or diagrams of teeth anywhere in sight. The atmosphere of the place was very comforting, as the orthodontist\dentist I went to had white walls with posters with teeth all over it.

What you need to do is go online and search for dentists in your area. I found them by searching "Sedation dentist". If you're nervous, it's a really good solution to go to a place that offers sedation dentistry because you'll have options that you might not have elsewhere. Once you find a place that looks nice (don't know if the atmosphere is important to you, but it was to me!) email them and ask if you can just visit or have a tour of their office. Don't make an appointment until you've done this. The first impression is very important. If they act like you're wasting their time, stay clear of them. The first place I visited gave me that impression. However, the second place I went to visit was so much better. They were all so kind and smiley and it made me feel like yes, I can do this.

I made my appointment and started counting down the weeks\days\hours\minutes\seconds until my appointment, like most of us phobics do. When it finally came to the night before, I was a total disaster. I was throwing up and couldn't sleep. When I got to the waiting room, I was shaking. However, they were very nice and understood that I was scared.

I had written a list of things that scared me and ideas of what could make me feel more comfortable and brought it with me to my appointment. It was so helpful. I ended up not being able to speak out of fear and just kept staring at the assistant when she told me to get in "the chair". I handed her the list and she read through it all and then helped to calm me down. I had written down that a blanket would make me more comfortable and she brought me one and I felt instantly better. I really recommend using nitrous. I wouldn't go to an office that doesn't offer it! It was amazing and helped me be very relaxed throughout the appointment (just a cleaning!)

I was scared that they would yell at me about not going for so long and for being scared, but they were totally supportive and while I still get nervous when the time rolls around for another appointment, it's not nearly as bad as it used to be. Finding the right dentist with a caring team will probably do it for you! I wouldn't say I instantly got over my fear after that first very positive appointment, but I sure don't get as nervous as I was anymore! Going to \ preparing for the first appointment was one of the toughest moments of my life, but it was not as bad as I expected. The anticipation is the worst part.

You can do it! Let me know how it works out for you, and you can PM me any time if you want to talk!