New, scared, but finally insured

[becca757]

Hello guys,

I've been lurking as a non registered guest on this site for a few months now, and finally decided to register as D-day gets closer. Dentist day

It has been about 5-6yr since my last dental visit. I'm 30 now, but during that time I didn't exactly take care of my teeth as I should have. The past year I've stepped up the hygiene but at m last visit years back, I was told I already had some bone loss. I guess gum disease can be somewhat genetic or so that last dentist said. Anyway, I did not have any periodontal disease then, which I specifically asked about. Currently don't have any gum recession that I can see (and believe me I examine my teeth a lot, I've become paranoid). No noticeable cavities save two on the back of my canines (thanks mirror!) that are not huge or deep. But my worry is my bottom teeth.....

My first re-insured visit is Jan. 20th. with a dentist who has a great reputation of being really gentle and understanding. However the idea of going again literally gives me nightmares and anxiety.....I recently started thinking one of my bottom teeth felt loose and oh my God, it still scares me that maybe it is a little bit. I don't need or want to be sedated, I even had my wisdom teeth out while wide awake, but I'm more terrified something is unfixable with my bottom teeth...and I'm only 30.

I actually don't have that much black tartar/calculus buildup on the bottom ones either but one of them, the bottom incisor and one beside it sort of oozes this stuff from between them when I floss or press the gumline....not a lot, not even a little its more like a pinhead amount. Not between any of the other bottom teeth. It doesn't hurt and I've actually never had a toothache in my life. But this has me so afraid I'm going to end up having a root canal needed on it! Or even worse have to have it pulled an need a partial!!

Any words of encouragement or anything would be great.

 

[FearfulInMA]

Hello and welcome! My story was very similar to yours when I started going back to the dentist almost 9 years ago after many, many years of not going. I will post more later, but just wanted to say that it can and does get better/easier and that dentists have so many things they can do now to fix teeth. I have written a 'success story' that you can try to find or I can post a link to later if you want. It's more about my journey than anything else. Also, easier said than done, but try to remember that worrying won't change the outcome of your upcoming appointment - it will only make you anxious .

 

[becca757]

Hello and welcome! My story was very similar to yours when I started going back to the dentist almost 9 years ago after many, many years of not going. I will post more later, but just wanted to say that it can and does get better/easier and that dentists have so many things they can do now to fix teeth. I have written a 'success story' that you can try to find or I can post a link to later if you want. It's more about my journey than anything else. Also, easier said than done, but try to remember that worrying won't change the outcome of your upcoming appointment - it will only make you anxious .

Please post a link if you can! I am going to try and search for it, but just in case I can't find it. I hate to be nosey but did you end up having to have any of your front teeth removed? That is my worst fear, although another post I asked in the general dentistry forum has calmed me a bit more towards me prob. needing a deep cleaning. I am wishing I would have scheduled sooner but they did not have open morning appointments til then

 

[FearfulInMA]

Hi! I promise I'll find the link tonight. In the meantime, if you can search by title it's called 'a long time coming'. I saw Dr. M's responses to your questions and, though I'm not a dentist, I can tell you that many of the dentists on here have said the same thing about tooth mobility being relatively normal. I also agree that, from what I've heard, a deep cleaning isn't as bad as its reputation. And, since you mentioned it in your first post, neither are root canals (I've had 4 and one retreatment). And, you may not need any of this.

To answer your question about losing teeth - first, you can ask whatever you want - don't worry about it seeming 'too personal'. I still have all my teeth (except my wisdoms). I have one in the very, very back that is hanging on for dear life (it's the root canal I had retreated and seems to be healing for now - fingers crossed!).

I also have a family history of bad gum disease and my gums were in rough shape when I first started going for regular cleanings. Now they are in great shape - due in large part of regular dental care and regular flossing.

Hang in there and feel free to ask anything you think would help. I will post the link tonight.

 

[FearfulInMA]

Here it is .

A Long Time Coming

I've worked on this 'success story' for quite some time now. I've been anxious about posting it because it is so incredibly personal. I've told bits and pieces of this story in different parts of this forum, but putting it all together somehow feels different. This forum has given me so much...

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[becca757]

I had dug around and found it a little while earlier. Your post makes me feel less nervous! I feel really stupid being this afraid of horrible outcomes when logic says it most likely will not be.....dental/healthcare anxiety sucks

 

[FearfulInMA]

Please don't feel stupid! Oftentimes, at least for me, the anxiety feels like it doesn't even have a real cause - like I can't even pinpoint - I'm anxious about "X". It can be very frustrating. It's taken me years of dental treatment with my current dentist to not be in a near panic every time I go (I hope I made it clear in my 'success story' that progress with my dental phobia took quite some time for me) . But I can tell you, with a good dentist you can build trust with, it does get better. I recently had to have a root canal redone (by an endodontist who I had seen before and really don't like - I find him creepy with an exceptionally odd chairside manner, but my dentist totally trusts him to do a really good job and he could see me quickly) and I was really not nervous at all - I was able to do a crossword puzzle in the waiting room which, I would have been way too nervous to focus on in the past.

I know Jan 20th must seem like an eternity away, but often the waiting and the buildup is the worst part. At least after that appointment, you'll have a plan for how to move forward. I'm really hopeful that the dentist you see will be a good one and that this will be the start of a new journey for you. Until then, just keep up your oral hygiene routine and keep coming back here for support. You can do this!