Haven't Gone to the Dentist in 7 Years/ Have Become Obsessive with Teeth

[VL1994]

Hi, All.

Just a bit of background on me: I'm 23 years old and I haven't seen a proper dentist ever since I was 16. Growing up, my dental hygiene was lackluster. I didn't really have my parents on top of me telling me that I needed to take care of my teeth and that was coupled with a fear-mongering dentist that would shame me when looking at my teeth. By the age of about 6, I had my first filling in a baby tooth. Next, I had a filling at 16 for a cavity. I remember the particular unpleasant experience I had when my dentist (same one I had as a kid) started throwing out numbers, which were teeth I need to look for as they were developing cavities.

I figured that if they didn't hurt, I didn't need to worry. Big misconception. Now, all I do is obsess and look at my teeth constantly. I don't know how many cavities I have, but I'm sure I have a few. I only started flossing/brushing twice a day a couple months ago. YIKES. I'm terrified to go to the dentist and be given bad news/be shamed for my teeth. I'm also going to be paying this myself and the amount of money is also scary.

Also, I went to a free consultation and the dentist was really nice and she looked at my teeth and told me that they looked pretty good. While that made me feel better for a few days, I'm worried of what the x-rays will say/ a more thorough exam/cleaning that I scheduled for October. Any advice for a wreck like me?

 

[ab697]

Re: Haven't Gone to the Dentist in 7 Years/ Have Become Obsessive with Teeth

Hi there

I'm sorry about the bad experiences you have had with the dentist. I know how uncomfortable it can be when you are shamed instead of supported.

I was in a similar position to you in regards to not visiting the dentist for a while (from 17 to 22 years old). I was absolutely terrified to go but I finally did it with the support of family. Before going I was imagining all sorts of things. There is one tooth that obviously needs to be pulled and another that definitely needed a filling but I could see other teeth that I thought needed fillings too. I think I counted 4 in total. I convinced myself and would lie awake at night worrying about the state of my teeth. However when I went to the dentist she checked all of my teeth and it turns out that the only teeth that needed work was the one that needed to be pulled and the one that definitely needed a filling. The others did not actually have cavities. So basically my advice to you is (and I know that this is hard) try not to spend loads of time worrying about what could need to be done. You won't know for sure until you visit the dentist and they check your teeth over properly. It probably won't be as bad as you imagine it will.

I really hope your appointment in October goes well! One thing I've learnt is that if there is something wrong, the best thing you can do is go and get it checked out because then you can have it dealt with and you won't have to worry about it anymore.

Good luck!

Hi, All.

Just a bit of background on me: I'm 23 years old and I haven't seen a proper dentist ever since I was 16. Growing up, my dental hygiene was lackluster. I didn't really have my parents on top of me telling me that I needed to take care of my teeth and that was coupled with a fear-mongering dentist that would shame me when looking at my teeth. By the age of about 6, I had my first filling in a baby tooth. Next, I had a filling at 16 for a cavity. I remember the particular unpleasant experience I had when my dentist (same one I had as a kid) started throwing out numbers, which were teeth I need to look for as they were developing cavities.

I figured that if they didn't hurt, I didn't need to worry. Big misconception. Now, all I do is obsess and look at my teeth constantly. I don't know how many cavities I have, but I'm sure I have a few. I only started flossing/brushing twice a day a couple months ago. YIKES. I'm terrified to go to the dentist and be given bad news/be shamed for my teeth. I'm also going to be paying this myself and the amount of money is also scary.

Also, I went to a free consultation and the dentist was really nice and she looked at my teeth and told me that they looked pretty good. While that made me feel better for a few days, I'm worried of what the x-rays will say/ a more thorough exam/cleaning that I scheduled for October. Any advice for a wreck like me?

 

[VL1994]

Re: Haven't Gone to the Dentist in 7 Years/ Have Become Obsessive with Teeth

Hi there

I'm sorry about the bad experiences you have had with the dentist. I know how uncomfortable it can be when you are shamed instead of supported.

I was in a similar position to you in regards to not visiting the dentist for a while (from 17 to 22 years old). I was absolutely terrified to go but I finally did it with the support of family. Before going I was imagining all sorts of things. There is one tooth that obviously needs to be pulled and another that definitely needed a filling but I could see other teeth that I thought needed fillings too. I think I counted 4 in total. I convinced myself and would lie awake at night worrying about the state of my teeth. However when I went to the dentist she checked all of my teeth and it turns out that the only teeth that needed work was the one that needed to be pulled and the one that definitely needed a filling. The others did not actually have cavities. So basically my advice to you is (and I know that this is hard) try not to spend loads of time worrying about what could need to be done. You won't know for sure until you visit the dentist and they check your teeth over properly. It probably won't be as bad as you imagine it will.

I really hope your appointment in October goes well! One thing I've learnt is that if there is something wrong, the best thing you can do is go and get it checked out because then you can have it dealt with and you won't have to worry about it anymore.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your kind words! I do have a tooth (my top right second molar) that has decayed to the point that there's a visible hole in the back of it. I'm sure I might have to get that tooth either pulled, capped, or filled. I don't want to lose a tooth so early on in life since I pride myself on having naturally straight teeth, but I know that this might be the last option if the tooth is no longer salvageable. Thank you so much for your support! It means a lot. I will try to update my thread to let you know how it went (if you're interested).

 

[ab697]

Re: Haven't Gone to the Dentist in 7 Years/ Have Become Obsessive with Teeth

Yes definitely keep me updated! It's through stories like yours that I gained the courage to do something about my fear!

Good luck!

 

[VL1994]

Re: Haven't Gone to the Dentist in 7 Years/ Have Become Obsessive with Teeth

Yes definitely keep me updated! It's through stories like yours that I gained the courage to do something about my fear!

Good luck!

Hi, Ab697!

I went to the dentist yesterday and I was surprised/overwhelmed how caring and nice the staff was. My doctor complimented me on my smile and said he wanted to preserve the "beauty" of it, which was something that almost made me cry because I was never complimented by a dentist for my smile. In the past, they have only fixated on my dental flaws. He then told me I had 11 cavities that needed to be filled, a lot of which were small and in between my teeth and others which were moderately sized. The good news was all I had to do was fill them, which is way less costly than other forms of treatment. Yesterday, I got my teeth cleaned and 6 cavities filled. The doctor would apologize for hurting me and crack jokes to make me more at ease. I can honestly say that my dental anxiety has reduced dramatically. On Saturday, I'm going back to get the other side done. It's all about your dentist!

 

[ab697]

Re: Haven't Gone to the Dentist in 7 Years/ Have Become Obsessive with Teeth

Congratulations! I'm so glad that it went well and you are already so far through the work that needs to be done. Before you know it those cavities will be filled and you won't have to go back for another year!

Hope the rest of your dental journey goes well