• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

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Support please?

M

MWoods

Junior member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
1
I haven't been to the dentist for several years, my teeth look awful. One of my canines cracked and has now decayed to near nothingness and what is left is discoloured. On the other side I have a tooth coming out of the top of my gum which is gradually pushing a gap in between my other teeth. I'm pretty sure the rest of my teeth aren't in fantastic shape as I do get a bit of pain from time to time. I'm absolutely terrified of going to the dentist, but I really want to get my teeth looking more reasonable because I'm sick of being scared to smile, I feel like people are going to be disgusted if I open my mouth. I'm nineteen years old and I feel so uncomfortable like this, all of my friends have normal, if not perfect, teeth.

I'm even more terrified of being sedated so would want everything done under local anaesthetic but I'm concerned that the tooth coming from my gum would have to be done under general. I'm far too scared to even book an appointment and don't really know where to go. I'm just looking for a bit of support/advice and wondering what sort of procedures would be required to fix these problems?

Thank you.
 
Hello MWoods:

Welcome to the forum. :welcome:

You have found a great place. To begin with, dentists do not judge you on the condition of your teeth. They tend to concentrate on how they can best help restore your smile. There is not anything they have not seen and take a clinical view of dental problems.

"Normal" is a setting on a clothes dryer!;D We all have things about us that are not perfect. Do not be ashamed of your dental condition, I am sure it is not as bad as you think. You deserve to be free of dental pain and have a smile you can be proud of. This is possible with modern dentistry.

Treatment is amazing and can be pain free. Dentists have become increasingly aware of the needs of people with dental fear and there are many options to help you manage this aspect. If your anxiety is severe, the dentist can prescribe you an anti-anxiety medication to take the edge off your fear. They can also give you during Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) during treatment to keep you calm. If you would like, PM me and I can get you some relaxation techniques I use with my patients.

Most procedures can be done with a local anesthetic.

Fear gains power by avoiding the thing you are afraid of. The key to beating this is to setup a plan of action with low risk actions you can take to move forward. For Example; Pick at time when you get the phone book to begin searching for a dentist. Take a break and set a time to call, etc.

You can do this. You can beat the fear. Dreading the appointment is much worse than the appointment. The first appointment is a consultation when you can meet the dentist, discuss treatment options and develop a plan.

You have taken a huge step by coming to this board and seeking help. You can beat this and get the smile you want.

All the best to you. :)
 

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