L
lisalittletwig
Junior member
- Joined
- May 24, 2021
- Messages
- 6
- Location
- UK
I've been reading this forum and decided to join in/post about my situation as I'm sure my parents (who have been brilliant at supporting me) need a break from my endless worries!
For nearly all of my life the dentist has never factored with me. I remember going perhaps a couple of times in my whole life, which was triggered by an incident of me faceplanting the floor when I used to sleepwalk in adolesence (miraculously, I didn't end up with anything more than a wonky front tooth with a hairline crack). I've never had any other issues so I just didn't go.
I am a very anxious person generally, I've had Generalised Anxiety Disorder for 20 years. Also I have emetophobia, a sensitive gag reflex/issues with gagging and just have issues about anything going on with my mouth. All perfect ingredients for being phobic of the dentist, though I never realised how much I was until something had to be done (with having avoided the place for so long it had never factored with me, but now it makes complete, and unfortunate, sense).
In January a piece of one of my lower right molars broke off when I was eating a sandwich. I had an obvious feeling of "this isn't good", and knew I'd need to get it seen too, but we were in lockdown here in the UK and I had no pain so I just carried on. The inevitable caught up with me in mid-April when I started to get intermittent pain. The pain gave me the 'courage' to find out what was going on. Because it had been 20+ years since I'd been, my dentist had deregistered me and weren't taking on new patients. I found a private practice that had good reviews, including from phobic patients, and luckily they were able to see me quickly for a consultation.
If I knew what was going to happen at the consultation I probably would have chickened out. It occured to me I'd never had a dental x-ray, and when they (the dentist and assistant) tried to use it in my mouth I panicked, felt like I was gagging and spat it out. Luckily they had a panoramic x-ray and after a few goes at using that (because I was so shaken) I got the x-rays done. The upshot was that I need 3 fillings aside from the icky tooth, which I was told required root canal. I burst into tears as soon as I heard those two words. I knew it wasn't going to be good, considering there is dark decay in the tooth and given the pain and that I'd been eating as usual on a broken tooth, but it was my worst fear. My dad accompanied me and asked the dentist if anything else could be done, and she mentioned that they could dress the tooth as a sort of temporary fix.
One thing that the dentist did say was that I would not be able to cope without sedation. The incident with the x-ray made me feel really embarrassed, and that felt like an extra bit of failure, even though she is absolutely right. I went back for a sedation consultation with the same dentist the following week (having cried and moped about my fate for a few days after the initial consultation) and the good news is that I'm clear for it. I am apprehensive as I've never had any kind of surgery/anesthesia (though I know it is different - I'll be having IV sedation). I'm a bit of a control freak, but I would rather be as 'out of it' as possible in this scenario.
I am booked in for my first treatment at the end of June. I made a plan with the dentist to have the two fillings on my left side done first, one of which is a deep filling, so I can get used to everything with the sedation, and then if it all goes well (which I really really hope it does), I will go ahead with the root canal. Realistically I know it's the best thing to do, I am really scared about this tooth detoriating in the meantime now. Thankfully I haven't had pain since the day of the initial consultation, I've been eating on the left side of my mouth and doing all I can to keep away from the bad tooth. When I use my tongue to get any stray bits of food out of it it does hurt :/
I'm doing what I can to stop thinking about it all, but it's in my head pretty much constantly. I picture myself in the chair, what IV sedation will feel like (and even if it will really work on me because I am so anxious), how much I'll be aware of everything going on...as much as I have all of my 'mouth' issues, I know mainly it is sheer fear of the unknown. Also the depression and fear I feel about just leaving this bad tooth as it is is so much worse than spending a couple of hours at a time getting treatment (I imagine I'll probably have four appointments in total). I just need to keep telling myself it's all for the best and I'll feel so much better once it's all taken care of...but I worry about being irrational and letting my anxiety get the better of me.
Reading experiences on here, especially regarding IV sedation, has helped (I do like to have information on things, which is not helpful for an over-thinker...I really wish I could be chilled out and not care about things so much but then I guess I wouldn't be here, in the first place). I'm also practicing daily meditation in the hope it will get me in the right frame of mind ahead of time, though I also I know that once the time comes I'll be super super anxious.
Thanks for reading my rambling, but I know it also helps to 'talk' to people who understand.
For nearly all of my life the dentist has never factored with me. I remember going perhaps a couple of times in my whole life, which was triggered by an incident of me faceplanting the floor when I used to sleepwalk in adolesence (miraculously, I didn't end up with anything more than a wonky front tooth with a hairline crack). I've never had any other issues so I just didn't go.
I am a very anxious person generally, I've had Generalised Anxiety Disorder for 20 years. Also I have emetophobia, a sensitive gag reflex/issues with gagging and just have issues about anything going on with my mouth. All perfect ingredients for being phobic of the dentist, though I never realised how much I was until something had to be done (with having avoided the place for so long it had never factored with me, but now it makes complete, and unfortunate, sense).
In January a piece of one of my lower right molars broke off when I was eating a sandwich. I had an obvious feeling of "this isn't good", and knew I'd need to get it seen too, but we were in lockdown here in the UK and I had no pain so I just carried on. The inevitable caught up with me in mid-April when I started to get intermittent pain. The pain gave me the 'courage' to find out what was going on. Because it had been 20+ years since I'd been, my dentist had deregistered me and weren't taking on new patients. I found a private practice that had good reviews, including from phobic patients, and luckily they were able to see me quickly for a consultation.
If I knew what was going to happen at the consultation I probably would have chickened out. It occured to me I'd never had a dental x-ray, and when they (the dentist and assistant) tried to use it in my mouth I panicked, felt like I was gagging and spat it out. Luckily they had a panoramic x-ray and after a few goes at using that (because I was so shaken) I got the x-rays done. The upshot was that I need 3 fillings aside from the icky tooth, which I was told required root canal. I burst into tears as soon as I heard those two words. I knew it wasn't going to be good, considering there is dark decay in the tooth and given the pain and that I'd been eating as usual on a broken tooth, but it was my worst fear. My dad accompanied me and asked the dentist if anything else could be done, and she mentioned that they could dress the tooth as a sort of temporary fix.
One thing that the dentist did say was that I would not be able to cope without sedation. The incident with the x-ray made me feel really embarrassed, and that felt like an extra bit of failure, even though she is absolutely right. I went back for a sedation consultation with the same dentist the following week (having cried and moped about my fate for a few days after the initial consultation) and the good news is that I'm clear for it. I am apprehensive as I've never had any kind of surgery/anesthesia (though I know it is different - I'll be having IV sedation). I'm a bit of a control freak, but I would rather be as 'out of it' as possible in this scenario.
I am booked in for my first treatment at the end of June. I made a plan with the dentist to have the two fillings on my left side done first, one of which is a deep filling, so I can get used to everything with the sedation, and then if it all goes well (which I really really hope it does), I will go ahead with the root canal. Realistically I know it's the best thing to do, I am really scared about this tooth detoriating in the meantime now. Thankfully I haven't had pain since the day of the initial consultation, I've been eating on the left side of my mouth and doing all I can to keep away from the bad tooth. When I use my tongue to get any stray bits of food out of it it does hurt :/
I'm doing what I can to stop thinking about it all, but it's in my head pretty much constantly. I picture myself in the chair, what IV sedation will feel like (and even if it will really work on me because I am so anxious), how much I'll be aware of everything going on...as much as I have all of my 'mouth' issues, I know mainly it is sheer fear of the unknown. Also the depression and fear I feel about just leaving this bad tooth as it is is so much worse than spending a couple of hours at a time getting treatment (I imagine I'll probably have four appointments in total). I just need to keep telling myself it's all for the best and I'll feel so much better once it's all taken care of...but I worry about being irrational and letting my anxiety get the better of me.
Reading experiences on here, especially regarding IV sedation, has helped (I do like to have information on things, which is not helpful for an over-thinker...I really wish I could be chilled out and not care about things so much but then I guess I wouldn't be here, in the first place). I'm also practicing daily meditation in the hope it will get me in the right frame of mind ahead of time, though I also I know that once the time comes I'll be super super anxious.
Thanks for reading my rambling, but I know it also helps to 'talk' to people who understand.