L
lawnerd
Junior member
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2015
- Messages
- 1
Hi all! I've been reading this forum for a few years, but have never posted, so here it is.
I'm 22. Long story short, I had a horrible dentist as a child and ended up traumatized. I had panic attacks, angry fits (and I was *never* a capricious child), the whole thing. I remember I once had been so obnoxious that my mom had to make me write a letter to my dentist to apologize, haha.
Anyway, I have okay teeth (few cavities, never been in any pain) but I have a massive crossbite on the left side of my mouth, which badly needed to get treated when I was 8. The thing is, my dentist, on top of being a jerk was also an incompetent and never told me this. I was only sent to an orthodontist at the age of 14. By that time, I had already been traumatized by the other dentist and was extremely fearful. The orthodontist not only told me I'd have braces for at least two years, but also told me they might not work, and I would probably need surgery. I was absolutely devastated. However, he was also really nice (probably nicest I've ever met) and gave me a choice whether to go that road or not. He said I would most probably have dental issues later on if I didn't take care of it, but insisted that it should be my choice, because the treatment was extremely heavy.
At that time, I was just absolutely terrified. The prospect of having to go to the dentist every few weeks to get my braces adjusted sounded absolutely horrifying, and I was also very uncomfortable with myself (being a teenager and all) and feared the look of others. I was also mortified because of all the stories my friends told me about being in excruciating pain from their braces. Thus, I decided not to get treatment. This was my choice and put in similar circumstances today, I'd probably do the same.
The issue is that this lack of orthodontic treatment put me at odds with every single dentist since then. They have just been completely incapable of listening to the reasons behind my choices, to my fears and have insisted repeatedly that I'd have horrible, horrible teeth later on if I didn't take care of this now. And to tell the truth, I understand this, and could maybe consider some sort of treatment now that I've grown older and feel more confident, etc., but the constant shaming and blaming has made it impossible for me to connect with any doctor so far. This has led me to a pattern : I get an appointment with a new dentist, they clean my teeth but the entire consult goes horribly, I panic, start crying, they blame me for not taking care of my health, for not being brave, say that the dentist isn't so bad and I end up never going there again.
I have decided to take care of this problem. I am 22, am graduating from law school, have lived in three different countries in the past three years, am highly capable and confident and literally, the only thing I'm afraid of is the dentist. I feel ashamed and stupid, and I want this to stop. Whether or not I get orthodontic treatment, I want to still be able to go to the dentist regularly, get my teeth checked and cleaned and be "like everyone else" so to speak.
So this afternoon, I have an appointment with a dentist who also does hypnosis. Not because I particularly believe in it, but because I think she's used to have terrified patients and will be more willing to have a conversation, rather than just blame me for past misdeeds. I'm not getting in The Chair, and I'll see how it goes.
Anyway, thanks for reading this, and I'd love to read your experiences if you've ever been to a dentist under hypnosis. Any support is also welcome! Also, I've read pretty much all the posts on this forum and you're all the best!
I'm 22. Long story short, I had a horrible dentist as a child and ended up traumatized. I had panic attacks, angry fits (and I was *never* a capricious child), the whole thing. I remember I once had been so obnoxious that my mom had to make me write a letter to my dentist to apologize, haha.
Anyway, I have okay teeth (few cavities, never been in any pain) but I have a massive crossbite on the left side of my mouth, which badly needed to get treated when I was 8. The thing is, my dentist, on top of being a jerk was also an incompetent and never told me this. I was only sent to an orthodontist at the age of 14. By that time, I had already been traumatized by the other dentist and was extremely fearful. The orthodontist not only told me I'd have braces for at least two years, but also told me they might not work, and I would probably need surgery. I was absolutely devastated. However, he was also really nice (probably nicest I've ever met) and gave me a choice whether to go that road or not. He said I would most probably have dental issues later on if I didn't take care of it, but insisted that it should be my choice, because the treatment was extremely heavy.
At that time, I was just absolutely terrified. The prospect of having to go to the dentist every few weeks to get my braces adjusted sounded absolutely horrifying, and I was also very uncomfortable with myself (being a teenager and all) and feared the look of others. I was also mortified because of all the stories my friends told me about being in excruciating pain from their braces. Thus, I decided not to get treatment. This was my choice and put in similar circumstances today, I'd probably do the same.
The issue is that this lack of orthodontic treatment put me at odds with every single dentist since then. They have just been completely incapable of listening to the reasons behind my choices, to my fears and have insisted repeatedly that I'd have horrible, horrible teeth later on if I didn't take care of this now. And to tell the truth, I understand this, and could maybe consider some sort of treatment now that I've grown older and feel more confident, etc., but the constant shaming and blaming has made it impossible for me to connect with any doctor so far. This has led me to a pattern : I get an appointment with a new dentist, they clean my teeth but the entire consult goes horribly, I panic, start crying, they blame me for not taking care of my health, for not being brave, say that the dentist isn't so bad and I end up never going there again.
I have decided to take care of this problem. I am 22, am graduating from law school, have lived in three different countries in the past three years, am highly capable and confident and literally, the only thing I'm afraid of is the dentist. I feel ashamed and stupid, and I want this to stop. Whether or not I get orthodontic treatment, I want to still be able to go to the dentist regularly, get my teeth checked and cleaned and be "like everyone else" so to speak.
So this afternoon, I have an appointment with a dentist who also does hypnosis. Not because I particularly believe in it, but because I think she's used to have terrified patients and will be more willing to have a conversation, rather than just blame me for past misdeeds. I'm not getting in The Chair, and I'll see how it goes.
Anyway, thanks for reading this, and I'd love to read your experiences if you've ever been to a dentist under hypnosis. Any support is also welcome! Also, I've read pretty much all the posts on this forum and you're all the best!
to the forum.
