First Appointment in FIVE years in three weeks-TERRIFIED

[Kristen1983]

I'm new to the forum, and have no one to talk to about any of this. The last time I went to the dentist was almost 5 years ago, December of 2007. In January of 2008, I had 4 fillings, and I know I had other cavities that needed to be filled at the time, that I was supposed to make a separate appointment for, but due to my phobia I never did. I am TERRIFIED that Im going to have even more cavities, need more fillings, root canals, and my BIGGEST fear is that I'm going to need a tooth extraction. I'm 29 years old, and am too ashamed to talk to anyone about my irrational fear. I'm worried that I let my cavities go for too long, and they are all going to need to be pulled.....I tend to think the worst about a lot of things, but for some reason I just have this sickening feeling...I'm not having a lot of pain, just a tightened feeling...but I am really really scared. I can't even sleep at night....Any words of encouragement would help me out a lot!

Thanks,

Kristen

 

[chickenjen]

Hi, Kristen, and !!!!!
We phobics tend to think our teeth are the absolute worst any dentist would ever see. Usually not the case.
Take me for instance. I was driven to the dentist (after a 23 year absence) by pain......daily, unending pain (for about a year) that if I didn't take 10 Advils a day, I couldn't function. I was also scared what the high doses of ibuprofens was doing to me as well. I thought, since I had SO much pain for so long that ALL my teeth were going to be extracted. How WRONG I was. I only needed 9 extractions..............3 were wisdom teeth and the rest were all in the back. The dentist also complimented me on the care that I took of my teeth during those 23 years that I didn't go.
The moral of this story is that the news is NEVER as bad as you think it's going to be. A good sign is that you're not having too much pain. Yes, you might need some work, but I think the chances are good that you will get to keep your teeth!
Good , many 's.

 

[kittykat]

Hi,

I stayed away for 5 years out of fear and I thought I was going to have to have all sorts of procedures done. I freaked myself out because I could see holes in my teeth (which turned out to just be from grinding) and I was scared to death. However, I ended up neededing 9 filling, which was actually a lot less than I had expected, so don't think that your teeth can't be saved or anything like that! Could you possibly ask for a anti anxiety med to get you through the days before the appointment? I found that Valium helps me as I am actually more anxious before the appointment than during!!!

 

[mango]

Hi

I stayed away for 16 years (these were also part of my smoking years) and only came away with 2 appointments for fillings.

Good luck

 

[SoRelieved]

Hello,

Just wanted to add to the above messages of support.

I went to the dentist for the 1st time in over 20 years very recently. It was really hard, making the first step, but the relief you'll feel after is just amazing.

Good Luck.

 

[Kristen1983]

Thanks so much for all of your kind words....I know that you're all right...My appointment is February 18th, and I've been flossing, and brushing like crazy, and using flouride. My mom told me if I needed a lot of root canals, or a tooth extraction I would be in so much pain I wouldn't be able to eat, and I honestly don't have a lot of pain....I have more temple pain then anything which I'm hoping could be caused by TMJ, acuse my jaw pops EVERY time I yawn or open my mouth too wide! I do have some tightening mild achy pain, but nothing sever to where it's interfering with eating too cold or too hot, or eating anything for that matter.....Fillings I can handle, I'm more worried about root canals, gum disease, extractions etc. MY mom also told me it's a good sign that my gums don't bleed when I brush or Floss...so I'm hoping I'm over thinking everything....fingers crossed, and also
thanks for the hugs

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

Hi Kristen,

I'll second (or fourth or fifth) what the others have said. I stayed away from the dentist for 10+ years as a young adult, and then again 15+ years after getting a lot of work done. Both times I was convinced that I'd be told that all my teeth would need to come out. I did need a bunch of work both times, but I have a full healthy smile now, and the work I did have was almost all completely painless. And, I had all kinds of broken, jagged, nasty partial teeth with big visible holes in them. So, you'd be amazed at what can be restored.

Almost everyone who posts on this forum that's in your position is worried that they'll lose all their teeth. But almost everyone is surprised when the get to the dentist at how little work they need. Everyone's teeth are a little different, and some are surprisingly durable.

On the chance that you do hear the dreaded "root canal" word, just be assured that root canals are actually painless and fairly minor, despite their horrible reputation. They typically take between an hour or two, are performed by your regular dentist, and aren't really any worse than having a big cavity filled. I've had about a dozen-- some one my lunch break at work, some just a couple hours before going out to dinner. They're always done with you completely numb, so there's not even any pain involved.

So even if you find out you need other work done, keep calm and know that your teeth can be brought back to health, and you're taking the first step towards getting there. Good luck!

 

[Kristen1983]

Thanks so much Steve....this made me feel at ease! I don't seen any big holes in my teeth, small little tiny minor ones in 2, I dont have bad taste in my mouth, bleeding gums, or anything like that. It's just the fear, I also was bulimic for a short time, but am now in recovery, so this was kind of a next step, and also a reason to stop! I'm really hoping that you are all right.

The dentist I picked has been corresponding with me back and forth, and I have been assured she is very gentle, infact here is an email I literally just received from her secretary as I'm typing this,


"Thank you for filling out the forms in advanced. Don’t worry about a thing, we will take really great care of you! We’ve actually had patients that felt the same way you do; they now actually enjoy coming here and getting their teeth cleaned regularly. Dr. Juarez is very gentle and I’m confident you’re going to love us.
If anything opens up for sooner I can call you to let you know. We’d love to see you sooner."

Hoping this is a good sign! Thanks again! I will keep you all posted!

Hi Kristen,

I'll second (or fourth or fifth) what the others have said. I stayed away from the dentist for 10+ years as a young adult, and then again 15+ years after getting a lot of work done. Both times I was convinced that I'd be told that all my teeth would need to come out. I did need a bunch of work both times, but I have a full healthy smile now, and the work I did have was almost all completely painless. And, I had all kinds of broken, jagged, nasty partial teeth with big visible holes in them. So, you'd be amazed at what can be restored.

Almost everyone who posts on this forum that's in your position is worried that they'll lose all their teeth. But almost everyone is surprised when the get to the dentist at how little work they need. Everyone's teeth are a little different, and some are surprisingly durable.

On the chance that you do hear the dreaded "root canal" word, just be assured that root canals are actually painless and fairly minor, despite their horrible reputation. They typically take between an hour or two, are performed by your regular dentist, and aren't really any worse than having a big cavity filled. I've had about a dozen-- some one my lunch break at work, some just a couple hours before going out to dinner. They're always done with you completely numb, so there's not even any pain involved.

So even if you find out you need other work done, keep calm and know that your teeth can be brought back to health, and you're taking the first step towards getting there. Good luck!

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

The dentist I picked has been corresponding with me back and forth, and I have been assured she is very gentle, infact here is an email I literally just received from her secretary as I'm typing this,


"Thank you for filling out the forms in advanced. Don’t worry about a thing, we will take really great care of you! We’ve actually had patients that felt the same way you do; they now actually enjoy coming here and getting their teeth cleaned regularly. Dr. Juarez is very gentle and I’m confident you’re going to love us.
If anything opens up for sooner I can call you to let you know. We’d love to see you sooner."

What a sweet and thoughtful receptionist! I find that good, compassionate dentists tend to instill that same compassion in all members of their staffs. We phobics need all the "mothering" we can get! I have no worries at all for you now-- it sounds like you'll be in wonderful hands.