Husband and Breath Problems

[KendraDent]

Hello Everyone... My name is Kendra and my fear of dentists has kind of escalated lately due to pressure from my husband. He has a lot of negative things to say about my breath ... which I understand but over Halloween he made a few comments in public that really hurt my feelings. I haven't been to the dentist since 2008 and that was a check up and I never went back to get the fillings. A year later one of the cavities just caused my back molar to break in half. I have insurance! I love my travis! but I can't bring myself to even make an appointment. I guess my feelings are just hurt because my husband embarrassed me in front of my girlfriends. i have already read a few posts which recommend watching youtube videos for support and I am heading there now. It is nice to know there are places I ( We ) can share our fears. Thanks everyone!

p.s. I am not really Kate Middleton

 

[CollegeBound]

Hi and !

Does your husband know about your fear? Do you know what exactly you are afraid of? Identifying your specific fears (can also be called triggers or specific stimulus) will help you better communicate with your husband and a dentist when you get to that point.

I recommend talking about this with your husband if you haven't already. While this will be hard, it will be worth it so you two are on the same page. Try relating your fear to something he fears as equally as you do the dentist. Then he will know how you feel exactly!

Keep us updated and good luck!

 

[Tgff]

I'm sorry about what happened with your husband. He must not understand what has kept you from getting your teeth fixed. Please just know that you deserve healthy teeth--for you. I hope for you that you can take control of it and have that. I did that recently, overcoming some insensitivity on the part of others, and I am so relieved and happy--for myself--that I did. It was not nearly as bad as I worried it would be. My best wishes to you...

 

[littlething]

Hi Kendra,

Sorry about what happened with your husband. He probably has no idea that fear is what is keeping you from getting your teeth fixed. It might help to talk to him. It was my longtime boyfriend (we've known each other for 8 years, dated 6), who had noticed over the years that I was VERY self-conscious about my teeth and that they were getting worse, and gave me the push to go see a dentist. He had no idea I was scared until I started crying when he brought this up. I hate talking about my feelings and all that, so I never really opened up about it much more (he tried, but he realized it was hard for me so he gave me space to deal with it on my own until I was ready) until after my first appointment, but just having him know I was terrified helped, and he has been my rock through this whole thing. He always insisted throughout the whole process that he would love me no matter what - nice teeth or not - but that I would have so much more self-confidence and that it would change my life.

I also agree that you have to do it for YOU and at your pace. Only do what you are comfortable with, and take it one step at a time. Making that first appointment (and showing up to it!!) will be the hardest step. Once you find a good dentist that you trust and feel comfortable with, it all becomes easier. And once you start seeing the changes in your teeth, it feels amazing. I still have a loooong way to go, but have finally started to see it all start to come together, and I am so happy I finally did it.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on!