My dental phobia story (continuing)

[brit]

My dentist has left the practice that I go to. I really miss her. The new dentist is OK, but she doesn't seem quite as nice to me. My dentist is still in town, and sometimes I think about trying out her new office,

If I were you, I would absolutely follow your old dentist to her new office. You can do this by making the appt at the new place and not cancelling your next one at the old place until you are sure you are happy with the new place.

Welcome back after a 3 year absence

 

[mirla]

Yeah.

One of the reasons I haven't switched was that my old Dentist's new office isn't near where I work.

I also love my Hygenist, and I see her more than the Dentist anymore, since I haven't had to have much work done.

However, my workplace is moving to a location closer to my old Dentist's office than my current Dentist's, so I've been considering it again.

But I know I need to keep making appointments at my current location until I've committed to my old Dentist, as it would be all to easy for me to just drop it.

And, I'm not 100% sure my old Dentist is even still in town, or even where she is. And so, another one of my phobias (of everyone thinking I'm an idiot) strikes, as I don't want to look like an idiot when I call and find out she's skipped town, or just left that practice (or worse, been stripped of her license). Sigh...

 

[letsconnect]

back, great to see you again and it's great to hear that you have such a good relationship with your hygienist (if you changed dentists, maybe you could keep her? it's often possible to see a hygienist in one office and a dentist in another one). Keeping my fingers crossed that you'll be able to locate your previous dentist

 

[mirla]

Just popping back to let everyone know I'm still doing OK. I had a cleaning Thursday. No pills. I was tense and squirmy like normal, but I was OK.

I got up the nerve about a year ago to ask about more frequent cleanings, so I now get my teeth cleaned every 3 months. I still struggle with phobias surrounding tooth brushing, and once I stop for a while, it's even harder to start again. Of course, I always brush best right before and right after an appointment, so the closer I can keep those together, the better. It also helps in keeping the appointments shorter (less to clean each time) and I find myself less anxious when I don't have 6 months of dread beforehand. Thanks to this forum for letting me know I have this option.

I still have dental phobias. I can't brush without closing my eyes. I still have an irrational fear of the pick they use to scrape my teeth. The smell still makes me sick to my stomache, and there are other issues. But I'm at a point where I'm managing my phobia, rather than my phobia managing me. I can go to the dentist with a smile on my face (although part of that smile is because I'm plotting an escape plan that normally involves squirting someone in the face), and my teeth are showing because I'm taking ok care of them. When I took my daughter to the Orthodontist, who knew nothing of where I've been, he complimented my teeth.

I don't know what I would have done without this site. It let me know I wasn't alone. It helped me know that I always have the right to speak up for what I need, as well as choose what we're going to do and how. It helped me name my fears, and gave me suggestions for how to deal with them. It helped me feel proud for where I am today, rather than shame for my mistakes. It helped me find answers to questions I was too scared to ask. It helped me get my life back, and I don't say that lightly. I was imprisoned by my fear, and now it's just a little speed bump. "Thank you," will never be enough.

 

[Jabbed]

Quite a few years late reading up on this, but you really do deserve a medal! Reading your entire story has settled quite a few of my concerns. Your (ex)dentist sounds like an angel, I hope I get someone like her . Do you still plan on moving or have moved back to your old dentist?

 

[mirla]

Thank you.

When I was really looking for my Dentist, I couldn't find her in Google. Before sending my update, I found her, but she's moved to an inconvenient location for me. If I was looking for a new dentist, I should look closer to house or work to see is there's an angel closer.

I really don't see my Dentist much, and the one I have isn't bad, just a bit more clinical than i would like. I haven't bothered to change. I just have higher priorities in my life right now.

 

[letsconnect]

Thanks you so much for the update, mirla, and also for your kind words about the site (also on behalf of all the moderators and everyone else who has taken the time to provide support here) - it really is appreciated !

 

[mirla]

I was looking around the site, and noted a couple of things.

I found the DAS-R. My original score would have been 20 (and the teddy bear would have sent me into a panic attack). My score now is 14-15, which doesn't seem much better. But it's much easier to walk into the waiting room when you feel tense as opposed to cold-sweat-going-to-lose-my-lunch-hyperventilation. I feel they need another question, like, "how do you feel if someone told you their child got their first tooth" -- my improvement there would be night and day. Since things that merely remind me of my teeth or the Dentist no longer bother me, my quality of life has gone way up, they were the things that hit me every day rather than twice a year. I bet those who don't get sick driving by a Dentist office have no idea how many there are in this town. ;-)

It's also a lot easier to address my fears now that I know they're irrational. I have real-world experiences that reassure me. Yes, I still have the fears, but I can honestly tell myself that I'm going to be OK.

I lurked here for months before I made that call. I don't know why, but I trusted the information I found on this site, probably mostly because it made sense -- there must be kind people who also want to be Dentists. The information I found helped me know what I needed, and I was lucky that the first Dentist I called could meet those needs and more. It's been hard, but I look back to where I was, and I am so glad I did it.

To anyone who may be lurking, trying to work up the courage for your next step towards dental health, whatever that may be, just do it. Find yourself a good Dentist, and get to where you can start smiling again. You are worth it, and don't you dare tell yourself otherwise. And it really is going to be OK.

 

[letsconnect]

I know what you mean about those questionnaires, they're a complete joke. I can't believe the emotive language they use (the DAS Dental Anxiety Scale is bad, too). I just revisited the one you mentioned and managed to score as "moderate anxiety", even though I'd describe myself as not at all anxious (of course, that's in comparison to what I used to be like ). But hey-ho, researchers seem to like those questionnaires because they've been validated... I still feel they should all be rewritten, and this time round with the input of some people who actually do suffer with dental phobia! The wording in them is just soooo bad...

Gotta run now but thanks for your great post above !

 

[mirla]

I popped in to ask a dental question, noticed how long it had been since I logged in, and thought I should update this to say that it's now been over 10 years since I started going to the Dentist again, with the help of this website. I have now been seeing the Dentist regularly longer than I had previously gone without going. I'm very proud of myself for that.

I won't lie to you and say my phobia is cured, or that my trips to the Dentist don't still cause me anxiety. I'm still in the same place I was during my last update, but that's OK. I'm able to manage my fears, using the tools I found on this site, instead of letting them manage me. I can smile without embarrassment. I can eat without pain. My mouth no longer controls me, and I am free!

Words cannot express how thankful I am.