26 years without treatment - My dental journey

[Spider]

wow, you are incredible! And when it was over you went back to work!?? I would have been laying in bed in a post anxiety coma for the rest of the day It sounds like healing is going really well too <3

 

[MissM250]

I'm still having a pretty hard time with the allergy reaction my nose is having, but it's slowing down now as well. I need to do myself a favour and rest more I've got 5 extractions next week (easy root tip ones) so I need to get used to resting for a bit. No more supermom/superwife for a bit, it is time to take care of me!!

 

[MissM250]

Cleaning 2 down! This one was kinda uncomfy, but that's just because I'm tired and still healing from the extraction 2 days ago, and my nose is SO sore from all the running. I asked them to look into DentalCard for me, I want all this done sooner than later, I need to not stretch this out. The longer I let it go on, the harder it will be for my mental health. I'm impressed with myself that I'm even able to think this all through, with the amount of trauma I'm working through right now. The flashbacks are coming hard, and often, but I'm STILL doing this. Thank you all for being here listening. Hopefully, within the next 6 months, you'll see me with a pretty new smile!

 

[Spider]

You are so amazing! Definitely take care of yourself- no supermom/ superwife for a bit. Let everyone take care of you for awhile!

 

[MissM250]

Well, here we are, day before my biggest appointment this month. 5 root tips being extracted on the top tomorrow, and a root canal. I'm definitely nervous, but I'm ready. I'm asking to get set up with a Dentalcard loan, so we can get this all done ASAP. I'm ready to be done, I don't want to spread out this re-traumatizing stuff any longer than I need to. Turns out the hardest part for me is the mental part. I'm just sad and angry and I want this over. Wish me luck!

 

[MissM250]

Well, I emailed the office. I'm hoping they can come up with a more speedy treatment plan. I want this all over and done with, I'm increasingly having flashbacks, and I just don't want to wait! Fingers crossed.

 

[MissM250]

Well, they are ready for a new plan. I called and got a dentalcard loan pre-approved today, for 15k, which is more than I'll need with insurance, but better safe than sorry. Tomorrow, when I go in for BIG appointment 1, we're creating a new plan. I feel sick, I feel scared, and I feel anxious. You know what though? I AM NOT STOPPING. I'm going to work through these feeling and this guilt, and I'm going to get the work done. I can't stop shaking. This is really going to end sooner than later. I'm going to have my smile. Oh my god, it can really happen now!

 

[MissM250]

No new plan till the new year, so I don't have the anxiety to think about for that stuff. For now, we're finishing off these last 2. Todays appointment was hard, I cried a lot out of anxiety. 5 extractions is a lot, and then I had a root canal on top of it. I'm exhausted and weak and traumatized, but I'm working through it. Keeping up on my pain meds, icing my cheek, and drinking lots of water. Once the root canals are done, I'll do an updated picture of the front. I'm excited to smile again

 

[Spider]

WOW. 5 extractions and a root canal is SO much. Most likely, you will never have such an intense dental appointment again in your life. I think a "normal" person with no dental phobia, no anxiety and no past trauma's would have been hesitant to do such an appointment and if they did, they'd probably take the rest of the week (or year!) off from life to mentally and physically recover. You are seriously so tough. I hope the next 2 appointments are less traumatic.

 

[Enarete]

Best of luck for today, look forward to read how it went. It's impressive how you are pushing yourself forwards, despite terror, anxiety, tears and challenges along the way

 

[MissM250]

Cleaning went well, I even was able to allow her to do a bit more work on the bottom WITHOUT freezing. She froze the top, cuz I am still quite raw and sore from having a total of 6 extractions up there this year. We decided on one last cleaning in January once I'm more healed on the top. This one went great, we looked at all of my pictures which was so neat. They're going to send me ALL of them once I'm done, so I can show you all the progression of what I am having done. I feel pretty good today so I'm taking some Tylenol and Ibuprophen just in case, and I'm going out to get some shopping done Last appointment for this month is on Monday for my front tooth and eye tooth root canals, and then a good long rest until January to heal up and get ready for my top crowns, bridge and partial. I am SO freaking excited for this super hard stuff to be done, and to be at the "lets build your new teeth" part!!! Thank you all so much for the support and for checking in on me, I showed my office the forum today and they LOVE it and will be letting patients know it exists. I feel like if I can help someone else who is in that dark place like I was, all of this is worth it. Have a great weekend all, chat soon!

 

[MissM250]

Also, my hygienist said I could mention, if you're in my home town (Victoria BC Canada) and you're scared, you can totally look her and the practice up and they will try to help you through. I stated it earlier, but the practice I go to is https://www.inharmonydentalcare.ca/ and the hygienist is Shannon Wilson, RDH, BCDH. She is SO very kind, and does thorough, beautiful work!

 

[Enarete]

This is amazing, firstly so glad to read that all went so well and then that you even showed your dental team our page This is exactly how kindness and helping each other works: we all went through this challenging journey and now passing what we learned and not only everything that you wrote will stay here and serve as a huge motivation to anyone reading (today, tomorrow, in months, even in years), but also everyone who moved forward with their fear thank your posts or this site in general will encourage and help others. In this way we create a lovely support network.. and having dentists, who know that this page exists and let their patients know, that's even more beautiful

I was wondering whether you would mind posting a review straight in our review section here, to make sure people from Victoria can find it, as it is usually the place where people search for recommendation.

 

[MelJJ]

Well done Miss. You are truly on a personal and magical journey Each appointment once out of the way is a relief and a triumph isn't it ! I had 7 extractions two weeks ago and picked up my top denture on Wednesday. All is well so far apart from a wire that needs tweaking. I've got used to it being in but can't quite find the courage to bite down properly on food yet but I'll get there. I can't help peaking in a mirror when I walk past one now - can't remember the last time I done that ! At least part 1 is out of the way for me for now, part 2 will be at some point next year, I'm still anxious about it but it's more anxiety than absolute fear now

 

[MissM250]

I will totally do a review on them! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[MissM250]

Well, woke up today with an abscess at one of my extraction sites. I woke up at 330 am in wicked pain. Somehow, trauma brain had me thinking "I can handle this on my own" Before hubby left for work, he suggested I call the dentist (they have a weekend emergency line) It took me almost 4 hours to work up the courage, because somehow I thought the abscess was my fault, even though logically I know it's not. So, I called, we texted a few times, and he immediately called in a script and told me "it's all going to be ok, yes still come Monday, we'll figure it all out". I cried for almost half an hour of sheer relief that I didn't get yelled at, and now have my meds. I feel SO sick, my left eye looks like I have pink eye, but I'm doing it. I can't believe my first instinct was to not get help and just try to suffer through it. Going to have another good cry, and a nap.

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

Hope all goes well with going to the dentist tomorrow about your abscess

 

[Spider]

oh no I'm so sorry about the absess. I hope the dentist went okay today and you're resting now, feeling much better.

 

[MissM250]

He packed the site with meds, and we got my last 2 top root canals done. I go back Wednesday for him to check the site and make sure it's healing. I'm emotional, but the pain is manageable. I'm looking forward to a rest tonight. Thank you for checking in on me. I know this will all be worth it, I just have to keep trudging through.

 

[MissM250]

Feeling better today, still working from bed though. It's rough going. I get weak any time I'm standing for too long. I'm very glad I'm not getting worse, I just really need a break from feeling... semi-gross all the time. I know I'm just tired, but I needed to journal this part, I want people to know the whole truth!