Help please I'm so scared

[Helpneededimscared]

Hi

I'm new here. I'm 35 and before this week I hadn't been to the dentist in about 15 years. My very back teeth on each side are broken and crumbling and this week I noticed a strange taste in my mouth. Yesterday I felt really ill and my face, jaw and neck swelled up. I went to the drs but she couldn't see anything wrong and recommended that I saw a dentist. I don't have one so I was forced by family to call the emergency NHS one and went to their outside hours clinic. I was so scared I was shaking and could barely fill out their paperwork but they were nice and he said my wisdom teeth are broken, rotting and infected. One of my others has a bit broken off and he said that might need to come out as well depending on the X Ray. He said some of my other teeth have small holes and I need to find a dentist to get them fixed before they break.

Next week I have to go back to their day clinic and I'm terrified. They're going to do X Rays to remove my wisdom teeth and I'm so scared they're going to tell me that I have to have more out, or that they are all rotten and have to come out or that my jaw is damaged. I'm so embarrassed and I feel so stupid that it's gotten to this point. I have depression and anxiety and I'm imaging all sorts of horrible things. I have to go work on Monday and tell them I have to have my wisdom teeth out and I'm imaging how I'm going to tell them if I need to have them all removed. I'm scared to eat in case my other teeth break too. I don't know what to do with myself.

I will have to go private to have the holes fixed as there are no NHS dentists available around where I live. I'm scared of how much it's going to cost. I looked at one dentist website and it said from £95 for root canal. I have no idea how these things work. Is that per tooth that needs it?

Basically I'm a mess. Please can someone give me some advice or support

Thanks

 

[carole]

Hi to the forum.

Have you looked on the NHS choices website under the dentist section, you just put your postcode in and it will bring up a long list. Even if they say they aren't taking new patients on still contact the ones you like the look of as they don't always update the nhs site. There is also a find a dentist on this site.

I think you are looking more at about £400 to £500 for a rct private. Then the crowns cost about £350 upwards per tooth. If you find a nhs dentist a root canal will cost you about £50.00 for a check up and other things can also be done in this price bracket like fillings. Look at nhs dental charges on the site too it lists the three prices and tells you what is included in the different price charges.

Is there a dental hospital near you sometimes they take on patients and there is no charge at a hospital, they are very good.

You can also join a private scheme with a lot of dentists but as far as I know you need to be orally healthy to join. You could always enquire.

If you can travel you can go out of your area, you don't have to see a dentist near you.

The wisdom teeth cause more problems than any other tooth in your head so I doubt there would have been anything you could have done to prevent this happening to them. Most people end up having to have them out at some point.

Don't worry about being judged either the dentist isn't there to judge you, they will be pleased to help you get out of pain and orally healthy.

Try not to get too stressed with it all, it sounds a lot at the moment but things will get sorted out.

All the best to you