• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

I'm In a state of panic!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kim
  • Start date Start date
I agree with everything Jaylah has said, no more to say really, it's all there. You are trying so hard and one day you will look back on this and feel so good, then you'll be on here saying if I can do it you can to someone else that is just starting.

Best wishes with everything, it will all work out in the end, things usually do. :grouphug:
 
Thank you all again sooooo much - guess what - I cried when I was reading these posts - I have never met any of you, but you are all wonderful people.

Anyway, I wont do a long post as I am really not in the mood. I just want to cry and cry - I have started this journey, which I have said before is my WORST nightmare, and now I am stuck in my worst nightmare without at this stage a way out.

So at this stage of my nightmare I just dont know what to do - the only good option I have thought of is that I start my own business and rent myself out for sad events and be the one to have all the genuine tears, airport departures, funerals etc - at least that way I may get the much needed money to fund the much needed work on my mouth!!

Will update you soon, but just wanted you all to know that I am not ignoring you, just feel so down again :(

Sorry and thanks.

Kim xx
 
Last edited:
Thank you - thank you thank you Jaylah - I am welling up just reading your post.

I am so lucky in so many ways, it is such a shame that this is now dragging me down. You are so sensible and nice that I am extremely grateful to have 'met' you on here.
 
Last edited:
I don't know if this will be of any help, but my sister has 6 crowns on her front teeth, all done on the NHS and they look very good, one of hers has just had to be replaced and it fits right in with the rest. So if you have to go down the nhs route don't worry they aren't always a mess, there are a lot of good ones out there. I have a crown on my back tooth and I need 2 more doing later this year, the one I have is gold, which I know is no good for you. It has lasted me years, my sister had hers done when she was 16 and she's only just had to have the one replaced that I mentioned, and she is 49 so you see it's not so bad.

I hope you can get all this sorted out, and be worry free. :grouphug:
 
I'm really sorry Kim. I may be missing something here, but I thought the letter said that they would try the crown first and if that was not possible only then would an implant be necessary ? So, that is that the cheaper option is tried first and then the more expensive one becomes necessary. I think I heard you scream here actually !!! ;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm back - had my night out and shouldnt have gone - made a complete arse of meself and got to go and face my workmates this am!!

Ah well, if they are talking about me, they will leave some other poor bugger alone.

Anyway the crown thing - yes he will try and do the crown, but what he said was that he needed to know that if that failed when they tried, they would need to know how to proceed as they wouldnt get a sensible answer out of me when I was sedated, so I can understand that from his point of view - trouble is you wouldnt get much of a sensible answer now either.

I have been down the counselling route a few years ago through the nhs due to a bullying issue at work. It didnt work for me as the woman I used to see, well, we just didnt gel. Thats why I am so grateful for you guys and my really best friends - there are 3 of them and they are keeping me as sane as I can be right now. They and you are not only my friends but my therapy too!

I do always imagine the worst, then that way if that doesnt happen, I feel better - an odd way to think but just me, sorry.

xx
 
*:'(
 
Last edited:
I do not blame you for not wanting dentures but understand the financial end of it too. I think I agree if your dentist would talk with husband maybe that would help.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hello guys

Well what a night!!

My husband wouldn't talk to the dentist I really dont think - he has read the number, but then my older daughter came round, and basically agreed with my hubby!! OMG I got in such a state - they DONT understand at all - they all have lovely teeth.

I managed a short conversation with my hubby before my older daughter came and he said to find out what the options were. I said that because of all that had happened when I was younger, having all my back teeth removed and having to have crowns on the remaining teeth, that A I didnt thing I would need to get anything done to them anymore and B through sheer petrification, and I said that did he really think I was being vain or couldnt he see that even now, this is not an option I want but have found myself in and if I dont try it, I will never know. If the dentist says that it wont work, and I know because of the periodontal disease thing, that this is a possibility, then I will have no option, but if it can work, then sort of great if that makes sense?

Am going to ask the dentist what he thinks and for cost etc - will let you know [smiley=scared.gif]
 
Last edited:
Its hard for people who do not have the fear we carry to understand, its also hard for people who do not need the work we have to have done to understand :( . I think the best thing is to talk to your dentist see what he has to say, check out all options, and from that point make your decision. Its going to work out, try not to worry, which I know is way easier said then done. One day at a time, one step at a time.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorry, I'm struggling a bit to understand your mouth situation too Kim, I think it is because we are not entirely sure what you currently have or don't have. Where is this one tooth that may not be saveable? What do you have remaining in your mouth and what out of those are crowns ? At the moment I am kind of with Jaylah and wonder if there are other possibilites that the dentist is not exploring; partials, a bridge ?
 
Ok I will try to clarify by copying what the letter from the dentist says, but firstly, I have no back teeth at all - and 11 crowned front teeth - one of which has totally broken off, no stump.

The dentist has said he will try to 'save the tooth by building up a new pin retained core and making a crown. It may be impossible to save the tooth if we find that it has decayed beyond the point where it can be crowned with a reasonable long term prognosis. If however the tooth is beyond repair, the only option would be to extract the root. There are two ways to replace the tooth more permanently - 1 with a 3 unit bridge - 2 with an implant. There is also the possibility that bone grafts would need to be done if an implant was carried out.

The first option is not advisable due to the fact that the adjacent teeth, which will serve as anchors, are not very well supported due to a loss of periodontal bone. The best solution would be to place an implant, which will serve as an artificial root on which we can fit a crown. My advice would be to place the implant at the time of the extraction to speed up the process to arriving at the final restoration.'

I hope that clarifies the current situation for those of you who are confused.

I have said if we could look at all the options that I have, and I have read that you can have more than one tooth on an implant, and if this is possible, and would in the long run work out more cost effective, then that is the route I would prefer to go down. I have also said that I dont want to be in the situation that I am now. I am living my worst fears and nightmare at this moment in my life, and it is making me ill. I have also said that if the professional says that what I am suggesting is not possible, then I would have to accept that and then look at what any other options that would be best and most helpful to me would be.

I am going to draft a letter to the dentist today, and fax it through tomorrow and await what he says, I daresay he will need to check my mouth again, but I will let you know. The reason I want to get this sorted, is that it is playing on my mind 24/7. It is not specifically a rush, it is a long old process from what I can gather, and I have been like this since 9th of February, so almost 2 months of being miserable and feeling ill :(

Hopefully you are a bit clearer about this all now.

Kim x
 
Last edited:
Hiyer Kim, Yes, very clear now thanks. So, forgive me for asking, but how are you chewing if you have no molars ? Are you just eating soft foods all the time as you don't have a partial denture ? It is certainly a really tricky situation for you, I agree.

In a few months my front top incisor is having a root canal re-done and then a build up of the remaining root and a post crown done. I have also had the remaining stump snap off bit by bit, just due to weakness rather than decay though. I too might end up where you are, needing an implant in the front if this process fails. I guess ultimately if you have a number of crowns that are failing/could fail, then you might be heading to dentures or implants in the long term - but it would be such a shame if you could not manage to have the implants that it sounds like would be your preference.

I hope you have some luck with the dentist, with regard to your new letter. If you currently have no tooth at the front, could he not just fit you a 'flipper' or other temporary aesthetic partial denture - it must be awful to be without a front tooth ???
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Carys

I'm glad I have made a bit more sense now - I get myself in such a pickle that I waffle on and on, and make things worse for you guys to understand.

I cant eat hard stuff whatsoever, I wouldn't dream of eating anything like that. I am always scared to bite into even soft stuff - I lost a crown many years ago eating an M&S sarnie that had chopped celery in it! And the tooth that broke, I had a piece of food in my mouth that just 'touched' it and it came away!! I have to eat food that is easily broken down with a combination of my tongue and gums, with a little bit of 'chewing' on my teeth, but have to be very wary :(

I have written my draft letter to my dentist and will add a couple of bit in, as I have thought of during the morning. I feel terribly self conscious without the tooth. I had a reasonably good day yesterday as my daughter got us tickets to go to the ideal home show at Olympia and it not only took my mind off things for a bit, but apart from my daughter, no-one knew me, and I didnt specifically have to smile at them, so although I went around with a fairly serious face, I didnt have to worry about people seeing me.

I have however upset my daughter today, as my nephew has just come home from Afghanistan (he is only 18) and is heading back home to Scotland. My sister in law is having a welcome home party for him in a few weeks, and my daughter wants me to go, as do my husband and son, but because of how I feel, I just cant bring myself to do it.

I have to go to work to earn money, so have no choice there, although people have noticed a huge change in me because I am so down, but I just cant bring myself to do the things I normally would love doing because I am so conscious, and so many people just dont understand.

I really hope you dont have to go through what I am going through Carys, because as I keep saying, I am living in my own worst nightmare and dont know if I am going to come out of it in a way that will give me back my self esteem, which is at rock bottom at the moment.

I omitted in my draft to ask the dentist what sort of funding plan do they operate, as I did see a poster on the wall when we went before, so I will put this in my letter.

I have even been looking at the possibility of implant dentures if it comes to it. The Colgate website has a lot of info, but I got panicky when I saw pictures of people with metal posts in their mouths and resembling Jaws from the Bond movies.

So, my next question is, does anyone have these, and if so, how have they found them and how do they live with them? Have you had 'normal' dentures before you went for these and if so, are these a huge improvement?

So many questions all the time, so sorry for being a nuisance, and again thanks for help, advice and support.

Kim xx
 
Kim your no nuisance, I so understand and can relate with many things you feel. I wish I had answers for the implants but don't even know anyone who has them. I do believe though with all my heart that somehow this will all work out for you. I know that's not much help but just want you to know that you are on my mind and give you all my support. I was thinking about how you eat soft foods etc. I also have had to eat with great care as most of my molars are gone (top and bottom) and the teeth I have remaining on top are so loose that I have to be very careful. Hopefully soon for both of us this will all get fixed we will get through our fears and beable to go on with our lives in a much more positive way.
 
Hiyer, I have a friend who has 8 teeth, 4 upper and 4 lower molars and pre-molars which are done on implants. (she had a bad accident that resulted in those teeth being broken on one side) She has had them for years now, so they must have been done when implants were relatively new, maybe 10 - 15 years ago. They look absolutely fantastic...I've had a good close-up gawp at them and I would never have guessed they were done on implants. She is lucky in that the rest of her teeth are absolutely beautiful, even, naturally white and healthy. She says that she doesn't even think of them being 'not her natural teeth', she treats them in the same way and has never had any problems.
 
Hey Kim :)
Coolin here. Just jumping in to the discussion.
For what it's worth - my opinion is this.
  • Yes dentures are the cheapest option but from what I have read of peoples experiences of getting them - they are darn difficult to get used to. I think 'deedeeitsme' was one member https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/forum/threads/what-to-eat-with-no-teeth.11802/ ...have a look. It may see like an obvious solution - especially to a practical down to earth scot - I know the type - look at my location:giggle: but they are a poor substitute for real teeth. However - they might be better than the teeth you have right now - I don't know - would it be a partial upper denture?
  • the 3 unit bridge will likely fail in the medium term
  • the implant is the best solution if you can possibly afford it. I have 2 :) I felt horrible guilty at spending that amount of money on just 2 teeth but I have discovered that 'vanity' is actually a very important thing. Now that I have a 'no gaps' smile I am so much more confident, I can do my job better, I care about myself much more than I ever used to - a bit late at 44 but better late than never. I smile a lot:)
  • I try to explain the fear to people like this. "What are you really afraid of? Spiders? Heights? Rats?" Then ask them to imagine going into a room full of spiders (or whatever) and having to sit in a chair while the spidery things wander around. Scared yet? Substitute dentist for spider......
There is a solution that you will feel comfortable with - you will get there :thumbsup:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi everyone

I am just in from work. I faxed my dentist my list of questions. My daughter e-mailed me a couple of hours ago saying he is going to ring me at 5.30 to speak with me. I have gone into a wobbly state all over again!

I will answer previous threads and update you all later.

Thanks.

Kim
 
Back

Shaking like a leaf when he rang!!!

Anyway he said he hoped the crown would work, but needed a backup in case it didnt, he doesnt thing going for a full front lot of teeth thion implants was a good idea - said to just do one at a time when they needed it, and take each course of treatment as it comes so if there isnt the need to or there isnt the funds for, then there will be other opportunities to look at, so in the meantime, I will get chance to save towards what will come. He is going to send out the finance options they offer.

I feel as 'comfortable' as I can with a person doing this sort of thing. I had my 'panic poo' when I got home knowing I had to speak to my fear
xx
 
Last edited:
Back
Top