New here, very very scared, please help

[Ohce]

Hello all,

I have a terrible phobia of teeth themselves, and of cleaning my teeth. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either so if you're wondering "What the heck" well then, me too. I haven't brushed my teeth in around two years, but before that it was once or twice every few months and that went on for a couple of years before that which, I know, is horrible, but every time I go to do it I'm too scared. I shake and cry. So eventually I just gave up.
I am horribly embarrassed. When I went to a dentist growing up, and told him of my phobia, he embarrassed me and shouted at me infront of the nurse and my Mum, and laughed me out of the office.
I am afraid this will happen again. I feel ashamed. I feel silly about my phobia. But I can't live my life afraid to smile anymore.

This must sound so awful.
I'm pretty sure a couple of my teeth will have to be pulled. I'm pretty sure my four front bottom teeth will all have to be pulled actually. I've resigned myself to that. I know that the gums that have receeded, well that's irreversible.

Basically; do you have any tips for talking to a dentist? I know it will be very difficult to find an NHS dentist in my area and it will probably take time, months probably, before I get to see anyone. I have no steady income so I can't consider going private at this point. I figure this will give me a little time to prepare. What would you suggest I tell my dentist? Will s/he understand my phobia?
Any tips, basically, to prepare and support me in getting help. Anything at all would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[lanniesmith]

I would like to say well done on even reaching a point where you can talk about your phobia. Your fear of your teeth is not uncommon and I can promise you I have personally come across this situation before. It can be very difficult to break the cycle of fear as the more scared you become the less likely you are to deal with the problem and this in turn can make the problem worse making you more scared etc etc.
I would say to you never feel embarrassed, patients always believe they have the worst mouth the dentist has seen but I can promise you this is not normally the case no matter how much you convince yourself it will be.
I know how difficult it can be if you have previously faced ridicule from a dental professional but I can promise that if you phone prior to your appointment or maybe write a letter explaining how you feel the dentist will understand. If you can explain the situation prior to your appointment the dentist can make provisions to help you like giving you the last appointment of the day so there is less rush. When dentists do not have prior knowledge of a phobic patient it can make the first visit very stressful for them as well as they know it will require more of their time and this might not have been planned for in what is likely to be an already very busy day.
If you can get a friend to recommend a dentist who they trust as this will put your mind at rest to begin with. As for cleaning your teeth if it helps to begin with just try rubbing your teeth with a dampened hankie and then try introducing a little toothpaste. try doing this away from the bathroom in a place where you feel comfortable so all the previous experiences of trying to brush are not repeated. Eventually you may start to feel comfortable with a little bit of brushing (you don’t have to look in the mirroror again be in the bathroom) try using a baby's toothbrush which is very soft. If you only just wipe the teeth then that can be a very positive step in the right direction.
Hope some of this has been of help