• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

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Dental treatment soon after approx. 10 years

I’ve gotta be honest, I think some of my anxiety and tooth twinges come from obsessively reading about teeth lately. I never noticed my teeth in my mouth until the last couple months. Now I feel them all the time!

I was reading about brain cancer the other night and have had awful headaches since then. I think my body is very good at producing pain when my mind tells it something is wrong, if that makes sense lol.

So I guess I’m going to try to stop reading about teeth for a while. I have reached out to a few new dentists so I can try to find someone to stick with long term. I’ll be back once I have some new news I’m sure. For now I’m trying to put it out of my mind. I’m clenching a lot too due to stress which is making some of my teeth sore…which just spikes the anxiety.


So hopefully distraction will work for me. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas if you celebrate! And happy holidays to anyone who doesn’t ?
I've just come across your dental journal and I can empathise completely with your feelings. I too have dental issues and have a very strict cleaning regime to keep periodontal disease from raging in my mouth. When it was first diagnosed 20 years ago I read everything in sight and couldn't see a good outcome.........fast forward 20 years and I've accepted that I'll have to live with this and it doesn't define who I am, my dental issues are stable. Yes it's unfair that others hardly ever clean their teeth to the extent i do and get away with it, but that's life!

I wish you all the very best from the UK and I wish you a very merry Christmas too. Good luck and hope everything turns out good for you.
 
I've just come across your dental journal and I can empathise completely with your feelings. I too have dental issues and have a very strict cleaning regime to keep periodontal disease from raging in my mouth. When it was first diagnosed 20 years ago I read everything in sight and couldn't see a good outcome.........fast forward 20 years and I've accepted that I'll have to live with this and it doesn't define who I am, my dental issues are stable. Yes it's unfair that others hardly ever clean their teeth to the extent i do and get away with it, but that's life!

I wish you all the very best from the UK and I wish you a very merry Christmas too. Good luck and hope everything turns out good for you.
Thank you for taking the time to read my journal and for sharing your experience. It is a bit of a grieving process I'm learning. Hopefully I will reach acceptance eventually. I'm happy to hear that you've been able to stabilize your mouth, and I sure hope that I am able to as well!

I hope that my appointment in January will help me have a more realistic view of the future, for better or worse. This dentist is highly regarded, so I believe he will be honest with me on his opinions about the future of my mouth and what I need to do to give me the best chance of keeping the vast majority of my teeth into my senior years.

Good luck to you as well with your journey!
 
Thanks for your lovely reply. Keeping everything crossed for you and your January appointment. It sounds like you've got a lot riding on it and I look forward to reading your update when it transpires.

We're all in this together and I firmly believe that a problem shared is a problem halved.
 
Hey

Been reading the journal and it sounds similar to what I have been through and go through.

I obsses over problems in my mouth when they come up and end up researching everything around it. It makes me have panic attacks is how bad it gets as I worry my problems will never be sorted.

Two things I would reccomend is the medication you mentioned I would strongly consider and the other sounds like you have in hand in finding a dentist that you trust and can talk too.

Good luck with your journey!
 
Hey

Been reading the journal and it sounds similar to what I have been through and go through.

I obsses over problems in my mouth when they come up and end up researching everything around it. It makes me have panic attacks is how bad it gets as I worry my problems will never be sorted.

Two things I would reccomend is the medication you mentioned I would strongly consider and the other sounds like you have in hand in finding a dentist that you trust and can talk too.

Good luck with your journey!
Thank you! I find myself looking at my teeth and noticing spots that could turn into cavities. Just feels helpless as I thought I was taking decent care of my teeth all this time and I didn’t think my diet was all that bad compared to everyone else!

This has definitely been a wake up call for me unfortunately. It is hard to deal with but I hope finding the right dentist will help. If I find myself still spiraling I will likely look into medication. It’s rough to feel like I’ve ruined my teeth but I’m relatively young so I can’t live like this forever.

Good luck on your journey too! Hopefully we can both get to a point where we feel stable and can stop worrying about our mouths
 
Well after a few days of feeling alright I’m having a hard time tonight. I’m second guessing this dentist after looking into it more.

I just feel like it’s so hard to find a dentist that I can trust. I need a lot of work still. I might need orthodontics before an implant, I need to choose the right surgeon for the implant, and the right person to do the implant crown.

I have another cavity that needs filled.

I feel like I cannot find the right dentist and it is causing me a lot of anxiety. Teeth are so important that having the wrong dentist can really mess things up. I am very scared. I am so worried about losing more teeth that I need someone I can trust. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know anyone personally who has needed a lot of work and can recommend someone.

Can’t stop crying. Feels like it won’t ever be okay again


I’d give anything to go back ten years. Not sure I’ll ever forgive myself for what I’ve done. Feels like this has ruined the life I thought I would have so I’m in mourning over that too.
 
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Well I sent out an appointment request for an orthodontist. Just want to get these Invisalign buttons off and see what we can do about my top tooth below the one grinded out of my bite. I don’t really want to pay thousands for orthodontics, but if it will keep my teeth healthier in the long run then I’m all for it. I don’t want to lose the top tooth.

Still not feeling right about this new dentist. Also not sure about who I should use for implant.

The ortho may say my teeth are too messed with with fillings to do anything. Not sure if that’s a thing but with my luck I wouldn’t be surprised
 
Decided I am going to go on Tuesday to the dentist and see what he says. I have one more big filling that needs done, and I’m scared to let it go too long and turn into a root canal. If I like him then I’ll let him do the fillings.

Once all the fillings are done, I’ll focus on the extractions/implant/orthodontics. These will have to work together I’m sure to figure out a timeline. I sent an online request for appointment to an orthodontist but they might be off this week so I’m not expecting a call til next week. I would just like their thoughts on how bad the top tooth is from the one grinded out of my bite! Hopefully not bad enough to need to be ground down and crowned as well :(

I will do traditional braces if I have to. I just want to get all healthy. Luckily my teeth are still decently aligned due to the Invisalign, but they have shifted some. But hopefully I won’t need years long treatment as that could prolong the implant.

Anyway…feeling ok today. I’m sure I’ll be a nervous wreck Tuesday, but it’s just a consultation and chat. They said they would request my x rays from dentist 1, so they might not even take any Tuesday. I’m okay either way.
 
I am worried about my recent root canal. The infection was large since it went undetected by me for many years as I didn’t have pain.

Had it done the week of Halloween. This is some pain lately in the area of the root canal. I can’t be sure which tooth it is. It isn’t intense, more of an annoyance or awareness of it. I don’t notice it all the time but it does come and go. Isn’t brought on by chewing or drinking or anything. I guess it could be from clenching because I have been stressed about my teeth for months. Just worried this infection won’t heal. There’s no swelling as of now so I guess I’ll just keep an eye on it unless things get worse. Feeling like I want this thing yanked out but I can’t pay for two implants without asking for help so really need to avoid that. I have savings but I will need it to move this summer so can’t spend it on a second implant right now. Especially if I need orthodontics

Really can’t wait for my journey to be over.
 
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Appointment with 3rd dentist is Tuesday. Not really sure about this one but might as well go. Feeling nervous about it. Hopefully I get a call back from the orthodontist as well. If not then I’ll have to call some this week.


Feeling defeated. If implants were a sure thing I probably wouldn’t be so freaked out. But they aren’t. Just hope I don’t need any additional ones for 20-30 years, if ever.

Still anxious about this root canal I just had done. Really can’t believe the state my mouth is in from sugar. It’s not even like I was eating it constantly or sipping on soda all day. Never could have imagined it would be this bad. If I had, I don’t think I would’ve let myself go so long.

Just tough to know this is a battle I’ll be fighting for my whole life.
 
Looking at my teeth some more before my appointment tomorrow. They are full on ruined. My teeth on the side all are discolored and don’t look clean at all. Between the teeth is dark discoloration. These are teeth that just had fillings. I don’t understand how either of the dentists could have missed that decay?

Hurts to know I’m never going to have healthy looking teeth. These teeth are just ticking time bombs until they need crowns. And then ticking time bombs until extractions I’m sure. I feel sick.

The orthodontist hasn’t called me so I’ll have to call tomorrow a few offices. Don’t really even see the point in putting all this money into my teeth when they’ll never be healthy again. But I don’t have a choice. Just a lifetime of anxiety and issues ahead of me. And a money pit in my mouth

Wish I was rich so I could just hang out alone in my house for the rest of my life and not worry about teeth since nobody would see them anyway. I was insecure about my gap teeth all through middle and high school. One of my friends told me I could be one of the prettiest girls in the grade if I got my gap fixed. My parents just didn’t think about braces for me or my brother as they were young parents and caught up in their divorce drama. Finally got Invisalign at 17 when my dads business took off and felt confident to smile and laugh without covering my mouth.

Now I don’t feel confident to have anyone look in my mouth. And I certainly don’t feel healthy. I’ll never not be insecure about my mouth I guess. I got a couple good years and that’s it.
 
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Best of luck with your appointment @IZZYBELLY2 !

There's no reason why your teeth should be "ticking time bombs".

Most discolouration is just that - discolouration (active decay is a soft mushy consistency).

I hope you get on well with this latest dentist and that they will be able to put your mind at rest ?
 
Thank you! I had to cancel as I think I have Covid :( I’m getting a test in a couple hours and did not want to put anyone in the practice at risk.

I go back and forth from thinking everything is hopeless to thinking I’m being very overdramatic and need to calm down. Hopefully eventually I will come out of the other side and stop being so hard on myself too.

Thank you for your kindness. I will update when I am able to go back after I know I am healthy!
 
You know, just thinking again. I have significant enamel erosion on my teeth. When you google acid erosion and see translucent teeth, that’s what mine looks like. A couple are very bad, outside of normal. I’m 28. I have never been a snacker. I eat twice a day consistently and have for years. Occasionally 3 times a day. I used to drink a soda or so a day. Usually not sipping on it all day, although in college I may have done that a little. Not in the past few years though, and that’s when my teeth have gotten really bad with enamel loss. I just went through photos from the past few years and I can see the difference now that I know what to look for.

I don’t understand really how this happens to me, when I have members of my own family who are twice my age who drink 3 or more sodas a day with teeth that look hard as rocks. Eating junk food all day. No translucency at all.

I am really wondering if something is wrong with me medically. Is my mouth super dry? Is my saliva insanely acidic? Do I have acid reflux and not realize it?

My diet and hygiene habits should not have my enamel in the state it is in. A little bit, sure, but the level looks like someone who drinks 10 energy drinks a day and never water.

Anyway these teeth will likely need crowns or bonding at some point since they’re much weaker now and enamel can’t be restored at this point. It’s my front teeth primarily so I hope I can wait 10 years or more. One of them is like half see through. It’s insanity. Really just have to eat nothing acidic pretty much ever and hope I can stop things from getting worse.

I really lost the genetic lottery. And it doesn’t even make sense to me because nobody in my family has these issues. So maybe I can’t blame that, but I really think biologically there has to be something wrong here.
 
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Feeling a little better about things but just overwhelmed and nervous for the “big stuff” I have to do still. A couple of fillings, one that makes me nervous if might need a root canal which I would like to avoid for a decade or so since it is the molar right next to my one being extracted.

The extraction of that aforementioned molar and implant. Orthodontics to get my teeth in line before placing of implant. Timing it all out and coordinating it between the dentist, orthodontist, and oral surgeon. Trying to get rid of the stains on my side and back teeth so I feel more attractive. Right now my teeth are all different colored. Front ones are white. I’d love them to be a little more uniform if possible. Not looking for perfection here since that ship has sailed, just generally okay.

Annnnd hoping my rct on tooth 20 shows healing as time progresses. Haven’t had pain so I think that’s a good sign, but it was such a big infection that went unknown for I don’t know how many years. So I will get lucky if it heals and lasts me a couple decades. Fingers crossed.

Still haven’t gotten my Covid results so can’t schedule anything further until I know if I’m positive or not. And now my poor mother who has health issues thinks she has it! We don’t live together so not from me, but I’m worried about her more than myself for sure.

Once a full plan with dates is in place, I think I’ll feel a little better. It feels overwhelming right now, but I want to believe I can have a healthy mouth for decades to come if I do these things now, and do my best to prevent the rest of my virgin teeth from getting any serious issues for the rest of my life. I hope.
 
Well I tested negative for Covid! So back to it I guess. I have a trip to go visit my dad in Florida in the beginning of February…I’d love to get appointments made before then for new dentist and orthodontist consultation. I know I need one more filling so I’m not sure if I should wait until after that to have my consultation or not. None of the ones I sent emails to responded, so I guess I’ll have to call some orthodontists this week. I don’t want to get any extractions until I speak with an orthodontist. That way I can figure out implant as well and the timeline for everything.


Pretty sure my crown is poorly done. I’m coming around to feeling a bit better, but I think that comes mostly from just being worn out. Hopefully will make some more progress soon.
 
Well I was feeling good. A hour later and I’m getting sharp pain on the side of my mouth that just had a root canal in October. Feels like bottom molar but then feels like top molar too? I’ve had like 5 instances of random sharp pain in the last hour. Not on biting or anything. Mostly bottom tooth but twice felt like too towards the back of my mouth.

I’m gonna lose it if I need another root canal. I have too much other stuff to deal with.

Wanna cry. Not from pain because it only lasts a second, but from never ending teeth issues.

Think I’ll take some Advil pm and turn in early tonight so I don’t have to think about it
 
Well I found a new craze line or something on the back of one of my front teeth. I know it’s new because I have looked at the back of those teeth very often back when I still had the cavity in the tooth next to it.

I’m not sure it’s a craze line as it looks a bit more pronounced. Might be a crack. It’s in the middle of the tooth on the back about halfway down. Very obvious when a light is on it. Looks different than the craze lines on the front of my teeth.

So that’s cool. No more tooth pain but now I have this to worry about and it’s on the most visible tooth in my mouth. It is on the back, but still sucks if it will weaken that tooth.

I’m just sad that this is where I’m at at 28, while living a completely normal life. I’m moving into the acceptance stage that this is my life now…dealing with concerns and repairs and patchwork forever. There are days when I don’t freak out about my teeth. Just working on accepting that this my reality.


Funny, I was thinking to myself “well at least my front teeth should last me until I’m old, even if my back ones give out” and apparently my front ones are taking stress already too. I’m tired. Very very tired of worrying. Can’t find it in myself to look forward to the future when I know it will come with more anxiety and more bad news.

I can’t talk to anyone in real life about this anymore as nobody understands. They’re tired of hearing about it.

If this is how things continue, I think it’s gonna be a very lonely life for me. At least I have dogs I guess.
 
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I think maybe I was being a little dramatic about this new line. I tried a bunch of times to take a photo of it to post here for the dentists to see, but I can't make it show up much on photo. So I think it is either a craze line, a natural groove that has stained a little and that's why I'm only just noticing it, or a small enamel defect. Could be decay I guess, but it's in a pretty thin line so I don't really think it's that. COULD be a crack, but I think it would be a very weird place for a crack if so. In the middle of the tooth about halfway up, doesn't look like it extends to the root or to the bottom of the tooth. Not near a filling or anything either.

Not sure. It doesn't hurt or anything so I'm going to ignore it for now. When I can get into a dentist after my trip, I will ask about it.
 
Hey guys, it’s been a little while.I’ve managed to not think about my teeth that much the last few weeks. Still taking care of them, but many less moments of thinking I will lose them all in the next ten years. Haven’t cried at all lol

Since I’m back from my trip now, it is time to get back on getting things fixed. I still need another filling, my old Invisalign attachments removed, extractions, possible new ortho, and eventual implant hopefully. I am getting anxious again about making an appointment but I know it must be done.

Right now I’m most freaked out about my cavity that needs filling as it looks big so I hope it doesn’t need a root canal once they get in there. The rest of it doesn’t worry me too much except for the implant but I know that will be months away

Will call another dentist this week and try to find someone. Hoping 3rd time is the charm! Hope everyone is doing okay.
 
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