First trip to the dentist in nearly 15 years

[ScaredyCanine]

My story is similar to many of the others I have read on this forum. My last visit to the dentist was when I was 18, I skipped appointments while I was in college due to fear. I spent my 20s bouncing around w/o insurance. Once I finally got a good job with dental benefits, I continued to put off visiting the dentist due to fear, anxiety and shame. It's been 4 years with dental benefits and no visits to the dentist.

Two weeks ago I had an emergency exam because I had recently broken one of my wisdom teeth and molars (not sure if it's because they came in wonky and the teeth were weakened by cavities, that's my theory). The fear of being in my early 30's and needing dentures trumped my shame and fear of the dentist. Today was my full exam and It wasn't as bad as I expected!

The hygienist and DDS were both very kind, they went slow and will do my cleaning when I am comfortably numb for my fillings. All told, I will be down 4 molars and a few nasty wisdom teeth, 2 root canals/crowns and 7 fillings. All of this sounds pretty bad, but since my emergency exam, I have been googling dental decay pictures, dental implants, dentures. I have slept very little and started to get depressed, ruminating on my teeth and having dreams about them getting removed. All I have left now is a bunch of procedures to save my teeth and a sense of relief.

Thank you all for your this forum and your posts, as a lurker, they provide more support than you all could know.

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

Hey, great job ScaredyCanine!

It's amazing how much of a difference it makes to have a dentist and team that are compassionate and gentle. Everything you need should be completely painless, and as you work through your plan, you'll trust your dentist more and more each visit.

My advice to everyone in your situation (and I've been in the same place myself) is to forgive yourself for what's in the past, and take pride in what you're doing for your health NOW. When you're done you'll have a healthy smile again, and if you want you can even look into replacing those molars with implants, although you'll probably be fine without them. (And they're in the back so no one needs to know...) You're not too far away from the day when you will once again be able to smile a big happy smile, and chew food without worrying, and feel "normal" again.

Try to stay away from the Google searches-- they lead to nasty scary pictures and videos. There's tons of good information here on DFC and honest, first-hand accounts, without having gory images and horror stories stuck in your head!

Remember, you're not a bad person, just a good person with bad teeth-- and soon those will be fixed.

Good luck on your journey, and keep us posted!

 

[ScaredyCanine]

Thank you, Steve!

At this point I'd love to get shot with a tranquilizer and wake up with everything done, even though I know that's not possible. I have been thinking about Dental Implants for the four molars I'm going to lose, but I'm not sure how expensive it will be (I live in Minneapolis and am not sure how much they cost in this area), I would qualify to get low interest loan which may be worth it. My dentist didn't seem to think it was not necessary, since I will still have one molar top and bottom on each side. I still think I will look into it as I'm working through my procedures.

Could anyone tell me how much dental implants cost?

It would be four molars, I'm pretty sure my insurance will not cover it (even though I have the 'high plan' up to $10,000 annually). I've heard between $3,000 and $5,000/tooth, but I'm not sure if that is accurate.

 

[ScaredyCanine]

Another part of my story: I got myself so worked up in the 10 days prior to the follow up to my emergency exam that I was convinced that two fillings in my canine teeth would be teeth that would have to be pulled and since they were in the front, I would move heaven and earth to get implants for them (I should have read steve's sig line about not diagnosing yourself and thinking the worst).

To prepare for this worse case scenario, I called my bank to inquire about loan options to pay for all this stuff (in reality I will be able to pay out of pocket, since I'm lucky enough to have good insurance and knew my teeth would be bad once i got them looked at so I've been paying for the "High Option" for 4 years without using it). I found out I could get a relatively low interest loan or a home equity line of credit to pay for the now unneeded canine implants.

Also, I spoke to my insurance company and they will cover implants if they are deemed to be "dentally necessary." The back four molars are likely not "dentally necessary," but I want to weigh my options. Since my dentist is in network, I could have them done at a lower negotiated price between the dentist and insurance company... the plot thickens.

On a side note... has anyone else experienced the feeling I am having right now? Once I finally decided to the dentist to get my teeth fixed, I have become very intense about it and want it all done, it isn't all I think about, but it is a priority and I am starting to feel impatient about the time frame and how long it is all taking. I am researching new options and more procedures (replacing those molars that haven't even been extracted yet). All of this after years of ignoring any problems with my teeth that arose, I just find it kind of odd.

 

[catnut]

I was depressed when I went to the dentist after not going for 2 years, before this I didn't go as often due to fear and needed a wisdom tooth out each time as well as some fillings, I knew I needed the wisdom tooth(bottom) out soon but didn't know I had to have 9 tiny fillings done that are between all my back teeth. I am getting the wisdom tooth out April 27th with IV sedation and then will deal with the fillings afterwards once I'm healed. I am freaking out a bit but am trying to stay calm and the fillings are actually worrying me more and have got me depressed as I thought I was doing a good job flossing and brushing my teeth. I found a good dentist, my last one wasn't too good so found a better one when I went for my cleaning in February. Know you have and will be dealing with all this dental work, just take it one procedure at a time and maybe try some breathing exercises and find a good book about anxiety.

 

[ScaredyCanine]

Feeling frustrated. I have been trying to schedule my extractions so I can get started with all my other procedures. My dentist has sent out the referral and i know the oral surgeon has it. I understand these things take time, I just want it done.

How long does it usually take to schedule an extraction? I really want to get started because I'm worried if I leave my rtc(s) longer I will have more broken teeth and more work to do (I know I'm self diagnosing again, but it's hard not to).

Any words of encouragement/reassurance? Also, I may need to be nudged to be a little more patient