it's constant

[seasick]

hi, i'm new to this forum. i have had a dental phobia for as long as i can remember due to having bad genes and visiting the dentist a lot as a child. i've gotten fillings my entire life but i've had my fair share of bad dentists. as soon as i turned 18 and went to college, i ignored my dental. i had to get a tooth extracted because of a chipped tooth my sophomore year and after that, i went for occasional cleanings until the pandemic. i was continuing to ignore my dental health until this year when one of my teeth closer to the front chipped. the hole is a pretty large size and i've continued to ignore the problem after my dentist appointment addressing that tooth. it was so scary. i was sweating in the waiting room, and once i was the last patient waiting, my breath got quick. i already struggle with severe anxiety everyday. my appointment was for 3 and the office closes at 5, so i was already antsy it would be a waste of my time. nevertheless, i went back when called and had to wait another 30-45 minutes for the dentist to come "evaluate" my mouth and x-ray. he tells me the tooth has a cavity on the front and back, and if they begin a filling, they may find it needs to become a root canal. this really freaked me out. i have had financial insecurity for as long as i remember and the thought of the payment for the root canal is enough to make me breakdown. the amount of fillings i need is also expensive. since this appointment, i have continued my ignoring tactic but i have noticed some abnormal sensitivity lately. sometimes the pain goes away for months and it's not much pain at all. it's light sensitivity. i almost tell myself i'm imagining it, although i know for sure there are a few cavities that need fillings. i would love if i had the funds to have many fillings done in one sitting. i HATE going to the dentist, but i am so scared of dental pain. i worry all day about pain occurring even though the pain is not very high yet. it's almost like when i think about my teeth, they start to hurt. i have an appointment for next week after constant worrying about my teeth rotting out of my head. there's a relief knowing i'm able to take a step forward and actually go to the dentist. however, i'm still terrified of the diagnosis. i'm not sure how i'll react to many, many cavities and possible root canals. i'm also not sure how to tell the dentist I don't have much money. it seems so embarrassing. i'm really not sure how to ease this anxiety, or if it'll ever get better.

ps. i should add that i really do not trust dentists due to the past i mentioned earlier in the post. the dentist i see next week was the dentist who extracted my tooth previously. one of my family members also goes to this dentist and i am fortunate enough to receive financial help from this family member. if you read this far, thank you. you don't realize what it means to me for someone to hear me.

-c

 

[NervousUSA]

Hi there,
That sounds really rough! One thing, did you know some dentists do payment plans? You might be able to make the financial side easier if you can get a payment plan.

 

[honeybee91]

Hey how did the appointment go? I'm in a similar situation except I am lucky that I've only had 2 cavities ever but I have the shittiest luck with my gums. They are always inflamed etc. And I have an appointment next month for an exam and cleaning and I'm terrified I'll need a ton of work done. I'm broke as a joke, i can't afford anything but basic cleaning. I hope you are doing well!