Crippling fear of dentists after being abused by one as a child

[stevealtman]

Hi All I am new here and have yet to read anyone's posts but will do as this problem is now affecting me in my later life. Between the ages of 5-10 I was with a dentist who was very rough with me, held me down, and used to use a rubber toffee to keep my mouth open. I am now 45 havent seen a dentist in years and my teeth are starting to just fall out or break in my mouth and even after having absysess in my mouth i still wont go to a dentist. So now I have work that desperately needs doing low funds and dont know where to start..Help me please

 

[Pippa]

Hallo and welcome.

You have made a start already by posting here. I know it took me months and months before I was brave enough to post and since I did,I have had so much help.

The next step is to look to see if there is a sympathetic dentist in your area. You can e mail several dentists explaining your problems and fear and see what responses you get. If one reply sounds good then go for that. When you get to the dentist, tell them you want to go slowly and only have a chat and maybe a look for the first visit . If the dentist is Ok he will understand and do just that.

Read the posts in this forum,also under dental questions and others. Lots of help to be had,and ask any questions you might have.
Good luck, I have just started going to the dentist again ,and coped, so you will too.

 

[stevealtman]

Thanks for your message Pippa I am taking small steps at the moment looking up dentists etc but all the ones that look really attractive are all private and cannot afford their costs

 

[Dreadnought]

Yes, I found that step by step is definitely the way to go.

Quite a few of the members on here have found sympathetic, high quality NHS dentists, so not being able to afford private treatment need not be a barrier to getting the care you deserve.

My experience has been that what makes most difference is the personal qualities and skill level of the dentist.

Keep posting here - it helps such a lot.

 

[stevealtman]

Thanks Dreadnought now all I have to do is find a sympathetic NHS dentist, so if anyone knows of one in the London area please let me have there details. I also am looking in to getting dental insurance so if anyone reading this knows of a policy that covers you for a high amount even if the premiums are a bit higher please also advise on this. Since finding here yesterday I have started to gain courage after reading other peoples experiences and after looking at the pics I have realised that its not to late for my teeth, yes i have lost some but my front teeth upper and lower can be saved and the back ones i will get sorted. I work as a dj and am sick of looking at other peoples nice teeth and want to be proud of mine to. No one realises how crippling a fear this can be,thanks for your help so far

 

[vicki]

If you visit the NHS website you can search for dentists in your area. It should give you contact details, opening times, staff working at the practice as well as whether or not they are accepting new NHS patients. The information may not be completely up to date though, so if you want to know whether they are accepting new patients, your best bet is to give them a ring.

Another option would be to contact your local PCT as they have a list of all the dentists who are contracted to provide NHS treatment and they will know who is and isn't taking on new patients. They should be able to point you in the right direction, or at least get you onto a waiting list for when an NHS place becomes available. Some PCTs can also refer you to a dentist who specialises in treating nervous patients.

In terms of services offered, there are mixed reviews about NHS treatment. Some people like myself have had a mixture of good, bad and indifferent dentists, whilst some have struck gold and found a great dentist who is willing to spend the time and care needed to help them overcome their fear. It completely depends upon the practice and individual dentist. Time can be a big issue though. Because of the way the NHS system works, dentists are under a lot of pressure to see as many patients as possible in order to make the practice financially viable. Therefore if you feel that you need more time or want to take things at a slower pace, then going private may be a better option for you. The materials and treatment provided privately also tend to be of a higher quality than what's available on the NHS.

I was an NHS patient for years because like many people, money is a bit of an issue. However, with a combination of savings, insurance plans and a bit of help from family, I decided to go private as it became obvious that the time, treatment and TLC I needed depended on the dentist I saw and given that my dentist seemed to change every year, I wasn't really getting the continuity or standard of care that I need.

There are a number of options for insurance plans. Many private practices accept Denplan which is a specialist dental insurance scheme that covers the costs of things like checkups, x-rays and basic treatment. It also offers a discount on the cost of more complex treatments. You pay a set amount each month which is determined by your dentist, depending on the health of your teeth. I think it also requires you to be 'dentally fit' before you join. If it turns out that you need a fair bit of treatment, many dentists also allow you to spread the costs over several payments or treatment sessions and some offer interest free credit.

There are also other dental insurance plans such as Boots (I have this - the higher level private plan costs about £20 a month), which pay out set amounts per treatment or procedure up to a maximum amount per year. Whilst they don't cover all the costs, they do go some way towards paying for treatment.

Healthcare cash plans like the ones advertised on TV from SimplyHealth, pay out cash amounts either in full or they pay half of your costs up to a set limit, depending on the level of plan you're on. They also cover other health costs such as opticians, physiotherapy etc. I also have one of these plans from Sovereign Healthcare. For me it costs around £20 a month and pays out 50% of the cost up to a maximum of £140 a year.

It's definitely not too late for your teeth - you would be amazed at what dentists can do these days. We all know how crippling the fear can be, but you've taken a great step on your journey by posting on here. Once you've had your first appointment, that's the hardest bit done.