Consuming fear

[Aries92]

I am extremely nervous because I know I need to make a dentist appointment soon and I haven’t been seen in a few years…I have really only ever had traumatic experiences with dentists in the past and never left with good news (thanks to bad genetics) I take extremely good care of my mouth but unfortunately that only goes so far when both mom & dad weren’t blessed with good teeth either. My whole life I have been so insecure and have needed dental work since I was very young. Had two crowns placed on back molar and one in front of that when I was 20, and a bridge placed when I was 25. Both experiences were traumatic for me and I had to pay our if pocket for a 4K bridge that broke due to a poor initial fit (thanks shitty dentist) and needed to be replaced (again, traumatic for me) I am now realizing I have a pocket between my two crowns and food often gets stuck so I know there is some possible periodontal disease developing and I can tell the crown is a bit loose and will hopefully be able to be replaced I am scared to death of losing the tooth because you’ll be able to see the missing molar when I smile I am a 29 yo female and I just don’t want to have to deal with that. I know that an implant could be an option but that’s a lot of $ and I fear that I will be told there is not enough bone for the implant due to the possible periodontal disease developing in that area. I spin out of control about this and have been working myself up for days stressing because I know I need to make an appt soon but it is really important to me to find the right dentist to help me and be able to deal with my panic issues. I am sure I will have a panic attack just walking into the office out of fear of finding out the worst news. I am not currently having any pain in my mouth. I have been working with my therapist and a psychiatrist regarding these issues as they have gotten severe where I have nightmares about my teeth almost every night and have thought about ending my life because it makes me feel hopeless and helpless and I can’t talk to friends about it because they can’t relate. but if anyone can help put my mind at ease a bit I would appreciate it so much I am feeling desperate.

 

[Aries92]

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this

 

[Natural_]

You don't talk about pain or extreme discomfort and you don't seem to have any other outward signs of damage so severe that even implants wouldn't be an option.

On the implant front you need to remember that for 99% of patients extraction/implants are the last option, be it due to financial constraints or efforts to save the original tooth. I'm not a dentist but I would shocked if the damage is anywhere close to what you've presented here.

On another front, I feel I can empathize heavily with your anxiety, and in my opinion, you should go harder on that side of things. Anxiety like this is all-consuming, it doesn't begin or end with a tooth or a single problem, and you're young enough that you can still get it managed.

Rumination and getting caught in a spiral of negative anxious thoughts can be more damaging to physical health than a loose crown would ever be.

You're not alone in this, but you should really make it a goal to at least try different solutions to the anxiety problem.

 

[Aries92]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, it means a lot. I definitely agree with what you are saying about the anxiety—I am probably working myself up more in my head and making it worse for myself. It’s just so hard to control the spiraling thoughts once they start. But I do agree that is step one, thank you for reminding me of that..I hope you have a lovely day

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Dear Aries92,

From your post it seems to me you are busy thinking about bad news and bad scenarios. I would like to share with you a video which might be helpful for you.It's about worrying thoughts about dental problems. Hope this helps.

 

[Aries92]

Thank you so very much…I needed this today.