• Dental Phobia Support

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Finally went to dentist since 1991

C

Chromashadows

Junior member
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
16
Shockingly my bottom teeth and gums are in pristine condition save both back molars which are rotted down.

All my top need removed and a top denture.
And here comes the part most all of us can empathize with.

I make $10 an hour, 40 hrs a week. Of course USA dental insurance is stuck in the Watergate era (around the 1960s) and only cover $1000 to $1500 of work. Guess which mine is. Yup. The former. 1 grand.

I have 2 broken to the gums teeth that one nearly killed me in 2015 via an abscess that went toward my brain super fast. Was in hospital 2 days for it.

The decay on my front teeth are at gum line and a little below so if they tried to drill it'd leave holes and bam. Bad results. Can't crown and root canal them because the teeth are too brittle for that.

How my bottom teeth and gums are pristine blows my mind but I'm grateful.

So I'm stressed now because my dentist doesn't take care credit or dental discount cards. I just want a pretty smile again (I'd get used to top dentures somehow : I know one can't eat much of anything real teeth do because the bite pressure is like 50ppi instead of real teeth pressure of 200+ ppi, so eating pudding and soup and mashed taters and mushed veggies forever.....) Ugh. I'll hate it but I hate even more I can't afford top dentures out of pocket. Maybe in 2 years of saving up but gosh my teeth could kill me by then. I was told the bad ones in the back are very close to going into deadly abscess mode. We are going to extract them asap and I can afford that w insurance and out of pocket...

But I'm kind of depressed. Why did I even go just to have reality cemented that I can never ever fix my teeth or get uppers. Ever.

Phobia wise: the cleaning girl was great. I was terrified of the pain since even putting a fingernail over my teeth hurts bad - but she just plaque cleaned my lowers as "those are the ones we will save". The scraping had me on edge big time for about 10 minutes but she kept assuring me it was just plaque and not tooth. She told me before each tooth "okay, you'll feel a little pulling but it's just plaque. It's not your Tooth. This will happen that will happen..."

She really truly calmed me and soon we were joking (best I could with her fingers and tools in my mouth) and I have to say it was pleasant. My lowers feel amaaazing. I'm glad they didn't touch my uppers else I'd have a different tale here haha. But yeah when she first started scraping I had to force myself not to jump up and throw the neck drool towel off me and chicken-run out the door. Glad I didn't leave but also sorry I went JUST because paying for uppers seems untouchable. Very forever untouchable.

I wish so so so SO much that dental work was cheap. But BUT I also understand schooling isn't cheap, the dentists are literally doing art inside folks mouths (repairing many things, creating new teeth, cleaning, cosmetic work, implanting teeth, jaw bone fixing - can't convince me to any other opinion except that these amazing human beings are literally doing 100% art) and the prices convey said masterpieces - thank you, all dentists and hygienists and everyone under the all-things-oral expertise.

Times like these I wish I were a trillionaire because I'd pay the world to have the teeth and oral health they need.

I went on a few topics here but I'm still adrenalined up from the dentist visit. Took from 1300 to 1420 so wasn't bad time-wise.

They truly care about me. I'm glad I chose this dentist. :)
 
Well done!

Enjoy the good feeling, because you’ve earned it.
 
yay for excellent bottom teeth and your incredible bravery!!

I'm so so sorry about the financial side of things- its so upsetting that teeth are looked at as a luxury and not a necessity.

Do dentists do long term payment plans, like slowly paying off a car?
 
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