Going the dentist after 11 years.. finally happy

[Loren182]

Soooo in June/July of last year I plucked of the courage to book my first dental appointment in around 10/11 years. (I’m 31) I KNEW I needed to go for such a long time, I had 5 broken teeth which were causing me pain, so struggled to eat in fear of chipping more of the teeth off and I had quite a build up of plaque. My gums were also a mess. It was something that was constantly at the back of my mind. I’d lie awake at night worrying about the state of my mouth but knowing I simply didn’t have it in me to go to the dentist. It just wasn’t a possibility for me. I couldn’t even walk past a dentist without breaking out into a sweat, I’ve never taken my kids to the dentist (their dad has to) because I just couldn’t bare it. I don’t actually think I can pinpoint a reason why I felt like this as I don’t think I had any particularly bad experiences growing up. I think the thing I was most worried about was fear of judgment and my teeth being worse that I expected. For me, it’s not so much the pain of dental treatment that’s an issue, although it’s really not pleasant. Anyway, I eventually attended my first appointment and I was absolutely shi**ing myself to put it lightly. I was shaking, sweating, my pulse was racing but I pushed through it and sat down in the chair. I burst into tears and told the dentist how I’d neglected my teeth for years and thankfully he was very understanding and patient with me. He didn’t make it seem like it was a big deal, and just said he was going to take a look at my teeth and give me a scan. So he did, and like I’d thought I needed 5 extractions, a filling and a deep clean. After that initial appointment I felt like a massive weight had been lifted, I felt so so much happier in myself. I returned a couple of weeks later for the treatment and whilst I was still nervous, I feel like it was a normal amount of nerves that anyone would feel. I was very well numbed for the extractions and they were over in about 15 mins. The deep cleaning probably hurt more tbh and that’s something I dread going back for. Fast forward to today.. I’m 16 weeks into Invisalign treatment which is something I had wanted forever but never thought a possibility. This of course means I have to attend the dentist quite regularly and I’ve even had another check up which went great, no treatment needed! I can honestly say I’ve gotten over my debilitating fear. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be skipping to the dentist but I will never ever ever let it get to that point again. If you’re in the same position as me I PROMISE you will be okay. Make that appointment cause it will honestly change your life