K
Kentenathien
Junior member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2007
- Messages
- 5
Well, I have some bad teeth. I need 4 root canals, 3 root tip extractions and a few cavities drilled. When I was 14 (I'm 26 now) I became agoraphobic and was house-bound for about 8 years, suffering from panic attacks, general anxiety disorder, depression. I had never been to the dentist before then and then, due to the agoraphobia and depression, I severely neglected my dental hygiene. So, I finally went to the dentist when I was about 17, right in the middle of all that anxiety and hearing about the sad state that my teeth were in and that they will all fall out by the time I was 20, it instilled a very heavy negative stigma and fear in me. I went in to get one of the teeth pulled and they gave me some laughing gas. I remember it felt like my eyes were vibrating and it freaked me out causing me to flee the office and not return for many years. When I was about 22, I got the courage to take care of two cavities on my front teeth. I think I had the courage to do those because the shame of having them noticeable by everyone was stronger than the fear to get them fixed.
I'm now 26 and the do or die time has finally come. I haven't been able to chew on my left side for a few years so I've been relying on the right side. The tooth on the backside of my right canine has been getting infected all the time. I'll take antibiotics, It'll go away, then in three months, when the immunity wears off, it will get reinfected. So I finally went in to get an X-ray. They told me I would need a root canal or pulled. I want to save as many teeth as I can even though I'm just a full time student, not working, no insurance. While I've been waiting a month until my appointment, one of the molars on my right side decided to crap out on me and a nerve became exposed. So, I had to resort to chewing on the left side again. This caused on of the bad molars on the left side to crap-out as well. So I had no choice.
I went to the ER at 2am because the pain was excruciating on my left side. Obviously they couldn't do anything but they gave me some pain meds. At 8am, I went down to the dental clinic and asked if they could get me in due to a dental emergency. I came back at the time they told me and they took X-rays. I wasn't all that nervous because I had taken a 750mg Vocodin ES and a Lorezapam. The dentist told me he can either pull it or take the nerve out. I chose the latter. I was extremely scared but, as with most things in life, I knew that the anticipation is the worst part so I just took it one step at a time. He gave me the shots, which didn't hurt one bit. Started the procedure, still didn't hurt. Near the end, when he was scraping out the canals with the serrated, curved needle, I actually was laughing because it just seemed crazy to me that I'm having such a thing done to me and not feeling one thing at all. Then they inserted the spongy tubes to occupy the canals and sealed it with the filament and I was good to go.
I felt awesome afterwards, knowing that I have taken a huge step. Getting my teeth fixed is one of the very few remaining things left to overcome since the Agoraphobia and I think from now on, it will be a cake walk. I've forgotten what it is like to have good teeth. I have forgotten what it is like to not be in pain almost ALL the time. I have forgotten what it is like to be able to eat certain foods. But I do know that I am finally on the path to getting better, teeth-wise and I am oh-so excited!
I'm now 26 and the do or die time has finally come. I haven't been able to chew on my left side for a few years so I've been relying on the right side. The tooth on the backside of my right canine has been getting infected all the time. I'll take antibiotics, It'll go away, then in three months, when the immunity wears off, it will get reinfected. So I finally went in to get an X-ray. They told me I would need a root canal or pulled. I want to save as many teeth as I can even though I'm just a full time student, not working, no insurance. While I've been waiting a month until my appointment, one of the molars on my right side decided to crap out on me and a nerve became exposed. So, I had to resort to chewing on the left side again. This caused on of the bad molars on the left side to crap-out as well. So I had no choice.
I went to the ER at 2am because the pain was excruciating on my left side. Obviously they couldn't do anything but they gave me some pain meds. At 8am, I went down to the dental clinic and asked if they could get me in due to a dental emergency. I came back at the time they told me and they took X-rays. I wasn't all that nervous because I had taken a 750mg Vocodin ES and a Lorezapam. The dentist told me he can either pull it or take the nerve out. I chose the latter. I was extremely scared but, as with most things in life, I knew that the anticipation is the worst part so I just took it one step at a time. He gave me the shots, which didn't hurt one bit. Started the procedure, still didn't hurt. Near the end, when he was scraping out the canals with the serrated, curved needle, I actually was laughing because it just seemed crazy to me that I'm having such a thing done to me and not feeling one thing at all. Then they inserted the spongy tubes to occupy the canals and sealed it with the filament and I was good to go.
I felt awesome afterwards, knowing that I have taken a huge step. Getting my teeth fixed is one of the very few remaining things left to overcome since the Agoraphobia and I think from now on, it will be a cake walk. I've forgotten what it is like to have good teeth. I have forgotten what it is like to not be in pain almost ALL the time. I have forgotten what it is like to be able to eat certain foods. But I do know that I am finally on the path to getting better, teeth-wise and I am oh-so excited!