N
No Longer Terrified
Junior member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2015
- Messages
- 1
Hi all,
I've been lurking in this forum for months, and thanks to everyone's stories I finally drew up the courage to face my dental phobias. I want to share my story in hopes that it will help someone else.
My awesome childhood dentist retired when I was about 12, and after a traumatic visit with his replacement, I developed a deep seated fear of dentists. Fortunately I had lovely, white, straight, healthy teeth. But thanks to some neglect in my teens, they didn't stay that way.
I was about 23 when I started noticing receding gums and dark spots on my teeth. But I was flat broke and scared to death, so I ignored the warning signs. When I was 29, a top front tooth broke off nearly to the gum line. I was working in the customer service industry at the time, so ignoring it was not an option. But I was still broke and still scared. My grandma paid for me to get my top front six teeth fixed--a four hour ordeal that involved two extractions, three root canals, and a bridge. I needed $11K more work at the time, but traumatized and poor, I went back to ignoring it.
Fast forward 10 years to this past May. Everything behind the bridge and all of my lowers had long since crumbled, but my smile line looked fine. Until my bridge broke. I fled to the first dentist I found in my area to have it repaired, only to have her casually say that ALL of my teeth needed to come out. I left in tears, broken bridge still flopping in the wind.
I saw three more dentists after that. They all agreed that removing all my teeth was the best option, but none showed any concern for my phobias, or any understanding of why that might be traumatic in my 30s. I felt like I was being judged and punished, and I didn't trust any of them to do the work.
I ended up at a prosthodontist operating out of a chain clinic. She was very nice, but told me I would have to see an oral surgeon for the extractions. She would make healing dentures and then permanents. But I had to decide quickly, because she was 9 months pregnant. Fortunately, she also agreed to make me a flipper, anchored to my remaining bridge, to at least let me go out in public during the interim. I paid for the flipper and, feeling desperate, also prepaid for one of the two healing denture plates. She told me it would take 2 months and 5 appointments to create, but I could use the flipper during the interim.
As luck would have it, the baby came early. She was in the hospital giving birth when I had my flipper placed by another clinic in that chain. It was ok, and much better than visible root tips, but not great. With her on maternity leave for the next months, I had to go somewhere else.
I finally happened onto Dr. Awesome. I've named him that because he's unlike any dentist I have ever met before. He was a Navy dental tech, so he learned to do what had to be done with whatever he has to work with. After he got out, he went on to become one of the premier teaching implantologists in the country. The photos on his website of custom-made solutions for challenging patients are just breathtaking! I went in for a consult, never expecting to be able to afford him. The consult was completely free, despite the fact that it was a full hour of personal time with him. I took in my X-rays from another office, but he also did a CT scan for free! We sat and discussed my case and the best means for approaching it.
We decided to take a conservative approach. On the top, he wants to get the teeth out and let them heal before placing implants. But the teeth supporting what remains of the bridge just need a little clean-up, and they'll last for a good long time. So we're sticking with the flipper I already have for now, with relines and adjustments as needed. Once the top is stabilized, he'll take out all the lowers and place two immediate load implants with a plate anchored to them. The eventual goal is fixed, implant-supported bridges top and bottom, but he helped me understand how and why that is something that I can do over time, with every step leading toward that goal. Everyone else wanted me to choose, right now, whether I would have dentures for the rest of my life or go straight to a mouthful of implants. He helped me see that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Additionally, he didn't see any need to take out an entire mouthful of teeth at once, which he thought would be traumatizing. He suggested doing the uppers in quadrants, then the lowers with implants all at once.
I can't describe how incredible the entire process was. His whole staff is so wonderful, so kind, and so understanding of phobias. The tech brought me a blanket that day, and it was like an anchor. I felt so much less exposed and vulnerable. Everyone took me seriously, and answered every ridiculous question I had. I felt so comfortable at the end of that appointment, that I immediately made an appointment for the first set of extractions.
I agreed to five teeth, starting from the upper right wisdom and working forward. One tooth on that side had been extracted previously, so there were seven total in there. When I got the estimate, I couldn't believe it. It was LESS than the other dentists had quoted per tooth.
Yesterday was extraction day (E-day). I was terrified. But I forced myself to get up and get there (with a little help from my dad, who has been my rock through all of this). The tech met me in the lobby, went over everything that would happen, answered my questions about aftercare, and offered me both nitrous and IV sedation--both of which I declined, as I have an even bigger fear of loss of control.
We went into the room, and my dad was allowed to go with me. She immediately brought a blanket and offered to hold my hand. She and my dad chatted lightly about everything and nothing, which gave me an amazing distraction. Then the dentist came in, cracked some jokes, and reiterated how everything would go. He did the whole thing, from the topical numbing gel on, and the tech explained exactly how it would all feel. As promised, she held my hand the whole time.
I did feel some amount of pressure, but at my dad's advice, I mentally went to my happy place (Exit Glacier in Seward, Alaska). I thought the dentist was on about the third tooth when he announced he was done! And he had decided to go ahead and do all seven on that side, since they were going so easily! Smart man--now I don't have to be numbed on that side again just to take out a couple more teeth.
What was truly amazing was what happened next. He wanted to give me the best possible foundation for future implants--so he did some gum and bone shaping, including trimming off an excess piece of gum tissue. He then carefully stitched everything closed, and did some serious miracle work on the flipper--not only a soft reline, but some cutting and reshaping that made it look and feel better than ever! He put it back in, and took a few minutes to talk with me and make sure I was OK before he left. Then the tech gave me my aftercare instructions, answered a few more questions, and made my appointment to get the stitches removed next week.
When she checked me out, she asked if I was financially OK with the two extra extractions. I was, but I thought it was awesome that they were willing to give me time to pay if needed. My mind was completely blown though, when I got the bill. ALL he charged for was the extractions and the soft reline! Nothing for all the extra work he did on my bones and gums, or on the flipper. Talk about value for the money, especially when his extraction price was already lower than everyone else's!
I have a long family history of recuperating at Disney (we live a half hour away and have annual passes). Mom did it after gallbladder surgery, Dad did it after a heart stent, and I did it after my previous dental work. So Dad and I headed straight there. I took a couple of Advil in the car as the numbing wore off (I wasn't prescribed any painkillers or antibiotics). While that was kicking in, I had a bit of a headache, maybe a pain scale of 3 out of 10. Within a half hour though, the ibuprofen was doing its thing and I was wandering through the Magic Kingdom.
I ate an ice cream float, a Greek yogurt, half a pulled pork sandwich, and a huge bowl of mashed potatoes with gravy and cheddar cheese yesterday (I also had a huge breakfast before the extractions, and I'm not a big eater). I stayed off the roller coasters, but did everything else in the park. I was a little tired, so we headed home around 8 pm. I had a brief round of discomfort right before my second dose of Advil (maybe 2 of 10), and no other pain. Went to bed around 11:30 and woke up at 7:45 am feeling GREAT. Literally no pain whatsoever today, and more energy than I've had in weeks. Maybe getting the infection out made my body feel better?
Anyway, not quite sure when I'm doing the second round of extractions, because my schedule is about to get ridiculously busy. But I know one thing, I'm not the least bit afraid of them now! As long as I have a blanket and a hand to hold, I know I'll be just fine
I hope this helps someone out there. Trust your instincts. Shop around for the dentist you actually click with. When you meet them, you will know, and you really can do this!
I've been lurking in this forum for months, and thanks to everyone's stories I finally drew up the courage to face my dental phobias. I want to share my story in hopes that it will help someone else.
My awesome childhood dentist retired when I was about 12, and after a traumatic visit with his replacement, I developed a deep seated fear of dentists. Fortunately I had lovely, white, straight, healthy teeth. But thanks to some neglect in my teens, they didn't stay that way.
I was about 23 when I started noticing receding gums and dark spots on my teeth. But I was flat broke and scared to death, so I ignored the warning signs. When I was 29, a top front tooth broke off nearly to the gum line. I was working in the customer service industry at the time, so ignoring it was not an option. But I was still broke and still scared. My grandma paid for me to get my top front six teeth fixed--a four hour ordeal that involved two extractions, three root canals, and a bridge. I needed $11K more work at the time, but traumatized and poor, I went back to ignoring it.
Fast forward 10 years to this past May. Everything behind the bridge and all of my lowers had long since crumbled, but my smile line looked fine. Until my bridge broke. I fled to the first dentist I found in my area to have it repaired, only to have her casually say that ALL of my teeth needed to come out. I left in tears, broken bridge still flopping in the wind.
I saw three more dentists after that. They all agreed that removing all my teeth was the best option, but none showed any concern for my phobias, or any understanding of why that might be traumatic in my 30s. I felt like I was being judged and punished, and I didn't trust any of them to do the work.
I ended up at a prosthodontist operating out of a chain clinic. She was very nice, but told me I would have to see an oral surgeon for the extractions. She would make healing dentures and then permanents. But I had to decide quickly, because she was 9 months pregnant. Fortunately, she also agreed to make me a flipper, anchored to my remaining bridge, to at least let me go out in public during the interim. I paid for the flipper and, feeling desperate, also prepaid for one of the two healing denture plates. She told me it would take 2 months and 5 appointments to create, but I could use the flipper during the interim.
As luck would have it, the baby came early. She was in the hospital giving birth when I had my flipper placed by another clinic in that chain. It was ok, and much better than visible root tips, but not great. With her on maternity leave for the next months, I had to go somewhere else.
I finally happened onto Dr. Awesome. I've named him that because he's unlike any dentist I have ever met before. He was a Navy dental tech, so he learned to do what had to be done with whatever he has to work with. After he got out, he went on to become one of the premier teaching implantologists in the country. The photos on his website of custom-made solutions for challenging patients are just breathtaking! I went in for a consult, never expecting to be able to afford him. The consult was completely free, despite the fact that it was a full hour of personal time with him. I took in my X-rays from another office, but he also did a CT scan for free! We sat and discussed my case and the best means for approaching it.
We decided to take a conservative approach. On the top, he wants to get the teeth out and let them heal before placing implants. But the teeth supporting what remains of the bridge just need a little clean-up, and they'll last for a good long time. So we're sticking with the flipper I already have for now, with relines and adjustments as needed. Once the top is stabilized, he'll take out all the lowers and place two immediate load implants with a plate anchored to them. The eventual goal is fixed, implant-supported bridges top and bottom, but he helped me understand how and why that is something that I can do over time, with every step leading toward that goal. Everyone else wanted me to choose, right now, whether I would have dentures for the rest of my life or go straight to a mouthful of implants. He helped me see that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Additionally, he didn't see any need to take out an entire mouthful of teeth at once, which he thought would be traumatizing. He suggested doing the uppers in quadrants, then the lowers with implants all at once.
I can't describe how incredible the entire process was. His whole staff is so wonderful, so kind, and so understanding of phobias. The tech brought me a blanket that day, and it was like an anchor. I felt so much less exposed and vulnerable. Everyone took me seriously, and answered every ridiculous question I had. I felt so comfortable at the end of that appointment, that I immediately made an appointment for the first set of extractions.
I agreed to five teeth, starting from the upper right wisdom and working forward. One tooth on that side had been extracted previously, so there were seven total in there. When I got the estimate, I couldn't believe it. It was LESS than the other dentists had quoted per tooth.
Yesterday was extraction day (E-day). I was terrified. But I forced myself to get up and get there (with a little help from my dad, who has been my rock through all of this). The tech met me in the lobby, went over everything that would happen, answered my questions about aftercare, and offered me both nitrous and IV sedation--both of which I declined, as I have an even bigger fear of loss of control.
We went into the room, and my dad was allowed to go with me. She immediately brought a blanket and offered to hold my hand. She and my dad chatted lightly about everything and nothing, which gave me an amazing distraction. Then the dentist came in, cracked some jokes, and reiterated how everything would go. He did the whole thing, from the topical numbing gel on, and the tech explained exactly how it would all feel. As promised, she held my hand the whole time.
I did feel some amount of pressure, but at my dad's advice, I mentally went to my happy place (Exit Glacier in Seward, Alaska). I thought the dentist was on about the third tooth when he announced he was done! And he had decided to go ahead and do all seven on that side, since they were going so easily! Smart man--now I don't have to be numbed on that side again just to take out a couple more teeth.
What was truly amazing was what happened next. He wanted to give me the best possible foundation for future implants--so he did some gum and bone shaping, including trimming off an excess piece of gum tissue. He then carefully stitched everything closed, and did some serious miracle work on the flipper--not only a soft reline, but some cutting and reshaping that made it look and feel better than ever! He put it back in, and took a few minutes to talk with me and make sure I was OK before he left. Then the tech gave me my aftercare instructions, answered a few more questions, and made my appointment to get the stitches removed next week.
When she checked me out, she asked if I was financially OK with the two extra extractions. I was, but I thought it was awesome that they were willing to give me time to pay if needed. My mind was completely blown though, when I got the bill. ALL he charged for was the extractions and the soft reline! Nothing for all the extra work he did on my bones and gums, or on the flipper. Talk about value for the money, especially when his extraction price was already lower than everyone else's!
I have a long family history of recuperating at Disney (we live a half hour away and have annual passes). Mom did it after gallbladder surgery, Dad did it after a heart stent, and I did it after my previous dental work. So Dad and I headed straight there. I took a couple of Advil in the car as the numbing wore off (I wasn't prescribed any painkillers or antibiotics). While that was kicking in, I had a bit of a headache, maybe a pain scale of 3 out of 10. Within a half hour though, the ibuprofen was doing its thing and I was wandering through the Magic Kingdom.
I ate an ice cream float, a Greek yogurt, half a pulled pork sandwich, and a huge bowl of mashed potatoes with gravy and cheddar cheese yesterday (I also had a huge breakfast before the extractions, and I'm not a big eater). I stayed off the roller coasters, but did everything else in the park. I was a little tired, so we headed home around 8 pm. I had a brief round of discomfort right before my second dose of Advil (maybe 2 of 10), and no other pain. Went to bed around 11:30 and woke up at 7:45 am feeling GREAT. Literally no pain whatsoever today, and more energy than I've had in weeks. Maybe getting the infection out made my body feel better?
Anyway, not quite sure when I'm doing the second round of extractions, because my schedule is about to get ridiculously busy. But I know one thing, I'm not the least bit afraid of them now! As long as I have a blanket and a hand to hold, I know I'll be just fine
I hope this helps someone out there. Trust your instincts. Shop around for the dentist you actually click with. When you meet them, you will know, and you really can do this!
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