S
Sagira
Junior member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2007
- Messages
- 7
..I was 17, and terrified. Convinced that my teeth must already be ruined.
Fast forward until late 2023. I’m 34, late diagnosed with autism and I still haven’t conquered my fear of the dentist.
Then my front tooth breaks one day while I’m eating a chicken salad sub (lol), and now I’m absolutely horrified that all of my teeth are about to fall out of my mouth.
But I’ve been taking anxiety medication, doing therapy, and learning accommodations and coping skills for my autism that helped me be brave enough to make an appointment. After almost two decades of severe dental anxiety and avoidance, I tell myself that 2024 is going to be the year that I get my teeth fixed.
So I go into my first appointment and get my broken tooth filled, along with a small cavity on an adjacent tooth. It’s uncomfortable but survivable. Their x-ray software isn’t working, so I make a future appointment to assess my mouth and get my first (adult) cleaning.
I walked in today totally expecting that I would need MAJOR dental work, and then… they told me that my teeth were absolutely fine. No cavities, other than the two that they had already fixed up at the last appointment. My gums need some TLC, but mostly because the overcrowding in my mouth makes it hard to keep them clean.
But otherwise? Totally healthy teeth. Overcrowded and not cosmetically perfect (far from it), but healthy and not about to fall out of my face.
So if you’re like me, living with decades of fear, shame, uncertainty, consider this your sign to go do the hard thing.
They gave me some tips on how to keep my gums cleaner but were not mean or shame-y about it at all. They spoke me through everything they were about to do and were kind and understanding every step of the way.
For me, fear made me avoid the dentist, but it was shame that kept me away the longest.
Now, after an hour and a half in the chair, my mouth is clean. I have a referral for the orthodontist to see about my options for correcting my smile, if I choose to cosmetically. And I’m not booked into see the dentist again until August, because I don’t need any restorative work, just to a catch up on my cleanings.
Fast forward until late 2023. I’m 34, late diagnosed with autism and I still haven’t conquered my fear of the dentist.
Then my front tooth breaks one day while I’m eating a chicken salad sub (lol), and now I’m absolutely horrified that all of my teeth are about to fall out of my mouth.
But I’ve been taking anxiety medication, doing therapy, and learning accommodations and coping skills for my autism that helped me be brave enough to make an appointment. After almost two decades of severe dental anxiety and avoidance, I tell myself that 2024 is going to be the year that I get my teeth fixed.
So I go into my first appointment and get my broken tooth filled, along with a small cavity on an adjacent tooth. It’s uncomfortable but survivable. Their x-ray software isn’t working, so I make a future appointment to assess my mouth and get my first (adult) cleaning.
I walked in today totally expecting that I would need MAJOR dental work, and then… they told me that my teeth were absolutely fine. No cavities, other than the two that they had already fixed up at the last appointment. My gums need some TLC, but mostly because the overcrowding in my mouth makes it hard to keep them clean.
But otherwise? Totally healthy teeth. Overcrowded and not cosmetically perfect (far from it), but healthy and not about to fall out of my face.
So if you’re like me, living with decades of fear, shame, uncertainty, consider this your sign to go do the hard thing.
They gave me some tips on how to keep my gums cleaner but were not mean or shame-y about it at all. They spoke me through everything they were about to do and were kind and understanding every step of the way.
For me, fear made me avoid the dentist, but it was shame that kept me away the longest.
Now, after an hour and a half in the chair, my mouth is clean. I have a referral for the orthodontist to see about my options for correcting my smile, if I choose to cosmetically. And I’m not booked into see the dentist again until August, because I don’t need any restorative work, just to a catch up on my cleanings.
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- well done!!
