M
mariyam
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2022
- Messages
- 103
- Location
- California
Hi all,
I have really bad procedure anxiety. I finally found a dentist from searching through offices near me and reading through their reviews and etc. I went in for my first exam in 16 years. I felt so horrible but she and her assistant never once made me feel bad and said it wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be. Fast forward to the list of stuff I need doing.
~Deep cleaning (wasn't surprised)
~some small cavities (but WHAT QUALIFIES AS SMALL?!??? She assured me they are small.)
~Wisdom tooth extraction because it's bumping the tooth next to it (wasn't super surprised because I was told I needed it done 16 yrs ago and that probably was a big reason for why I avoided dentists for so long)
~root canal (I tried hard to stay calm when told this. But inwardly I was screaming at the top of my lungs and crying.)
~then the big one, my root canal I had as a teen had failed (I'm 36 now) and would have to be extracted and I need a bone graft but they'll make me a false tooth to fill the hole in the front till it heals and I get an implant. Everyone get implants now, it's not like it was years ago, right? RIGHT? I'm just screaming deep down inside at this point and want to just curl up under a blanket.
Trying to look at the positives
I survived the deep cleaning! With just the numbing swishy stuff but even the numbing made me feel uncomfortable. I kept thinking WHAT IF IT WEARS OFF!
I survived the x-rays and the awful thing you shove in your mouth and not running away when I gagged and burped TWICE.
I managed to drive myself to and from without needing to pull over and cry, I did that when I got home.
I have to get the cavities filled next week. I'm terrified of needles and have imagined that they're just going to skip the numbing agent and I jab me which I've been told really only happens in cheesy horror movies but that doesn't stop me from waking up freaking out in the middle of the night.
I'm worried about the rest of the list. I KNOW I need to get them done. Logically I know I am safe and I have finally found by some cosmic miracle an amazing dentist who (probably) won't be annoyed at me for being scared but I keep thinking of all these scenarios and wavering between "I can totally do this, (good) dentists are our friends not the grand inquisitor" and going "I cant do this. I don't want to do this. I'm not strong enough to do this and that sounds so lame but I can't."
If anyone has any words of encouragement or advice I'd really appreciate it.
I have really bad procedure anxiety. I finally found a dentist from searching through offices near me and reading through their reviews and etc. I went in for my first exam in 16 years. I felt so horrible but she and her assistant never once made me feel bad and said it wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be. Fast forward to the list of stuff I need doing.
~Deep cleaning (wasn't surprised)
~some small cavities (but WHAT QUALIFIES AS SMALL?!??? She assured me they are small.)
~Wisdom tooth extraction because it's bumping the tooth next to it (wasn't super surprised because I was told I needed it done 16 yrs ago and that probably was a big reason for why I avoided dentists for so long)
~root canal (I tried hard to stay calm when told this. But inwardly I was screaming at the top of my lungs and crying.)
~then the big one, my root canal I had as a teen had failed (I'm 36 now) and would have to be extracted and I need a bone graft but they'll make me a false tooth to fill the hole in the front till it heals and I get an implant. Everyone get implants now, it's not like it was years ago, right? RIGHT? I'm just screaming deep down inside at this point and want to just curl up under a blanket.
Trying to look at the positives
I survived the deep cleaning! With just the numbing swishy stuff but even the numbing made me feel uncomfortable. I kept thinking WHAT IF IT WEARS OFF!
I survived the x-rays and the awful thing you shove in your mouth and not running away when I gagged and burped TWICE.
I managed to drive myself to and from without needing to pull over and cry, I did that when I got home.
I have to get the cavities filled next week. I'm terrified of needles and have imagined that they're just going to skip the numbing agent and I jab me which I've been told really only happens in cheesy horror movies but that doesn't stop me from waking up freaking out in the middle of the night.
I'm worried about the rest of the list. I KNOW I need to get them done. Logically I know I am safe and I have finally found by some cosmic miracle an amazing dentist who (probably) won't be annoyed at me for being scared but I keep thinking of all these scenarios and wavering between "I can totally do this, (good) dentists are our friends not the grand inquisitor" and going "I cant do this. I don't want to do this. I'm not strong enough to do this and that sounds so lame but I can't."
If anyone has any words of encouragement or advice I'd really appreciate it.