16yr old dental depression!

[Mo34]

Hi , im only 16yrs old. However ive had fillngs already. Recently i was told i need root canal treatment which was very upsetting for me
i know when i was younger i did not really take care of my teeth however over the past 3 yrs or so i have. im really upset as its is generally unheard of people my age getting root canal treatment

 

[sunflower32]

Hi Mo34! Welcome to the forum! While I've never had an experience with root canals myself (and so can't mention any personal experiences), I'm sure you are not the first 16 year old who needs one. And everything I've heard about them is that they're completely painless. Maybe it'll help to think about it in a positive light, that getting this root canal is a good thing for your dental health because it'll allow you to keep that tooth for many years to come. And no one has to know that you've had a root canal unless you tell them. Wishing you all the best during the procedure! Keep us posted about how it went.

 

[Mo34]

Thankyou for your response
i understand what you're saying however i feel like i just can't think about it positively. I just feel like when im older my teeth are going to be in such a bad state from having atleast 2 amalgam fillings and a possible root canal.

 

[sunflower32]

I just wrote out a response, but it disappeared! Argh! Anyway, the gist of what I had written was that getting those fillings and root canal are actually keeping your teeth in a better state (not a "bad state", as you said) because if you had neglected to get those treatments for many years, you could be looking at losing those teeth. Fillings and root canals actually save your teeth; that's why they're done.

You can't change how you cared for your teeth in the past, but you can make sure you care for them in the future. And it seems like you are already doing that, so good job! And it takes courage to go to the dentist, so good job on that too! Just keep doing what you're doing: going to the dentist regularly and taking good care of your teeth at home, and it'll be less likely that you'll need fillings and root canals in the future. Good luck!

 

[newbieindeatalfear]

Go to the dentist before it creeps up on you like some of the older members like me will tell you. Just make sure to do what they tell you its there job to help you not judge you or embarrassing you any dentist that would do that wouldn't be in business long. Honest I think more dentist are trained for patients that are scared to go to dentist

 

[sunnylikesunshine90]

Mo, it's not so unheard of for people your age to have root canals, it's just not spoken of quite as often. I had my first root canal done when I was either 14 or 15 (It's been roughly ten years). Sometimes you can take perfect care of your teeth and still wind up needing a root canal for various reasons - They are nothing to be ashamed of! You have just 2 amalgam fillings and one root canal?? Good lord, your teeth are in an infinitely better state than mine - I think at this point, I've racked up a filling in nearly every tooth in my mouth, three crowns, a bridge, and four root canals. The point of all of this being done at young(ish) ages is so that when we ARE older, our teeth won't be terribly decayed or missing. Think of it this way: It's so much better to nip this in the bud while you're young and willing to change your dental habits.

As far as being frightened of the root canal, it's not nearly as bad as movies and TV make it out to be. Your dentist should wait until you're good and numbed before he does anything (and chances are, you won't even really feel the injection of the numbing meds). Honestly, the worst part of my latest root canal (done in April) was trying to keep my mouth open and when I mentioned it, the dentist put in a bite block (a piece of rubber) that I could rest my teeth on and take the pressure off of my jaws.

Good luck!!

 

[Mo34]

Thankyou for all your responses guys.
I am just really downbeat that im so prone to cavities and they start to have problems right before probably one of the most important times (- My alevels). It has got me feeling so down about myself that i just don't have motivation to do other stuff and so i feel like it will impact my grades and has just put me into a further state of anxiety.

 

[Finding my voice]

Please don't get disheartened as you will end up having a dental phobia like many of us on this forum.Your teeth sound fine and you are obviously taking care of them now.There's not much else you can do.Root canal treatment is not too bad and no one will know except you and your dentist or those you choose to tell.
Don't let this jeopardize your exams or your future.Good luck