Just getting started

[icandothis123]

I did it!

I went to the dental clinic this morning nervous and not sure how it would go. When I got there, I met the dental hygienist and she asked me what brought me in today. I let her know how long it's been since I've been at a dentist office and she didn't make a big deal about it. We spent a lot of time taking photos and X-rays. She asked if I was comfortable seeing them (she said some people don't want to know) and I told her I think I am okay with it. We went through them and she pointed out places there's some build-up that she'll need to clean out. She pointed out places that might be issues that the dentist will go into more detail.

I was amazed that I was totally okay with seeing photos of the inside of my mouth. I guess it helps that I keep looking at them and feeling bad about them. When she went through everything, she was very factual and I never felt like I was being judged. For me, I felt sort of like I was on a project and she was a teammate telling me what she was doing.

Eventually, the dentist came in and let me know what his thoughts were on the X-rays and took a look inside my mouth. Turns out I will need scaling (no surprise), a crown placed on one of my premolars since there's a slight crack where the fillings are, and some fillings on another tooth. He said on the whole, for 19 years since my last visit they look decent. I definitely have a lot of gum recession in a couple of places, so they recommended a periodontist to take a look at options there. I'll go schedule an appointment with them and I have more specific questions about my gums that I think they can help with. Overall, the dentist was just very cool about everything. He wasn't judgy and never appeared worried about the state of my mouth.

The hygienist then did some general cleaning afterwards and that went well.

On the whole, I was amazed that I wasn't so fearful in the chair. It was really just the fear of being judged that prevented me from initially setting up anything. I'm so glad I've got my first visit done. I'll have some more ahead, but I'm comfortable with them!

 

[TKB1974]

Fantastic news! It sounds like a really great first visit with a great dentist and hygienist. Well done on making it through with a great attitude! ?

 

[Enarete]

What an amazing visit, very well done!

It's a pleasure to read how it went. Your dental team sounds great and they seem to be very experienced with nervous patients. I loved how your hygienist put you in control and took time to listen to what YOUR story was. Giving you the choice not to look at the photos was a nice thing too, it shows that she wanted you to feel comfortable and have choices. And it sounds like you don't need much treatment!

Looking forward to your updates and hope you feel much more confident and at ease next time.

Oh and you wrote something amazing in the previous post - about how your bravery and courage in conquering your dental fear spilled over to other areas of your life as well. And this is true: you are building real skills here by pushing yourself through this challenge and this has the power to change your approach in other areas as well. I felt much stronger in other areas of my life too after I conquered my dental fear. It's lovely to read that you had this amazing experience as well.

 

[icandothis123]

Hey all. Just wanted to post an update for anyone curious.

i went in for my first (of two) deep cleanings today. It went well. I was only a little worried about what it might be like the night before, but it genuinely didn’t keep me up at night.

I had only read a little about what the experience would be like a few months ago, but I figured it would be better to go in without any expectations. It was probably a good thing too because it started with four injections of anesthetic. lol The first one was a little uncomfortable. I don’t remember ever having the needle in my mouth for that long… and then I got hit with another three in my upper gums. Wow.

It was mostly painless, but just slightly uncomfortable. Anyway, I got through it and my teeth are looking so clean.

I have the other half of my mouth to get cleaned in a couple of weeks. After that I have a crown to do, but I know I can get through it.