I broke a molar. I know I'm going to have to get it taken care of, but I'm scared to go to the dentist.

[Lila Grace]

Hi, I'm almost 19 and I've never been to the dentist because we couldn't afford it growing up. I only recently got dental insurance.
I chipped a molar two days ago, there was most likely a cavity in that tooth as there had been some pain for a while when I chewed too hard on that side. There was no pain after it broke and there is still no pain now.
When I look at it, it doesn't look terrible. There is some white-ish/gray-ish stuff I'm assuming is dentin, but it also feels weirdly slightly mushy?
My mom is saying they'll just give me a filling, but after doing some research, I'm scared the tooth is rotten beyond repair I'm going to need a root canal or an extraction and I'm going to be stuck in the chair for hours.
Can someone held me make this slightly less terrifying? Not-great photo attatched

 

[ScaredyCat22]

even if it does end up needing a crown or a root canal you will not be stuck there for hours because they will do it in more than one appointment. that picture is too dark for me to see if that piece is broken all the way to your gumline or not but I doubt it is beyond repair and probably will not need to be extracted. Good luck you will get through this I promise.

 

[kitkat]

I’m not a dentist but my guess is that the soft gray/white mushy part is tooth decay that needs to be cleaned out. Hard to say if a root canal is needed but having no pain could mean that the nerve is not involved which means you probably would not need a root canal. Depending on how much tooth is missing, it may need a crown but it’s impossible to know without seeing a dentist. Whatever happens, the first visit would likely only be an exam and then they would present a plan to you for what they recommend and then you can move forward from there. I think you will feel a little bit better once you know what you are dealing with.