• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

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Off I go...

  • Thread starter Thread starter frostgirl
  • Start date Start date
Argh, I've got to ring to my dentist tomorrow to reschedule my appointment. Oh god. Hate ringing people, my social anxiety/awkwardness gets so much worse on the phone, especially more so when I have to ring the doctors or the dentist. I know I could email but I feel like it would be easier to ring to reschedule. Oh god. I can do this.
 
Soooo get this.. it really does seem so much worse on the phone . It seems at least you can be somewhat more guarded /protected from rejection or odd comments or attitudes or slights you can pick up on the phone when you email. funny thing is I'm a patient care coordinater and talk to patients to schedule and such all day every day and wouldn't think a blink bad about anyone calling in and asking for needs to be met or an appt. but somehow when its me.. its weirdly different. I also really feel the social anxiety/awkwardness piece of things.
 
I get you. In my job, I don't have to answer the phone a lot, but when the store phone does ring and there's no managers about, I have to answer it, but I have a set script in my head to follow. Which makes it easier. As I know it's either going to be a customer, or someone from head office or someone from a nearby store. But when I have to make phonecalls for myself, its so hard, and even though I've thought about what I'm going to say, I still get all flustered and awkward. Oh god ?
 
I did it. I managed to call them after I finished work this morning. A lot easier than I imagined. Phew.
 
I forgot to add earlier that instead of it being a few weeks away, my appointment is now next week and I'm slightly nervous already. Oh god what have I done. Don't mind me, I'm just rambling away.
 
Good for you!! That took alot of courage.. glad they can get you in earlier.
 
I'm genuinely worried that I have a cavity and it's going to need a filling. Which I think I can cope with but I'm not sure. Oh god. Maybe I'm just overreacting. I can only wait and find out whether I do or not next week. Oh god.
 
Would love to be able to focus on other things and not worrying about my appointment next week. But I can't. I had gotten myself so worked up yesterday, felt anxious all day, about the what ifs. I need to stop focusing on them and just only concern myself with getting there next Friday. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again. Oh god.
 
Hi frostgirl,

well done on making that call.. and argghhhh, the pre-appointment anxiety sucks so much, right? I wished to have a quick advice in terms of how to get rid of it, but sometimes accepting and embracing is the only thing that works. Being afraid of a dental appointment is what makes dental fear, doesn't it.. you are doing great between appointments so maybe allowing yourself to be a bit of a mess for few days may be a good idea. Do you have any important stuff coming you really need to focus on on during the coming week?

All the best wishes
 
Thanks Enarete

I don't have too much to focus on the coming week. I think I'm going to use one day this weekend to finally wash my car ? I've also recently applied to do a distance learning course, and I've got a few books to help me improve my maths skills before the course starts. So I'm going to focus on that, or try to.
 
www.defactodentists.com

Did you finally make that dental appointment? - Defacto Dentists

nervous patient making dental appointment, fear of the dentist, scared to make a dental appointment, scared of the dentist,
www.defactodentists.com www.defactodentists.com

this is a great article that has really given me some good ideas on how to keep my mind and body busy and grounded before appt. I think it has some excellent tips :)
 
Oh god, what have I done. Appt is on Friday. Maybe it's a blessing as I've been having some discomfort in one area but I can't work out whether it's jaw pain caused by stress or an actual problem. I suppose I can find out on Friday. I didn't expect my nerves to be gone, but I don't know why I'm feeling so anxious about it. The two things I'm worried about is there being a problem, and the thought that my cleaning is probably going to be a hand cleaning, and that freaks me out a lot. I want to be brave and go through with it, but I'm so worried about it. It's the noise that makes me feel panicky. Argh. Why am I overthinking it ?
 
Hi Frostgirl!
I faced my first hand cleaning in a long time just last month and was absolutely terrified but it was totally fine. Dare I say, I found it to be a bit more comfortable than the ultrasonic scaler (which I did not expect at all!). I had no pain during or after the appointment and it was kinda nice not dealing with all of the water during the scaling. The noise was not as awful as I had imagined it would be. My dentist talked to me the whole time about non-dental things and I was able to relax after a few minutes of distraction. I definitely was overthinking it! I was prepared to raise my hand to stop my dentist if I felt uncomfortable but I never needed to. You can do this!
 
Thanks for the reassurance Kitkat, I do appreciate it a lot.

I'm honestly so worried that I have a cavity. I know I need to stop focusing on the what ifs, but I'm so worried. I've made myself feel a bit nauseous. I'm hoping that I'm just overreacting and that it's just a stain, but I'm not so sure. I can only wait and find out. At least by this time on Friday I'll have been and got it over and done with. I don't have any pain or sensitivity in the tooth I'm worried about, so it's likely I don't have a cavity. I know if I had one and needed it treating it would probably help me get over my anxiety about going to the dentist but I don't want to have one. Oh lord. I need to stop worrying. Which is easier said than done.
 
The waiting and anticipation is always the hardest part! Try to find things to keep your mind busy in the meantime. Worrying about what it is won‘t change it so try not to focus on the what ifs too much (easier said than done, I realize!). Whatever the outcome may be, you will get through it. You are so close...not much longer to go now.
 
Sending you good vibes and keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow! It sounds like you are pretty much freaking out, but we can all relate! Cavities need time to develop and as you have been having regular checkups at the dentist (doesn't that sound cool, huh?;)) chances are low. Hope you have been able to keep yourself busy with math to get fit for the course?
 
Thank you Enarete

When you put it that way, it does help calm me down a lot.

My head is battered from the maths, and it's battered from work too.

I'm still so anxious about tomorrow, hopefully I can get some sleep tonight.

At least by this time tomorrow I'll have been and got it over and done with, and hopefully it will be another positive visit. Argh
 
Well, safe to say, I was worrying over nothing. Like normal ?

No problems, thankfully, and it actually went quite well. Check up went well, and it's put my fears that there's something wrong to rest, as there's nothing wrong. Saw a different hygienist this time but they were just as nice and reassuring like everyone else is. The cleaning wasn't too bad in reality. I think I was building it up to be something a lot worse than it is in my head. There was a few times when I was a bit 'argh' in my head but it was alright.

I didn't ask about what my options would be to straighten my teeth, as I felt at this moment in time, I can wait until things start to get better. And it also gives me chance to save up some money to put towards braces.

At least I can stop worrying about there something being wrong, and I can forget (hopefully) about for another 6 months. I didn't actually feel too nervous this time when I got there, so my anxiety is slowly going down.

Now I can relax ?
 
I keep thinking about braces lately. I just want straight teeth. One of my front upper teeth sticks out quite a lot, and I keep thinking it would be nice to have my teeth straightened, so one they look nicer, and two, I don't get food stuck behind it nearly every time I eat.

One thing I would love, if it was an option, is Invisalign. But I'm worried that it won't be an option for me if my teeth are too much for Invisalign to sort out. Most of my teeth are straight, it's just one or two of my front teeth sticks out a bit.

I keep looking at the before and after pictures on the websites of a few places I want to get an opinion from. Two of them offer virtual consultations and I want to do one but I'm anxious. Argh. I've also seen that my dentist is offering consultations for Invisalign (I don't know if virtual or in person) and I could email to ask for advice.

I still want to save up a good size deposit to pay for treatment but there wouldn't be any harm in having a consultation, would there? Argh ?
 
Frostgirl, I would totally go for it if they offer consultations..it might give you more information and peace of mind in your thoughts to if it might be right and how it would work for you.. I know working at a lasik center we have many people who save up for a good deposit and then a few years come to find out it isn't what they wanted or for some reason just not a candidate.. this way too you could know how much to save for .. never hurt?
 
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