S
SolitudeIsBliss
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2017
- Messages
- 112
- Location
- Australia
I finally saw the dentist!
I was super nervous beforehand and was initially pretty intimidated because I went straight into the dental chair. When I was explaining my situation, I felt really self-conscious but the valium I had beforehand made it easier. After a quick chat and asking me some questions, she said that I might as well use the session to have an exam and save myself having to go again. She had a look and said things weren't too bad. However, she said she wouldn't know the full extent of what needs doing until the x-rays are done. She said the two of my teeth will definitely need extracting, which is kinda obvious given they are broken at the gumline. When she was going over each tooth she was saying things to the dental assistant and said "decay" several times. I'm not sure if that's referring to a cavity. She then did the check for gum disease - it was mostly 2's with a couple of 3's. I'm not sure if that is good - it sounded like it could have been a lot worse. It was super quick and easy. I thought an exam would be this hour long thing. After she'd finished the exam she said I needed 2 types of x-rays and gave me a referral for one. The other will get done at my next appointment. She said she'll do a deep clean at the next appointment also.
The dentist herself was as good as I could have hoped for. She was really chatty which was nice because there wasn't any awkward silences or anything. She was quite sensitive about how she said things that I might have taken as criticism or judgement. I'm glad she "pressed" me into doing an exam. She wasn't pushy about it either, just raised it and made it out to be not a big deal.
I got one of the x-rays I needed. That was kinda embarrassing because I had to go to a radiologist for that and I was quite self-conscious about the woman seeing my x-ray. I guess I'll never see that her again.
She said everything looked treatable. I'm not sure if she was just saying that to be positive. However, I'll feel a lot better now that I've gotten this initial appointment over with.
So I'm booked in for this Friday at 11:00 am. I might as well try and ride this wave and keep up the momentum.
Thanks to everyone who has shown me support over the past few months! I really appreciate everyone's kind words and advice! I would not have gotten here with this forum!
If anyone is scared of taking the first step, don't be. I can guarantee that it isn't as bad as you think it might be. Check out any of my threads to see where I was at over these last few months. I found my dentist by simply searching for "dentist - my city - nervous/embarrassed/fear of judgement". Then I went about researching each of them and looking at the reviews they had on google and facebook. Be upfront about your fears and concerns. If they tell you that they won't judge you and want to help you - believe them. One of the worst parts of it for me is realising that I could have done this a long time ago. You can do it.
I was super nervous beforehand and was initially pretty intimidated because I went straight into the dental chair. When I was explaining my situation, I felt really self-conscious but the valium I had beforehand made it easier. After a quick chat and asking me some questions, she said that I might as well use the session to have an exam and save myself having to go again. She had a look and said things weren't too bad. However, she said she wouldn't know the full extent of what needs doing until the x-rays are done. She said the two of my teeth will definitely need extracting, which is kinda obvious given they are broken at the gumline. When she was going over each tooth she was saying things to the dental assistant and said "decay" several times. I'm not sure if that's referring to a cavity. She then did the check for gum disease - it was mostly 2's with a couple of 3's. I'm not sure if that is good - it sounded like it could have been a lot worse. It was super quick and easy. I thought an exam would be this hour long thing. After she'd finished the exam she said I needed 2 types of x-rays and gave me a referral for one. The other will get done at my next appointment. She said she'll do a deep clean at the next appointment also.
The dentist herself was as good as I could have hoped for. She was really chatty which was nice because there wasn't any awkward silences or anything. She was quite sensitive about how she said things that I might have taken as criticism or judgement. I'm glad she "pressed" me into doing an exam. She wasn't pushy about it either, just raised it and made it out to be not a big deal.
I got one of the x-rays I needed. That was kinda embarrassing because I had to go to a radiologist for that and I was quite self-conscious about the woman seeing my x-ray. I guess I'll never see that her again.
She said everything looked treatable. I'm not sure if she was just saying that to be positive. However, I'll feel a lot better now that I've gotten this initial appointment over with.
So I'm booked in for this Friday at 11:00 am. I might as well try and ride this wave and keep up the momentum.
Thanks to everyone who has shown me support over the past few months! I really appreciate everyone's kind words and advice! I would not have gotten here with this forum!
If anyone is scared of taking the first step, don't be. I can guarantee that it isn't as bad as you think it might be. Check out any of my threads to see where I was at over these last few months. I found my dentist by simply searching for "dentist - my city - nervous/embarrassed/fear of judgement". Then I went about researching each of them and looking at the reviews they had on google and facebook. Be upfront about your fears and concerns. If they tell you that they won't judge you and want to help you - believe them. One of the worst parts of it for me is realising that I could have done this a long time ago. You can do it.
. Well done 
.
!
