crippling fear of my cavities hurting , im going on a plane trip and im petrified

[cloudsinviolet]

i have 2 cavities and 2 teeth that need removing, and i will be getting this done through iv sedation in a few months

but while i wait for what absolute terrifying nightmare that is a whole problem in itself, i have a crippling fear of my teeth starting to hurt in the mean time

i have had very mild pain that comes sometimes and goes away right after, it doesnt stay, and its mild, but its enough to send me on a spiral of just suicidal fear, i dont eat properly out of fear, i dont look myself in the mirror, i dont touch my face near my mouth, and it has consumed me for months, im exhausted

im going to my home country for a week on holiday to see my family, and i am so scared of my teeth hurting on the airplane or while im there, im already scared of planes and going to my home country, but doesnt even come near the fear of my teeth hurting while im there

its gone to a point i dont actually think i will be able to get on that plane on monday, its friday, and i dont know what to do anymore, im exhausted, i cant sleep

i dont know what anyone can say to help, but any words are appreciated, thank you if you read this

 

[Enarete]

@cloudsinviolet, so sorry to read what you have been going through and so glad you shared it with us. First of all well done on getting the dental work done soon, I am sure it was a huge thing to become able to do so.

Before I jump in with thoughts or ideas, I'd like to understand a little better, what is it about the pain that scares you so much and also, how exactly is it connected to the flying. Would you mind sharing a bit more on where you think this fear comes from and how does the travel fit into it? Have you had any terrrifying experience with tooth pain in the past or has your dentist told you something that made you scared of that?

 

[cloudsinviolet]

@Enarete hi !! thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me

im just scared of having to deal with the pain and having no choice but to go to the dentist, if that makes sense.

i want to be able to choose when i go so i can be mentally prepared , and have enough money saved , and im just terrified of having to deal with tooth pain and feel that choice slip through my fingers

im scared of it happening when i fly because ive read that airplane can cause toothache too

 

[Enarete]

This makes perfect sense! Control is a huge thing and I see how you want to be prepared and in charge when it comes to treatment and not having to deal with surprises.

Now let me break that down a bit. When it comes to the fear of a tooth starting to hurt before you have your appointment, the first step may be to check how likely that is. That probability will have something to do with where the tooth is at, in particular how deep the cavities are and your dentist should be able to give you an estimation. Or maybe they had a chat with you at your last appointment about that? I suspect that if there was anything really urgent, your dentist wouldn't let you wait so long for treatment, but maybe asking them may be a good idea? One thing I promise is this: your eating or touching your face won't have an effect on the likelihood of any pain coming.
If you would like to understand how decay works (and how quickly - or better to say slowly - it can get worse) and what to do to prevent it, you can read here:

How to prevent and stop tooth decay

Find out how to prevent tooth decay and how to stop existing decay from getting worse.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Now another thing is the fear of pain on a flight or during your travels. This is a quick one: no matter what you read, flying has no impact on teeth. We had that here in the past from people who flew with issues and also from dentists comenting, if you like to check it out yourself:

For those of you scared of flying with dental issues...

I know I have seen quite a few questions about flying with cracked teeth, painful teeth, infections, etc. I had read multiple articles about flying with cracked teeth and how it can cause intense pain, but my endodontist and dentist said it was very unlikely and rare to have extreme pain. So I...

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Flying With Dental Issues

Hi! Yesterday I flew from Canada to England, a 9 hour flight I was SO worried that I would have problems with pain after I'd heard horror stories from a couple of friends and done too much googling on the subject, always a mistake! I have a few things going on with my teeth at the moment and I...

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Also, if there is any particular tooth that may act out, your dentist could prescribe you antibiotics just in case something comes up.

Hope ths helps to ease your mind a little bit and please please plese, eat well and take good care of yourself. You can't make anything worse, I promise

 

[letsconnect]

The cabin pressurisation on planes is so good nowadays that it shouldn't be a problem. I've got terrible sinuses and constantly have to equalise on trains or when driving through hilly areas, but have no issues when flying. Very different from, say, 20 years ago...

Enjoy your holiday !!

 

[cloudsinviolet]

i came here to update on this for anyone who finds this thread and has the same fear x i went on the plane and at no point did my teeth feel any pressure or pain, everyone who commented is correct XD