• Dental Phobia Support

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Bad teeth & never been to dentist in a long time.

A

acsk1

Junior member
Joined
Jun 4, 2018
Messages
1
A bit about me: I'm a 15 year old currently living in Canada. When I was younger my parents didn't encourage me to brush or take care of my teeth and I've only now gotten into the habit of regular brushing and flossing. The last time I went to the dentist was when I was about 9 years old, and I haven't gone to one since then.

My gums are also relatively red, but they do not hurt or bleed when I'm brushing / flossing. As for my teeth, they're in a pretty bad state. I have several cavities on molars and I believe there is decay along my gumline on my bottom teeth. They're appalling and I'm ashamed of what the dentist will think if I go to them.

However, I'm not sure what my options would be. Is it be possible for me to schedule an appointment and go alone as a 15 year old? My family is going in a financial hardship, and I'm pretty sure that we're uninsured. What are my options? Thanks for the support.
 
Hi and welcome acsk1,

sorry to read about your situation. It's hard to keep healthy teeth without help of the parents so it's really impressive that you had gotten into the right habits now and even look for a way to get a dental appointment! :respect:

I understand the difficulty about insurance and scheduling an appointment without your parents. Hope there will be a user from Canada who is familiar with the system here. As a 15-year-old there might be a possibility to see a dentist even without insurance in some way.

It sounds like you wouldn't like to talk about this with your parents yet, did I get it right? Have you found a dental practice that you would like to visit? If so, it might be an idea to just go there or give them a call and ask a receptionist about how things work. You are taking responsibility for your health which is amazing and I am sure the receptionist will be more than happy to tell you what your options are.

Nobody should make you feel bad about your teeth, on the contrary: you deserve a lot of support. I am also sure that your teeth are not as bad as you think - you would be surprised what dentists see every day. By the way, sometimes teeth might look like decayed but only need a good cleaning, so this might be your case too.

All the best wishes, keep us posted and I will keep my fingers crossed for you to find a way to get the dental care you need. You are doing an amazing job!
 
I don't have much advice to offer, but your story breaks my heart. ? YOU shouldn't feel any shame whatsoever. you're just a kid and it's not your fault. I thought that, in Canada, you guys had universal health care? maybe it doesn't cover dental. I feel so ashamed and horrified that my four year old daughter has two cavities. ..and my teeth are a mess. .a serious mess. .at forty. I'm so sorry you're going through this at such a young age. I guarantee, when you find a dentist...a kind one. .they won't look down upon you.
I always ask the secretary, if they seem nice, in a down to earth way, what the doctor is like and try to tell from the way they sound whether or not its a good place to go. I tell them my fears and what I'm ashamed of and go from there. you can tell a lot by the way the office staff and nurses speak. Good luck, honey.
 
In what province do you live in? In Ontario we have “Healthy Smiles Ontario” which covers dental fees for kids in low income families. I believe your parents would have to ask to enroll you an prove their income. Maybe your town’s Public Health Service also offers dental clinics.
 
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