Please help im terrified of going to the dentist, its been 18 years!!

[blondie45]

Please help im so scared iv not been dentist in 18 years and iv finally plucked the courage up and im goin next thur. Im just worried what they will say, please look at pic and let me know ur opinions. Will they b able to fix my top crooked teeth and my bottom receding gums? Im just so ashamed of my teeth they look awful. Any advice would be lovely thanks.

 

[Buffy]

Well for someone who has not been to the dentist for 18 years your teeth don't look that bad. I hadn't been for 5 years. And the dentist had 5 years of tartar to get off of my teeth. The tartar builds up because you cannot get it off. Only the dentist can because they use the scraper to scrape it off. The problem is I hate the taste of toothpaste,it's vile. So I go over my teeth quickly with a brush then have a bar of chocolate to take the disgusting taste in my mouth away.

Actually the dentist said it's not the toothpaste you use it's the brush. If you don't spend about 10 minutes on your teeth brushing each morning,the plague settles,then turns into tar tar and you cannot get it off. So you can brush your teeth without toothpaste as long as you spend time brushing and brush properly,you won't get tartar. Also I have sensitive teeth so it hurts when they scrape the teeth with that electric scraper to get the tartar off,so I have an injection to numb the gum. That helps.

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

I'll second that, your teeth don't look bad at all. I've seen much worse, in my own mirror! And my dentist fixed them all up like new, and now I love them.

A full set of x-rays is the only thing that can really tell if you need fillings, etc. Gums can and do get better with a good cleaning, regular brushing and flossing. I barely brushed my teeth at all for about twenty years, and once I started brushing again and later flossing, combined with a couple of cleanings, my teeth and gums look WAY better. So, it can be done.

There's lot of options for your top teeth, if you want to straighten them. Your dentist can help you figure out what the options are.

Bottom line, it's never too late to get your teeth looking and feeling good again. And, we all think our teeth are the Worst Teeth In The World, but seriously, your teeth don't look bad or shocking at all.

Congratulations for getting an appointment scheduled, and good luck at your appointment next week. I know it feels like the end of the world, but dentistry these days is way kinder and gentler than it used to be. Once you get through the first exam you'll wonder what all the worry was about. Take care, and stop by the Journals here to read about other people's journeys. You're definitely not alone.