Having problems even doing the research...

[thespia]

Hi.  Wigging out a little here.  (Or a lot).
So I posted on the find-a-dentist forum, but I'm having a terrible time finding a dentist.  Even doing the research, looking thru the list from the insurance company, making phone calls to offices, and asking people at work for recommendations has me in tears.  I actually didn't go in to work this morning, because I can't stop leaking around the edges.  I'm glad I have insurance, first time in years, but I'm really overwhelmed.  I can't enroll until I select a provider, and I'm worried that I can't make a good choice.  I know I need work done, probably sooner rather than later...

In addition, I was looking thru the articles on this site, and reading the titles, I was thinking, yep, that's me.  That one, too.  Uh-huh.  Just about everything on the list.  Long history of cumulative bad experiences.  I wasn't like this as a kid.  But it has gotten progressively worse.  Now that I have health insurance as well, I'm hoping to find a psychiatrist who can help, but in the meantime, I'm not sure how to proceed...

Really hoping to find something and someone that can help...

 

[takingflight]

Hi thespia and  !!

Sorry for the delay in responding, things have been pretty busy!  You've certainly come to the right place and as you noted already, you're not alone in feeling the way you do.  I can understand how difficult it is to research dentists, I was in your shoes last year and had a tough time even looking at web pages, let alone trying to make a phone call.  You may be having a difficult time but you should be proud of yourself for getting to this point.  It took me 3 months before I would even write the e-mail to send to a dentist and forget about calling or talking to others about it.  

I wish I knew of a dentist to recommend but I'm not from the area.  My husband is from NJ and I asked him if he knew of anyone but his old dentist is not practicing and he's lived away for too long.  I did all my own research and based upon my fear level I was confident that the only way I could get through all the work I needed done was with sedation.  That narrowed the field down quite a bit.  I visited about 8 web sites of dentists offering it within an hour radius of our house.  I read their sites forward and backword and finally found one that sounded as though they were compassionate to anxious patients.  (They even offer blankets and teddy bears as a comforting touch!  )  My next step was sending them an e-mail explaining my fear and the length of my absence as well as some questions about how they would deal with some of the things worrying me.  Mind you....I cried like a baby the whole time I wrote it and even more after hitting the send button!!!  Perhaps if you take some of these steps you will find a dentist who is on your dental plan.  If you have to choose them when you sign up it may be prudent to ask for a quick consultation visit so that you can meet the staff and see if it is a place you would feel comfortable going.  

Good luck in your search and please let us know how you are doing!

Take care,

Pam