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On my journey to a new smile

Hello all!

Another month has passed. And I’m back with another update.

On Tuesday I went in to do more fillings. This time was my two bottom left teeth. The novocain shot was quite painful and uncomfortable. I guess he saw me winced because he apologized and said the bottom is a little different. My whole left side, lip, and tongue was completely numbed. It took about maybe 20 mins or so to complete both. When I saw the tooth in the mirror I was shocked at how natural and pretty it looked (mind you one tooth was cracking with black lines)

Today I went in for more fillings. This time I did #10? I can’t remember the number but it’s the tooth next to my front teeth. There’s a big hole in the back. At first he told me a possible root canal needs to be done because it was a deep cavity and it’s very close to the nerves. I started to panic a little bit because I never got a root canal done before so I don’t know how that was going to be. But he told me he will try to do a filling instead. During the procedure I felt the drilling and vibrations but no pain. But I guess as he got closer to the nerves I felt slight pain. He told me it is very close to the nerves but he was able to do a filling for it.

He is fully booked for May so my next appointment won’t be until June. I have about 4-5 more fillings to do. Which is mostly just the front teeth. After the fillings are complete, the next three extractions will come and that will be my bottom right.

He also mentioned that he will discuss with me about getting braces or Invisalign to straighten out my teeth and fix my bite BEFORE starting the implants because with implants in, it’s gonna be harder. So we will see what the plan is once I’m done with my fillings. He told me it’s a lengthy process but he’ll get me there.

Well that’s all the update I have for now! Until next time. Thank you for reading.
 
Wow, you've had so much done since I last read your journal! Thank you for the updates- it is very encouraging. It sounds like you've found a really caring dentist too. I really enjoy following your story xx
 
I agree with Spider,, you are doing so well and seem to to have a great caring dentist! If you could or wanted to get in earlier I would try now and again to see about cancels.. I work in a health clinic and things come up all the time, sick kids, unexpteced vacations, meetings at work etc.. you might be surprised you could get in sooner.
 
Wow, you've had so much done since I last read your journal! Thank you for the updates- it is very encouraging. It sounds like you've found a really caring dentist too. I really enjoy following your story xx

Thank you for reading Spider. I honestly am so thankful for this forum because this forum and everyone on it helped me overcome this fear. My brother asked me the other day if I still fear going to the dentist after all these visits, and the answer is still yes. I still get nervous and anxiety when I walk in, but just knowing that I have a great dentist makes things a lot easier. All about trust and I really trust him. But thinking about going for the next three extractions still makes me heart beat fast.

I agree with Spider,, you are doing so well and seem to to have a great caring dentist! If you could or wanted to get in earlier I would try now and again to see about cancels.. I work in a health clinic and things come up all the time, sick kids, unexpteced vacations, meetings at work etc.. you might be surprised you could get in sooner.

I have tried a few times last month calling in on my off days or my early days to see if there were any cancellations with no luck. It seems that he is quite popular!
 
Another month! Time is flying. Got two fillings yesterday. I am starting to lose my patience and dreading my visits again. I just want to get everything over with. I have two more fillings scheduled for next week. And they are the last fillings. And so he said we’ll move on to the next three extractions.

So I’m a little terrified of the extractions. With three missing on my top left and soon another 3 missing from my bottom right I’m just wondering how I’m going to eat. Being that it takes 3-4 months to heal, what am I gonna do with eating for a whole year. Sure I can chew slowly with my front teeth but we know how hard that is at times.

I just keep thinking to myself, like what have a I done to myself. Why did I put myself into this position. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very very proud of myself for bringing myself to get this done. I just hate the fact that it took me so long to fight my fears to get this done. I guess I can say I’m disappointed and just overwhelmed.
 
Just got back from another filling. Today I had slight anxiety while he was doing this filling. I don't know why. While he was putting the novocaine in, I was having a little trouble breathing. I guess he noticed it because he asked if I was ok. During the procedure I felt my heart racing a little and I was trying very hard to keep calm and just breathe in and out. Obviously it was a little harder when you have your mouth wide opened. I felt myself tensed up a little bit, but I got through it. He only did one of my front tooth today, and I'll be going back for the other front tooth next week. I don't know why all of a sudden I get a anxiety attack today when I was fine throughout the other fillings and the extractions. Really strange..

So once I'm done with next weeks filling, I'll be scheduling an appointment for the next three extractions and bone graft on my bottom right teeth....
 
Got back from my supposedly last filling for my front tooth on the left. I didn't get lucky this time.. the cavity was way too close to the nerves and an unplanned root canal needed to be done. So you can imagine how much anxiety I was going through. First novocaine shot was a little painful, but got through it. He did some drilling and saw it was too close to the nerves and prepped for a root canal. Got a second shot of novocaine in. Didn't feel anything during the procedure, just slight pressure. He was explaining every step he was doing so that put me at ease a little. Got a temporary filling, and no available appointments until July 15 for a permanent filling. He said I won't need a crown, which I guess is good. He said I will feel some tenderness and slight pain once the novocaine wears off (at the moment I am still numbed three hours later) but he said tyenol will help. He also showed me the x-ray of what he did to see how the root canal looks afterwards, which I thought looked pretty cool lol

I don't know if its from the nerves or the fact that it was really cold in the office, I felt myself shaking after I left. Could be both.

Until next time..
 
Wow! You are doing really splendid! I am impressed with your ability to cope with an impromptu root canal! I feel very comfortable with my dentist but still get anxiety attacks every so often which always catch me by surprise and sorta frustrate me (usually it’s after a long period of time without needing any treatment) and I guess I’m no longer as desensitized. Sometimes I forget just how nervous I really was back in the day and what I think of now as “a lot” of anxiety really pales by comparison. Even to this day, I typically find myself physically wiped out after appointments because I think I just have a complete adrenaline surge and crash from nerves even if I’m not physically shaking or my heart isn’t racing during appointments anymore. I totally understand losing patience...you have really been on a long road. I went through a period of many fillings and a root canal and then a crown and by the time I got to the crown, I was so over being in the dental chair that I was indifferent to treatment...I just didn’t even really care what they did to me anymore. I would put on my headphones and zone out through appointments when usually I concentrate on every tiny detail of what’s happening and want running commentary of the procedure.
 
Helpmex,

I totally agree with Kitkat.. you are doing amazingly in all this. with the news and all .. just wow..:you-rock::perfect::welldone: I hope that things go smoothly and you have minimal pain and discomfort until you can get in for the filling.. really job well done with this!!
 
Is it normal to be getting so much sensitivity post root canal treatment? Sometimes even licking my tooth sends a whole wave of sensation to it. I haven’t really used it to bite down on anything, but it’s just a weird and uncomfortable feeling ..... still have 3 weeks before I go back for my filling..
 
Helpmex,

Sorry to hear you are still having sensitivity. If it were me I might shoot them an email or call and just ask them about it and see what they say?
 
Hello all. Forgot to update on my last visit for the last filling of my root canal which was a week ago. Everything went smooth although my entire mouth was a little sore. I also thought that he did the filling too thick because my bottom tooth kept hitting every time I bit down. After a few days it went away but I still feel it’s a little more protruding than the other front tooth. It is tolerable and doesn’t really bother me. I am done with fillings finally.

My next procedure will be on August 7th. And I will be getting three extractions and three bone grafts for my bottom right teeth. I don’t know if it’ll be a good idea being that I will be going away for the week of 8/18. Hopefully it won’t be an issue....

My biggest fears at the moment is that I pray my fillings won’t fall out. And I’m also fearing of how I’m gonna eat for the entire period of not having upper left molars and bottom right molars. I also don’t want to “overuse” my front teeth for biting or chewing because of the root canal and the fillings done fearing it will wear it down...

Really not looking forward to 8/7....
 
Hello.

So I got my 3 right bottom teeth extractions done a week ago. I didn't update then because I had a lot going on in my mind. The whole experience was not pleasant.. I am going through a lot mentally and physically. The extraction was a breeze. I didn't even know he took all three teeth out already. But it was badly infected and when he was cleaning out the infection, it was quite painful. He kept apologizing about it but I know there's not much he can do. He did give me more novocaine but even that didn't help. He did the bone grafts and sutured me up. There was one root he had to cut my gums to get out because my gums grew over the roots. I did have some slight discomfort first night and very minimal bleeding. Slight swelling on my face but nothing overboard.

It is extremely hard for me to eat because I literally have no teeth to really chew. I've been eating yogurt, apple sauce, mashed potatoes, soup with rice for the past week. I am going through a lot mentally because this has taken a toll on me. As proud as I am for getting myself through this, I am still very upset at myself for what I've done to myself. Had I gone when I was younger, I wouldn't be going through this now. I know it's not good to dwell on the past, it I just can't get over it. I'm sure a lot of you know how I feel.

I'm on amoxicillin for I believe 10 days. I am going away Saturday so I hope it will take my mind off things; although knowing I won't be able to eat will not make me enjoy myself. I am getting my stitches removed on the 26th. The stitches feel very loose as of today. And there is still some slight discomfort on the area where he had to cut my gums.

I don't know what the next steps are until I remove my stitches.
 
Hello helpmex,

I’m a 31-year-old female and about to start my journey in less than two weeks. Reading your journal helps a ton. Makes me feel like I can do it. What you’re going through sounds intense but it’s awesome how much progress you’ve made so far. Keep going! 30-somethings with dental phobia unite!!! ?
 
I had my first good dentist after deciding to take the chance at 31.. :)... Yes. 30 somethings unite.. (even though I'm 50)
 
Hello.

So I got my 3 right bottom teeth extractions done a week ago. I didn't update then because I had a lot going on in my mind. The whole experience was not pleasant.. I am going through a lot mentally and physically. The extraction was a breeze. I didn't even know he took all three teeth out already. But it was badly infected and when he was cleaning out the infection, it was quite painful. He kept apologizing about it but I know there's not much he can do. He did give me more novocaine but even that didn't help. He did the bone grafts and sutured me up. There was one root he had to cut my gums to get out because my gums grew over the roots. I did have some slight discomfort first night and very minimal bleeding. Slight swelling on my face but nothing overboard.

It is extremely hard for me to eat because I literally have no teeth to really chew. I've been eating yogurt, apple sauce, mashed potatoes, soup with rice for the past week. I am going through a lot mentally because this has taken a toll on me. As proud as I am for getting myself through this, I am still very upset at myself for what I've done to myself. Had I gone when I was younger, I wouldn't be going through this now. I know it's not good to dwell on the past, it I just can't get over it. I'm sure a lot of you know how I feel.

I'm on amoxicillin for I believe 10 days. I am going away Saturday so I hope it will take my mind off things; although knowing I won't be able to eat will not make me enjoy myself. I am getting my stitches removed on the 26th. The stitches feel very loose as of today. And there is still some slight discomfort on the area where he had to cut my gums.

I don't know what the next steps are until I remove my stitches.

Dear Helpmex,

it sounds like you have been having some hard time recently, sorry to read that. I wished your experience would have been a painless one, but no matter how it went, you have all reason to be proud of yourself, so keep on celebrating this because you have done great.

I see the part of you that is upset at yourself and reading the posts here you will find that many people feel like this after they are done with the treatment. But to be honest, it is not fair to judge yourself for not having known something that you haven't known back then. And you wouldn't have know until having gone through this experience. Not being able to attend dental appointments is one part of having dental anxiety and it's not like you have chosen it. So please, stay kind to yourself, give yourself a huge pat on the back for managing to get the treatment and keep in mind that the discomfort will pass. Sending you well wishes and hope you will be able to eat very soon.

As usually, venting and writing it all out helps so feel free to vent as much as you like here.

Sending you a virtual hug :grouphug:
 
Thank you all for the responses and hearing me out. I got my stitches removed yesterday (finally). I can eat a little better now as long as I cut food into smaller portions. I’m doing ok for now. My next step is to extract I guess the roots on tooth #20. It’s been missing for years and because it’s a small space he’s not going to do a bone graft there. The Invisalign or braces will help shift tooth 18 and 19 over to fill in the gap. Extractions from last time are healing nicely according to him. Then I have two more extractions to do, one of my wisdoms that’s broken on my top right and also tooth #4 because it grew sideways due to not enough room. And after that I will be done with extractions finally. That is all for now.
 
Hello everyone.

I just wanna cry right now. So I just got back from a “tiny” extraction. It was on tooth #20. There’s no tooth there, just the root. It broke off I wanna say 12-15 years ago. My dentist, his assistant, and myself thought it was going to be a piece of cake extraction. We were all wrong. It took over an hour to get that tiny thing out. There was minimum space and also tooth 19 was a little over it. There was constant tugging here and there, different maneuvers, different angles, more novocaine here, more novocaine there, splitting the root, but eventually he finally got it out. It was torture, I’m not gonna lie. He didn’t prescribe me anything because it was a small area and I also have ibuprofen from previous extraction. I’m feeling a little pain at the moment as the numbness is wearing off. Already took ibuprofen and just waiting a little bit before I remove the gauze pad and eat my mushy food. He also didn’t do bone graft there because he said it’s a small space and can’t fit an implant there.

After I remove the stitches (2 weeks from today) I will be doing two more extractions (broken wisdom and impacted tooth) and will FINALLY be done with extractions!!!!
 
So sorry to read that, what an ordeal. :( Give yourself a pat on the back, hope you can get some good rest now. Wishing you a speedy recovery and may the future extractions be easy ones.
 
Helpmex,

So sorry to hear that extraction was a bit of a struggle. wow sounds like a alot harder than expected. I hope the Ibuprophen will help you painwise . Its so hard when things turn out alot harder than we expect in a dental procedure we think should be simple.

HOpe you can get some rest and take take of your self .
 
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