• 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.

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Just made my first dental appointment in 9 years...

M

maube

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
20
Hello everyone, I am new to these forums, a friend of mine referred me here when I blogged about my upcoming dental visit.

My story is similiar to a lot of the others I've been reading... I partly learned my fear from my mother who was always anxious at the dentist, and partly from my own negative experiences. Extraction of baby teeth with no numbing or sedation, cavities for looking at anything sweet, along with rude and humiliating comments from hygenists and dentist growing up.

When I left my parent's house and started on my own I couldnt afford dental insurance, nor could I afford to go to the dentist.. well part of it was my excuses because of my fear. I KNEW I should go, I just couldnt move it up my budget enough so that I would.

Then when I did get insurance it was very hard to find a dentist taht would accept it (Medicaid) I FINALLY found a dentist that will accept adults with Medicaid and before I could chicken out, made my appointment for Friday. Since then I have been freaking out. Cold sweats, blurry vision, palpitating heart... I am scared poo less.

Thing is, I REALLY have to go. I've had a badly decayed broken tooth for 3 years now, I have a badly decayed canine and at LEAST 5 cavities. I know I am going to need 2 crowns at least and potentially an extraction. I am just now starting to have regular pain with the broken tooth which I guess is a blessing, but man am I scared.

I really hope this dentist doesnt berate me and treat me like poo for not getting to a dentist sooner, because honestly I am an intelligent adult and I KNOW I should have been seeing a dentist regularly.

Oh man I am sick to my stomach just writing this =X
 
Hi Maube. :XXLhug: You've come to the right place for people who understand how you feel! Congratulations for making the appointment. Your first visit will most likely just be for x-rays and to let the dentist have a look to decide what all needs done. Just walking in for that first appointment was the hardest for me. The dentist should NOT berate you for the condition of your teeth..he is there to HELP..not JUDGE! Good luck!!
 
Hello everyone, I am new to these forums, a friend of mine referred me here when I blogged about my upcoming dental visit.

My story is similiar to a lot of the others I've been reading... I partly learned my fear from my mother who was always anxious at the dentist, and partly from my own negative experiences. Extraction of baby teeth with no numbing or sedation, cavities for looking at anything sweet, along with rude and humiliating comments from hygenists and dentist growing up.

When I left my parent's house and started on my own I couldnt afford dental insurance, nor could I afford to go to the dentist.. well part of it was my excuses because of my fear. I KNEW I should go, I just couldnt move it up my budget enough so that I would.

Then when I did get insurance it was very hard to find a dentist taht would accept it (Medicaid) I FINALLY found a dentist that will accept adults with Medicaid and before I could chicken out, made my appointment for Friday. Since then I have been freaking out. Cold sweats, blurry vision, palpitating heart... I am scared poo less.

Thing is, I REALLY have to go. I've had a badly decayed broken tooth for 3 years now, I have a badly decayed canine and at LEAST 5 cavities. I know I am going to need 2 crowns at least and potentially an extraction. I am just now starting to have regular pain with the broken tooth which I guess is a blessing, but man am I scared.

I really hope this dentist doesnt berate me and treat me like poo for not getting to a dentist sooner, because honestly I am an intelligent adult and I KNOW I should have been seeing a dentist regularly.

Oh man I am sick to my stomach just writing this =X

Honestly Medicaid dentists have seen some bad cases. Yours is probably nothing near what they have seen before. I wouldn't worry about that.
Ask for a xanax or valium b4 your appt! Or ask fam doc for one so you don't suffer so much!
 
Hi Maube, welcome.

Isn't it interesting that we all worry about what the dentist will think of us? Will he judge us and find us wanting, will he lecture us, will he growl at us? You know what - he'll love you, because you and others like you (and me, and everyone else in here) keep him in golf clubs and pay his wife's alimony!

Besides, what other people think of us is NONE of our business! What's important is that you're looking after yourself, and soon you'll be pain free and have a beautiful smile, so if DARES to say anything, just do what I do with my other half - smile, nod, and say "yes, dear!"

Then let us know and we'll all bombard him with spam emails! :devilish:
 
Thank you guys for your replies, while I am still so nervous I could puke, I go in tomorrow with the kids for their appointments so I'll get to 'feel' out the place.

Of course last night I was up all night with severe pain =X finally wedged a cotton ball with a drop of Oil of Clove in there and took some left over pain medication from my kidney stones last month =p

It's funny, I ignore folks who judge me about my weight... but the dentist... I am obsessing over it... I guess I dont want any emotional abuse aboutthe sad state of my teeth... I just need to get over it and try to conquer the other anxieties I have about Friday.
 
Hi, welcome! I joined this group recently when I went to the dentist after about the same amount of time as you and I made it through and so can you. I am totally anxious when it comes to the dentist (and other things too!) and I wanted to share some things that I have learned first hand.

With a dentist paid for by Medicaid, they will probably have a lot of patients in a day (because Medicaid doesn't pay well) so the dentist may seem abrupt. I am not telling you this to scare you, I am telling you this to give you the reality and empower you because I had similar experience with a dentist in the past who worked on bulk with my lousy insurance. You are the one in control. You do not have to do anything you do not want to do! If the dentist pressures you in any way to do anything or to hurry up, you do not have to take it! You have the right at any time to tell him/her to stop and get out of the chair and leave! And you can look for another dentist that you are comfortable with. There is one for you! Remember that! You can do it, I am behind you and we are all behind you to support you. You do not have to be in pain and you do not have to feel berated in any way! If you are extra nervous, that is who you are and he/she has to deal with it, period! Or you find someone else. Remember, you are in total control, so hold your head up high and be proud of yourself for taking that step in making the appointment! :)
 
Welcome Maube,

I can totally understand how you feel. In May this year I had my first dental visit in 30 years. Yes you will be totally embarassed about the state of your teeth, but believe me when I say that yours will not be the worst that your dentist has seen.

Even making that appointment is a big step and you will be so proud when you walk out of that surgery after your first visit.

Good Luck!
 
Well the kids had their first checkup today and I managed not to project my intense fear of being that. My 1yr old was perfect, my 3yr old took quite a bit of coaxing but they both had clean checkups. Of course when we got back into the car for the ride home I had to put my head between my knees for a couple of minutes. Had the cold sweats even though it was 90 degrees outside.

about 24 hours before it's my turn =X
 
maube,

No dentist should judge you or berate you whatever the state of your teeth. They are your teeth, not his and it is not his place to comment. Bad attitudes do not encourage or promote dental health and neither is it positive or constructive and will only make you feel worse with yourself and make it harder to go next time. If the dentist treats you like poo, complain! Walk away. You choose to go to the dentist for treatment, not stupid comments and attitude. You have a right to professional respect and behaviour.

As for getting treatment, talk to your dentist. He should listen to any fears you have. Explain your experiences - get it out in the open. He should listen and that will help you feel better. If you are nervous ask him to do all the easy gentle stuff first, to let you gain a bit of confidence. Talk about sedation if its avilable. These help a lot.

Things are often not as bad as you think, teeth can be restored and repaired. You may be surprised what can be done. Finally, think of how you will feel at the end of treatment, with a smile you can be proud of.

You can do this. It DOES get easier with time. Dentisty should always be pain-free. You should not be judged on whatever you teeth are like.

:thumbsup:
 
Oh goodness, my appointment is fast approaching >.< I couldnt sleep last night due to the anxiety. (even tried taking AdvilPM to help with the pain as well.)

Woke up with the level of pain I have been tolerating for years, and the thought of cancelling the appointment crossed my mind. But I KNOW I have to go. To get any work done besides cleaning and cavities there needs to be authorization from Medicaid so the sooner I get in to have the procedures approved the better. But man... I am scared.

My husband got a week respite... we couldnt find a babysitter to watch our kids. The dentist booked us together... so he got to wait til next week. Lucky =)

Of course if it was me that had to get rebooked it would have been easier to find another excuse not to go. I just hope that the dentist can give me something for the intense pain I have been experiencing from the tooth if he cannot actually do anything for it today due to insurance. There is no gum swelling or anything that looks wrong... well besides the fact that half the tooth is missing, there is a filling overhanging the hole and you can see the rot inside the tooth... yeah...

Freaking out so bad... I have some Xanax I could take but I am scared that it will impair my driving. I havent taken Xanax for anxiety in almost 4 years... oh man I think Ia m gunna be sick
 
:XXLhug::XXLhug::XXLhug: You can do it! We'll all be with you in spirit!
 
This will be the hardest appointment to get through, but you can do it, from then on you will know what is needed to be done and you can work through it to a healthy mouth again.

You can have a tempoary dressing put on open holes that has a sedative in it to calm any painful teeth, I had a load put on mine and it made such a difference, but don't be tempted to think thats all thats needed and cancel any future treatment, you still need it fixed properly.

I wish you well and hope you are free of pain soon. :XXLhug:
 
how did your appointment go !! i really hope you are home feeling much calmer now and so proud of yourself for getting that courage to visit the dentist. we all know how hard it is to make our legs work to get in that chair and all support you in this journey, so keep strong and i send you lots of hugs :grouphug:
 
Haven't gone yet... 3 more hours... I've been pacing and unable to sit still for very long.

I've been using that 'tooth filler' junk for years to try and calm the pain, and I dont want to keep doing that, or keep cutting up my tongue trying to clean out the cavity. I KNOW I need to be brave and go. I need to do this not only for myself but to show the rest of my family, especially my kids, that they shouldn't fear the dentist.

Man I just want to break down in tears =( I did however make sure that tonight's dinner for the family is a very soft 'chewing' optional dinner just in case XD although right now the thought of eating makes me want to retch.

Thank you all for your support and well wishing, it does help.
 
Nearly there, you can do this, you can turn your life around. :XXLhug:

I was talking about the dentist putting dressings on not over the counter stuff. The dentist one really is good and calming and stays stuck!
 
Well the verdict is pretty much where I guessed it would be. And the advice I got about not to be too upset about the abrupt manner of the dentist due to accepting Medicaid was right, however the hygenists were awesome. I had two and they both did everything very slow, letting me catch my breath when I started looking panicky and let me cry the one time I just couldnt 'be brave' anymore.

HOWEVER, there was no berating me, only telling me the positive that yes, things could have been MUCH worse, and yes, my mouth was no where near as bad as some that they have seen.

So the verdict is, the broken tooth gets extracted. I knew when it broke that it would need to be so since it broke all the way down under the gumline, half the tooth just crumbled away. (although I want to blame the dentist that filled that tooth because EVERY single filling that man put in fell out within 3 years.. he was one of the two dentists that made me so phobic) I need 3 Root canals and crowns, and two fillings. Of course I was expecting more cavities then they are working on but I am NOT going to have them look again... at least not until December when my next cleaning visit is scheduled.

I had no gum disease and my bone was still very solid, in fact the hygenist was surprised I had so little plaque and scaling. She mentioned that people usually have one of two problems, too much of the bacteria that causes gum disease or too much bacteria that causes cavities. I guess there are worst problems to have...

Anyway... the best news I had is that they are going to refer me out to a surgeon who will sedate me and do everything I need to be done in one visit. So THAT is a blessing, granted I have to drive an hour to get to the surgeon but honestly... I think I would prefer to have it all done at once.
 
:jump: Well done!!

I don't blame you for wanting to just get it all done at once. That's the way to go!
 
hi and welcome

im here for yu if ya need to talk just send me a message :XXLhug::XXLhug::XXLhug::XXLhug:
 
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