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My Journey

T

timmagnone

Junior member
Joined
Sep 6, 2018
Messages
8
PART 1 : The Beginning

O.k.

I am 22 years of age and have not seen the dentist since middle school. It has probably been more than 10 years. I live in the united states.

I am extremely scared, nervous, depressed, and regretful that I have not seen the dentist in so long. I have lurked on this forum for a couple days with tears running down my face. I have been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and even having a blood test made me freak out.

I know that soon I will have to go through cavity fillings, wisdom teeth extraction, and other things that I can't really comprehend unless I start crying. I feel lost and really emotional to the point where I just don't care anymore. My first dental appointment is either next Friday or next Tuesday and I feel so lost. I don't know what to do, how to cope, or how I will feel during it. My mom is trying to reassure me everything will be okay but it's hard to do when I have never had a surgery or other things happen to me like that.

I know I will be super emotional and nervous. I will end up crying at the appointment I can already feel it.:cry::redface:

UPDATE #1
______________
I tried to have my mom switch the appointments so I could get the earlier date, which was tomorrow, but all they could do was push the later date one day forward, which is next tuesday. I just wanted to get this done and over with. :cry:
 
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So I have been crying less but still feel a little bad. I have read up on coping strategies (breathing techniques and mindfullness techniques) so when it does come time for the big days, I have things to help me keep going.
 
Dear timmagnone,

sorry to read about how much you worry. The first dental visit after a long time is mostly one of the most challenging and it sounds like there are a lot of things that scare you at the moment.

It is great to read that you had looked up some coping strategies and I can only encourage you to use your current anxiety to exercise those techniques. If you learn to calm yourself a bit before an appointment, it will be easier for you to do it during the appointment.

May I ask you what are the particular things that worry you about your dental visit? Having clarity with this might help you and your dentist to find ways to make the treatment easier for you. And how about the dental practice you are about to visit - do you feel like you could imagine them putting you at ease?

Last question - what makes you assume that you need so much treatment?

All the best wishes and let us know your thoughts...
 
Dear timmagnone,

May I ask you what are the particular things that worry you about your dental visit? Having clarity with this might help you and your dentist to find ways to make the treatment easier for you. And how about the dental practice you are about to visit - do you feel like you could imagine them putting you at ease?

Last question - what makes you assume that you need so much treatment?

All the best wishes and let us know your thoughts...


I fear that something bad is going to happen or I will get a panic attack. I've thought about the n2o but reading up on some of the "reactions" such as auditory or visual issues seem to bother me.

Earlier on in the year, I was rear ended and everything that I was hiding away came back to bite me even harder. I had to go to physical therapy for 4 weeks, twice per week so I could restore my neck muscles. I had upper cervical whiplash and it was not fun dealing with the no sleep and pain. After than I saw a GP and he insisted that I get a blood test. They said everything was okay, just for a few "borderline" results. I did not know how to take it because nothing was explained. I'm seeing the GP this friday to see what he means.

I've also ignored my wisdom teeth since high school, when my lower right started to erupt and shoved it into the back of my mind until the whiplash. I recently started looking in a mirror at my teeth and I can see little holes and some of my molars have a dark line around the gumline. My mom thinks it's just darkened tarter but I'm really not sure if it's something more serious. I feel "pressure" when I bite my teeth down and have been trying to manually move my overbite forward.

:shame:
 
Sorry to read about the whiplash, sounds like you have been having a very hard time recently..
I would like to encourage you to talk about all of this with your dentist. The more information he/she will have about the things that worry you, the better they can look after you.

Here is a link about panic attacks from the "common fear" section here on the page:
https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/panic-attacks/
You might find some useful advice there.

You might find out that thinking just of the next step of your journey will help you reduce your stress. No matter what treatment you will need in the future, it will happen step by step. So just take your time and prepare yourself for the first step - a good chat with your dentist. Think of the things you would like to say and ask and see where it brings you. The only dental thing that is likely to happen at your next appointment will be an exam. There is no need to think any further for now. Your dentist will then reveal further steps to you and will discuss with you how to approach it in the best way.

n2o is a good thing and might be worthy of trying. You always start with oxygen and they increase the dose of n2o very in slow steps until YOU say that you feel comfortable. Should you experience anything you don't feel happy with, you can simply breath through your mouth and let your dentist know so that they lower the dose for you. Again, just talk to your dentist about this. The more he/she knows the better he/she can help you.
 
So today is the day. I really don’t know how to feel. One minute I’m scared, the next I’m either sad or angry.
:confused:
 
Hope all goes well for you today!! Let us know how it goes!
 
Day 1 went really well. I was nervous stepping foot in the office but everyone treated me with respect and kindness. I first got my X-rays done by a wonderful lady who informed me of my wisdom teeth and their need to come out. :shame:

I was then led to the room to have my first treatment done which was an exam and general cleaning. It was not bad at all because I was more focused on the wisdom teeth situation. I had a doctor come in before the cleaning explaining to me every process as well as asking what fears I had. This lady was very nice.

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I only have 3 cavities that are going to be filled next Friday.



Then I might be getting my wisdom teeth out December 13 which I am not looking forward too. I will be going underneath GA and am really scared about that.
 
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Sounds like a really great start! Glad they were really nice and put you to ease . :)..
 
Yay! I'm so glad the visit went well! You should be so proud that you faced your fears. It sounds like the dentist was really nice too. Having a caring and friendly dentist is so important. Please update when you have your fillings done xx
 
Ok I'm starting to freak out again. I think Im okay for the fillings.



I have to have 4 wisdom teeth pulled which states.


ga 1st 15 mins
ga addl 15 minutes
drug therapy 2+

tooth 1 - surgical extraction
tooth 16 - rem complete bony
tooth 17 - rem complete bony
tooth 32 - rem part bony

This is giving me some really bad anxiety.
 
Fillings went ok. They gave me Xanax to calm me down and I was able to make it
through the procedure.

now I’m worried about the wisdom teeth.

I dont know how bad bad I will be in pain afterwards. I’m scared to death of
being put under GA. I’ve never been put under GA and I’m freaked out about it. Especially the possibility of not waking up. My anxiety has gotten to the point that when I think about it, I start crying or feeling really depressed. :(
 
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