J
jrgibson
Junior member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2020
- Messages
- 4
- Location
- Phoenix, AZ
I feel the need to preface this with a background on myself. I have loving parents and I'm accomplished and live comfortably. I was an excellent student, I've graduated college, worked some wonderful jobs, and I am married to the best man. My greatest secret and ultimate source of shame is my teeth and the fact that I have never in my life been to the dentist. My parents were not raised going to the dentist and my mom had one pretty awful experience at the dentist, so we never went.
I remember being about 12 when I first noticed that one of my molars had chipped. It didn't hurt, and I was too afraid to ask my mom to go to the dentist (and what kid asks their parent to go to the dentist?) It got worse, and it's gotten to the point that it has broken down all the way to the gum line. I have another molar that has gradually died and chipped away now as well, and another molar that has some pretty obvious and painful cavities. I have severe crowding, and it is most obvious by my upper canine teeth being very high (I've been called vampire teeth). I am certain I have so much work needing to be done, with many small cavities, some large, and two major extractions of these chipped-away molars. Once that is all taken care of, I have serious need of orthodontic work, as this overcrowding has caused me so much embarrassment and shame in my life. I almost feel that my case is unfixable, and I have no one to confide to. I haven't told my husband, but I feel that this is something I need to take care of in order to maintain my physical and mental health. I feel alone, and I don't even know where to start, how to reach out to a dentist, and how to explain my situation to the dentist.
I remember being about 12 when I first noticed that one of my molars had chipped. It didn't hurt, and I was too afraid to ask my mom to go to the dentist (and what kid asks their parent to go to the dentist?) It got worse, and it's gotten to the point that it has broken down all the way to the gum line. I have another molar that has gradually died and chipped away now as well, and another molar that has some pretty obvious and painful cavities. I have severe crowding, and it is most obvious by my upper canine teeth being very high (I've been called vampire teeth). I am certain I have so much work needing to be done, with many small cavities, some large, and two major extractions of these chipped-away molars. Once that is all taken care of, I have serious need of orthodontic work, as this overcrowding has caused me so much embarrassment and shame in my life. I almost feel that my case is unfixable, and I have no one to confide to. I haven't told my husband, but I feel that this is something I need to take care of in order to maintain my physical and mental health. I feel alone, and I don't even know where to start, how to reach out to a dentist, and how to explain my situation to the dentist.