Cavity?? Dental Anxiety?? I can't stop worrying

[rosemarytea]

Hi, i absolutely despise going to the dentist. The sheer thought of voluntarily going there and them straining my mouth to open, poking my gums and causing them to bleed, the smell, and the environment in general.

The dental office I go to, im not sure if this is the regular, reeks of mint and old breath. I could be more tolerant of the smell if it wasn't for the experience. The dentist often humiliates me by telling me the terrible care I've put into my teeth and how my gums are constantly bleeding. It might be a mistake on my end but the fact that the assistants there really don't care. To me, they're constantly stabbing me in the gums with a tool or accidentally drilling too deep. The dentist really doesn't even care if I'm in pain and usually shrugs it off by telling me that if i took better care it wouldn't hurt.

My mouth is naturally a little smaller than the average humans mouth, but if I ever bring it up the dentist tells me okay and moves on. They still force me to open my mouth wider even though I genuinely cannot open it as big. This also might seem dumb but I guess my mouth retains a lot of spit and they never give me the chance to even swallow anything and complain to my face.

I think I may have a cavity and I have an appointment in about a week and a half. It doesn't hurt at the moment so I've been letting it go. I've been putting it off and I really just don't want to go. I beat myself up for it constantly but the idea of visiting the dentist gives me a panic attack. I've tried telling my family and some friends about this but they don't listen. Please help

 

[Enarete]

Hi rosemarytea,

wow, so sorry to read that this is how you get treated in your dental practice! It's not a surprise that you are not keen on going!

Now the only help I would know for you in this situation would be to change practices. It's not ok to get humiliated, and dismissed if you are in pain. A dentist is supposed to be kind and helpful and make you feel comfortable. If your mouth gets tired, they should be able to give you space to close and take a breather for a moment. What shocks me the most is the humiliation. In no area of life we would voluntarily deal with people who treat us that way so why at a dental practice where you are basically the customer. Your story reminds me of the old stories about school dentists..

Is there any chance to have a chat with your mom or dad and ask them to find another dental practice for you? Someone nice? Maybe you could even google yourself and see whether there is any practice in your area you feel might treat you gently and with respect?

All the best wishes

 

[rosemarytea]

I just got back from the dentist! I took your advice and switched to a different dentist and the experience was so much better. They actually listened whenever I had questions and they let me listen to a podcast while they worked. The nurses were so kind, thank you again for the tips.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Rosemarytea,

So happy to hear you were treated kindly and way different from your previous experience!! This is great news! It sure does make a difference when people slow down, listen and really care ! Glad you got someone who did

 

[letsconnect]

Congratulations rosemarytea ! So glad you were able to switch to a different dentist - having someone who is kind and compassionate can often make all the difference! Well done and thanks for reporting back!!