T
TKB1974
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2021
- Messages
- 126
- Location
- Washington
A little backstory about me. I haven’t been to the dentist in about 11 years, and now I’m absolutely petrified to go. I’m sure my story is similar to many of you, but I feel so ashamed and so alone. I’ve kept this a secret from EVERYONE in my life. I’m so embarrassed that I’ve let so much time lapse, but I had an awful experience many years ago & just didn’t want to go through anything like that again. They have an extremely difficult time getting my mouth numb & I was practically on the ceiling from having my tooth drilled into & hitting the nerve. The thought of it now still makes me sick to my stomach. Along with that, my teeth are just sensitive & the whole process is just so tense and unnerving. I hate the feeling of being out of control & trapped in the dental chair. It makes me feel so claustrophobic. I’ve been lurking here for a couple years, but never registered or actively participated. Earlier this week I had an awful toothache in my farthest back, upper molar. Like awful, throbbing pain- nerve pain. Nothing else feels tender/swollen, just pain in the tooth like a nerve is exposed. I’ve been researching “comfort” dentists & hoping to find a good fit. I finally found a local dentist with glowing reviews & who takes my insurance. I emailed the office on Wednesday & explained my extreme dental phobia & they emailed me back almost immediately & were very kind/understanding. The tooth felt pretty okay Wed/Thurs but today (Fri) the pain is back. I’ve been taking a lot of ibuprofen, doing some gentle saltwater rinses, applying some numbing gel around the tooth & praying it doesn’t get worse over the weekend. I finally got the courage to call the office today and schedule to dressed appointment. My hands were shaking clammy & I felt sick to my stomach just making the call. After all of this....their office closes early on Fridays! I had to leave a message for someone to call me on Monday. So, while I’m proud that I finally gathered the courage to call, I’m now stuck waiting until after the weekend for a call back (with an angry tooth that I am PRAYING doesn’t get worse). I’m so scared to go in for an appointment but I really, really just want to be able to stop worrying about my teeth 24/7. I seriously think about my teeth every waking hour of every day. It’s depressing and exhausting. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I applaud you if you made it through! It feels good to get it all written down.
Also, if anyone has any good suggestions (besides OTC pain relief) to help with the pain, let me know. Has anyone tried applying Listerine to a cotton ball & holding on the painful tooth? Yay or nay? I don’t want to make it worse!
TK ?
Also, if anyone has any good suggestions (besides OTC pain relief) to help with the pain, let me know. Has anyone tried applying Listerine to a cotton ball & holding on the painful tooth? Yay or nay? I don’t want to make it worse!
TK ?