Dealing with Embarrassment

[Baru]

Well the day's finally come where, after 5+ years of avoiding the dentist due to pure anxiety, I'm being forced to go in due to crippling pain in a back molar. I have to call tomorrow and I know this. But I don't want to. I feel sick thinking about it and the only thing that's making me is the fact that I really can't sleep due to the throbbing in my jaw.
I'm going to try a new dentist close to home. My old one relocated is now too far away so I'm going in blind. I plan to tell them I know my teeth are in rough shape when I schedule an appointment. I plan to tell them I'm also extremely nervous about the whole thing but what scares me almost as much as the physical visit is:

1) learning the extent of how bad my teeth are
2) being embarrassed about the state of my teeth in front of the dentist and their assistants (if they scold me or sound like they're scolding me I think I'll break down)

Any advice?

 

[Chelle73]

HiI can emphasise with your dilemma.

I hadn't visited a dentist in 20 years due to severe anxiety and fear as well as embarrassment, however in Feb I decided enough was enough.

My teeth were extremely bad, a lot were broken, there was a huge calcium build up behind the front lowers and the top teeth were all dead.

Firstly please be brave, a dentist that is worth their salt will never scold you in regards to your teeth, it takes a very courageous person to sit in the chair with the level of anxiety they have and they respect that. They are there to help you and will respect that you are trying to help yourself. Dentists aren't at all like they used to be.

I had 3 extractions in the dentist chair then surgery at the beginning of May to get all my uppers removed and now have a plate and this is the best thing ever! I can now smile. Keep thinking of being able to smile and have no pain, focus on this and try to take each appointment as it comes.

I had no pain with my visits to my dentist he was extremely good. The only pain I had was after surgery but this was due to an infection.

Once you take the step and start the journey you will think to yourself how easy is this? sounds daft right now but honest you will.

Good luck and please let me know how it goes xx

 

[tiredofbeingscared]

I have very similar feelings and I will be in the dentist's office later this morning after avoiding it for almost 7 years. I'm just so horribly embarrassed and I get shaky and feel sick to my stomach at the thought of hearing the "full report" of all that my teeth need to be back on track.

I purposely chose a dentist who knows how to handle anxious patients and I plan to tell him that I can't yet handle hearing about the full extent of work needed. I will ask him not to show me my x-rays. He can (and should!) create a treatment plan for me, but it only needs to be revealed to me a step at a time or else I'm going to just freak out.

I am also going to talk about my budget a bit, because that will likely factor in to how the treatment happens. If the work is really extensive (for example if I need 2 implants, 4 crowns and 10 fillings...just throwing that out there but those numbers wouldn't surprise me at all) that could be over $11,000 worth of work, and there's no way I can afford to do that all in 1 year. The doctor will just need to be aware of budget constraints and also aware of the fact that I can mentally only go one step at a time when he talks with me.

Maybe later when I'm not as scared I can get a bigger picture, but for today, I'm counting it as enough of a miracle that I'm going to show up for the appointment at all. One step at a time. I don't have to face every single fear about the dentist all at once today. I hope that helps you.

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

I am also at the dentist for a checkup (I go every three months) but I am still the same, scared of being embarrassed with how my teeth look

It always good to tell your dentist you are nervous (I still do it) I know we all have these thoughts about how much work we might need.

Good luck

 

[Baru]

HiI can emphasise with your dilemma.

Firstly please be brave, a dentist that is worth their salt will never scold you in regards to your teeth, it takes a very courageous person to sit in the chair with the level of anxiety they have and they respect that. They are there to help you and will respect that you are trying to help yourself. Dentists aren't at all like they used to be.


I had no pain with my visits to my dentist he was extremely good. The only pain I had was after surgery but this was due to an infection.

Once you take the step and start the journey you will think to yourself how easy is this? sounds daft right now but honest you will.

Good luck and please let me know how it goes xx

Thank you. I know they're there to help but as soon as I sit in that chair and it starts to go down slowly I feel like dying
Good to know you didn't feel pain. I've had bad luck with local numbing and ALWAYS feel a dull throbbing pain as they drill, even when I ask them for an extra dose.

I did call today and book for tomorrow but - unhelpfully - the toothache's randomly vanished today. After nonstop aching yesterday I woke up and it's a little painful but much less than it was. Makes me want to cancel tomorrow's appointment.

 

[newbieindeatalfear]

You might look at care credit.