Haven't been in six years, severe anxiety, don't know what's going on. SOS :(

[kjr9269]

Haven't been in six years, severe anxiety, don't know what's going on. SOS

Hi, I haven't been to the dentist in about 6 years (i know, i know....) and I have made an appointment to go since I now finally have insurance again on 3/3, I just took a look inside my mouth at the top, and it looks like there's dark brown or blackish around my fillings in my back molars... I just don't know...I have a severe anxiety and am worrying about it almost to the brink of tears about what the dentist is going to say is wrong with them, or if its just a matter of replacing the fillings, can anyone take a look? Please?

Is it as bad as I think it is or am I imaging the worst possible scenario? Here are my right and left sides. Thank you in advance for your knowledge and kindness.

(I should add, I did have my wisdom teeth out.)

 

[Dr. Daniel]

Re: Haven't been in six years, severe anxiety, don't know what's going on. SOS

Hi,
you mentioned fear of being judged. This issue can be handled by telling in the dentist/dental clinic in advance that you don't want to be judged, you don't want the dentist or the oral hygienist to talk about the past, you want them to concentrate on what is the current situation (the present) and what are the treatment options (the future). Of course, I formulated it in my words, you can use any words you want, the more important thing is telling what you need in order to have a positive experience.
Looking at your photos, it seems there are deep cavities. The good news is that it seems there is enough healthy tooth structure even by the deepest cavities, so there is no reason to extract and loss teeth. I suspect that the worse scenario would be a root canal treatment.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.