A
Anxious76
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2017
- Messages
- 312
- Location
- Austin, Texas
Hello all, I am brand new here. I felt I had to get some support from people who understand dental fear so here I am. I Just had my 41st birthday and in exactly one month, I will be having what's left of my teeth extracted to make room for full mouth dental implants. How I got here is I was a broke single mom for long time and I couldn't even afford regular check ups, let alone the treatment for advanced periodontal disease with bone loss. My teeth started to leave one by one...it was sad of course but they were mostly teeth that werent visible so I somehow managed to deal with it. I also managed somehow to deal with gum infections that would come and go in various areas, toothaches, eating my weight in ibuprofen, and living in some bizarre form of denial that it wouldn't get any worse and I could handle it. Deep down I knew what was eventually coming but didn't want to face it . Then, it happened. Out came a tooth on the top right in my smile line. More denial. I bought a temp tooth kit online and filled the gap that way...no one could tell. I spent hours obsessively constructing a fake plastic tooth so I could fool others and mainly myself that it wasn't such a horrible thing.
Since tooth loss is a domino effect with poor gums, the tooth next to my imposter eventually loosened and fell out. Damn. I had no choice anymore and made an appointment with the dentist after some 20 years of avoiding that chair. I told her my anxiety that stemmed from all sorts of issues when I was a kid at the dentist and she was kind. She took X-rays and then punched me with it. She said all my teeth had to come out at once and I had to have immediate DENTURES put in. How that word sent me spinning. Since I was making a move across country in the next month with my new husband, I told her I couldn't have major surgery and asked for a temp partial to make me look better in the meantime. That's what I got. Poor lousy fitting flipper that I have to use polygrip with to even hold it to the roof of my mouth, it comes loose when I chew, but it's SOMETHING and I can still smile. Hence more denial.
Skip ahead a year to June 2017...a couple more teeth came out in places not obvious but my four bottom teeth were really wobbly and I knew the charade was almost over. I cried and had panic attacks and then called around and made an appointment to talk to a dentist about getting dentures. I had such a hard time gettting in that chair. I told the handsome dentist with the beautiful gleaming smile about my issues and my anxiety and depression and he took X-rays and then proceeded to tell me I had the worst mouth he has ever seen in 25 years as a dentist. I wanted to crawl inside myself. Then he told he would pull all my teeth but I wouldn't be able to have dentures for at least a month because he didn't feel he could do impressions on me without the rest of my teeth falling out. He made horrible shocked and ugly faces and said "I don't know what to tell you but I would call around because I don't know what else to tell you. I wish you luck." I couldn't get out of there fast enough and I went out to my car and sat there for over an hour just staring at the building unable to move. Panic and terror and hopelessness swallowed me up. I truly can not believe a dentist could be so heartless and cruel to someone who came to him for help.
So long story short I started reading about all on 4 treatment and went to an implant specialist. Had the CT Scan and was sure he would be able to help me since he has rave reviews. Nope. He dismissed me saying I should go see an oral surgeon for a second opinion and then come back to him if I were cleared for the procedure. I felt in my bones he wasn't the right person and didn't have a clue and was used to seeing patients who already have dentures and wanted a clean surface to work with. I was adamant, I will not be without teeth in my mouth for any period of time and want interim dentures at the very least. This entire summer, I was so nervous and anxious and depressed and sick over my teeth I didn't enjoy myself at all. I could barely eat I was so stressed. It took so much to get back to a dentist to discuss dentures and then I was dismissed.
I finally got the courage to try one more time. The fact that I can't hardly chew anymore and can't stand how I look being my motivation. That and I lost my bottom front teeth and although no one can tell it's getting to me big time. I need to fix this. If you're still here reading, my third dentist was the charm. He is a board certified Prosthodontist and has much experience with mouth reconstruction. I was worried I would be told I'm a lost cause again. He said I have severe bone loss so will need bone grafting and sinus lifts to be a candidate for implants and may need more than one surgery but he will do it. Healing will be slow but I will have teeth in the interim and on my way to a beautiful mouth. The financial cost is massive and I know I should be grateful we can afford it but I'm really terrified of the entire thing. I will have IV sedation but the surgery is 6 hours so I'm scared I will know something. I'm scared of the pain after it's over and all that could go wrong including dying while now under. I'm scared of dentists and anything medical and have cried all the way to all my appointments. My husband is awesome but I don't want to burden him with my constant fears so I hide them and cry alone. Has anyone else been through this? I don't know what I'm looking for exactly but my surgery is in a month and I feel like I'm walking the plank. Thank you for listening.
Since tooth loss is a domino effect with poor gums, the tooth next to my imposter eventually loosened and fell out. Damn. I had no choice anymore and made an appointment with the dentist after some 20 years of avoiding that chair. I told her my anxiety that stemmed from all sorts of issues when I was a kid at the dentist and she was kind. She took X-rays and then punched me with it. She said all my teeth had to come out at once and I had to have immediate DENTURES put in. How that word sent me spinning. Since I was making a move across country in the next month with my new husband, I told her I couldn't have major surgery and asked for a temp partial to make me look better in the meantime. That's what I got. Poor lousy fitting flipper that I have to use polygrip with to even hold it to the roof of my mouth, it comes loose when I chew, but it's SOMETHING and I can still smile. Hence more denial.
Skip ahead a year to June 2017...a couple more teeth came out in places not obvious but my four bottom teeth were really wobbly and I knew the charade was almost over. I cried and had panic attacks and then called around and made an appointment to talk to a dentist about getting dentures. I had such a hard time gettting in that chair. I told the handsome dentist with the beautiful gleaming smile about my issues and my anxiety and depression and he took X-rays and then proceeded to tell me I had the worst mouth he has ever seen in 25 years as a dentist. I wanted to crawl inside myself. Then he told he would pull all my teeth but I wouldn't be able to have dentures for at least a month because he didn't feel he could do impressions on me without the rest of my teeth falling out. He made horrible shocked and ugly faces and said "I don't know what to tell you but I would call around because I don't know what else to tell you. I wish you luck." I couldn't get out of there fast enough and I went out to my car and sat there for over an hour just staring at the building unable to move. Panic and terror and hopelessness swallowed me up. I truly can not believe a dentist could be so heartless and cruel to someone who came to him for help.
So long story short I started reading about all on 4 treatment and went to an implant specialist. Had the CT Scan and was sure he would be able to help me since he has rave reviews. Nope. He dismissed me saying I should go see an oral surgeon for a second opinion and then come back to him if I were cleared for the procedure. I felt in my bones he wasn't the right person and didn't have a clue and was used to seeing patients who already have dentures and wanted a clean surface to work with. I was adamant, I will not be without teeth in my mouth for any period of time and want interim dentures at the very least. This entire summer, I was so nervous and anxious and depressed and sick over my teeth I didn't enjoy myself at all. I could barely eat I was so stressed. It took so much to get back to a dentist to discuss dentures and then I was dismissed.
I finally got the courage to try one more time. The fact that I can't hardly chew anymore and can't stand how I look being my motivation. That and I lost my bottom front teeth and although no one can tell it's getting to me big time. I need to fix this. If you're still here reading, my third dentist was the charm. He is a board certified Prosthodontist and has much experience with mouth reconstruction. I was worried I would be told I'm a lost cause again. He said I have severe bone loss so will need bone grafting and sinus lifts to be a candidate for implants and may need more than one surgery but he will do it. Healing will be slow but I will have teeth in the interim and on my way to a beautiful mouth. The financial cost is massive and I know I should be grateful we can afford it but I'm really terrified of the entire thing. I will have IV sedation but the surgery is 6 hours so I'm scared I will know something. I'm scared of the pain after it's over and all that could go wrong including dying while now under. I'm scared of dentists and anything medical and have cried all the way to all my appointments. My husband is awesome but I don't want to burden him with my constant fears so I hide them and cry alone. Has anyone else been through this? I don't know what I'm looking for exactly but my surgery is in a month and I feel like I'm walking the plank. Thank you for listening.