reassurance needed

[emi]

Hi I'm new to this site and have been reading previous threads of reassurance which are all very encouraging but now it's my turn to post and get some reassurance of my own... so it's been well over 10yrs since I visited a dentist and yes my teeth haven't been in great condition i.e rotten at the back down to the gums, bad breath etc. And a tooth at the front which for as long as I can remember has had a slight decaying hole. Well 2 weeks ago I felt a cracking on this tooth whilst eating and knew something wasn't right. I cried nonstop all day until my husband came home from work and I let it let it all out to him. He had no idea how upset I was by the whole thing but was fantastic and supportive and encouraged me to ring a dentist first thing next morning, which I did and was told first available appointment not until 19th june. I accepted this appointment and plodded on for the last week or so. Now this front tooth has become very loose and don't actually know how it is still attached. I rang the dentist again this morning and explained really need to see someone asap. So I have an emergency appointment today at 5pm. My husband is at work so will have to go alone and I am I am extremely nervous about the whole thing. More so embarrassment really at how bad my teeth are. I also know that this front tooth will have to come out and I am going to be left with a huge gap! Very self conscious person anyway and now this is just adding to my worries!

 

[slg10]

Don't worry, there's always a solution if the tooth does have to the pulled. However, it might be able to be saved. If not, you could get a temporary tooth that attaches to the teeth next to it until you can get a permanent implant. You will be ok! You are making the right choice by facing your fears and actually going to the dentist.

 

[emi]

Thank you... just an update I went to th
dentist and yes had a few tears whilst there and embarrassed at waiting so long to visit but he was lovely and very understanding. He checked me over and yes I am going to need a lot of work done which I take on board. My wobbly front tooth fell out and he is going to build a new one back up again for me on Friday so my visible teeth look ok then over next couple months work on back teeth to try and get them back to a happy state. I am so pleased I have made that initial appointment and yes I know I have a long way to go and a hell of a bank balance hammering but I know it will be worth it in the long run when my confidence begins to grow again :-D

 

[marco]

Well done from this point on its going to get just easier and even now you are more confident because you know what has to be done so its easier to prepare for what is coming, also you are going to feel better about your self
because you are going. I'm glad you found lovely dentist its very important that you can feel comfortable
in his hands.

 

[Da1goth2]

Hi I have a severe dental phobia and I have managed to make an appointment for today at 5pm. It took alot just to make an appointment I havent eaten for 4 days and barely slept im so worried as the tooth has broken and gone rotten below the gum line and the last time I had an extraction 6 years ago they broke the tooth next to the one they tried to extract and in the end left all 4 roots broken inside my gum, the dentist made an appointment for me at the hospital but after months of waiting and several bad abscesses I couldnt take the pain and dug the roots out with a pen knife thats how bad it was. Anyway I am having near constant panic attacks im scared they will leave me in agony again. I really don't think I will be able to go as I'm petrified but my tooth is so painful so I really need some advice on how to get through this.

 

[marco]

Hi and welcome to the forums Da1goth2.

You should have made new thread so members can track easier and some might miss your post.
Also its good to give as much information you can about your situation it help us get better picture.


Its good that you made appointment but now you have to relax and eat. I had full mouth of teeth that decayed below gum line not to mention all abscesses and cysts. You are making it worse then it actually is most of time we are afraid of something that is irrational. You were brave enough to put a damn knife in your mouth a poke your tooth. That is way more scary then going to a dentist. Stop rationalizing your fear no one left you in agony you left your self. I done that my self...

If you want to go trough this you have to be logical about it, its is best way to deal with fears like these.
What are you afraid of anyway ? You are not going there to get hurt or anything you are going there to get help you need and that is exactly what you are going to get. My advice is to separate that fear from reality. Accept that there is nothing to fear(even if you are afraid) and take it as it goes. Remember you
are in control at all times. Go there and take step by step, talk to your dentist and explain your fear and tell them what caused it and look to get reassured that should boost you up.

Tell your self that you are able to go I'm sure you are strong enough. But remember dentist also have their limits on how much they can help you to deal with your fear that is why you also have to be ready to meet them half way and let them start working.

Best thing you can do is find your own way to deal with fear. Moment I decided to go to a dentist I told my self that fear is irrelevant and I'm going to get things done no matter what even if I have to endure my worst nightmare, that attitude served me well and nightmare didn't never came just realization that I was afraid of nothing.

 

[Da1goth2]

Hi, sorry I posted on your thread I didn't realise how this site worked yet, still don't tbh I couldn't find the option to make a new thread. Anyway thanks for replying. I try to rationalise the fear but it's not easy. I didnt leave myself in pain, no one would help me after he left the roots in. He referred me to the hospital as at the time I didn't have a dentist so he was an emergency dentist. I waited 7 months and I didn't hear anything so I did it myself after sevral trips to the doctor about the infection and them telling me to go back to the dentist, they wouldnt give me antibiotics or painkillers so that i could manage until the hospital got around to making an appointment. And I couldn't go back to the emergancy dentist as at the time I had financial issues which meant I wasn't entitled to treatment there. I keep getting panic attacks and I just know I'm going to cry etc so im dreading it. I really want to go and get my teeth sorted but I'm just so frightned they will leave me in agony. People don't dig their own teeth out because they want to, and I don't want to have to be that desparate again, and if I don't go then I will still have this pain so I can't win and thats why I figured I would get it sorted because I may as well take the risk but then I have such bad anxiety and panic attacks I feel exhausted already and I don't want to cry or faint in front of people. It's just so horrible

 

[marco]

No need to apologize no one really minds it(not my thread btw), when you chose forum you want(eg support)
get in and there should be blue button on right side of screen very hard to miss it its quite big.

It is never easy to deal with fear mostly because we obsess with bad experiences and convince our self's that
it will repeat. Bad experiences kept me away from going for far too long I had to brake down completely
and make 180 degree turn and not care about fear at all. That is why I keep saying to people to try and accumulate some good experiences and with each session it gets easier because unknown is gone.

I endured months of tooth pain just to avoid going it costed me a lot in my life i dropped out from faculty
because of it and all because of what my own stupidity and stubbornness. I was also expert at ignoring it
that I failed to realize for years how much it affected my life.

I don't know if you intentionally didn't want to go and get those roots out but its pretty cheap to get those out,where I live it would costed you no more then 10$. In those 7 months you could gather at least 10 times that.

First avoid that dentist that did this to you. If he was any good he would never let you leave in pain. Remember no one can leave you in agony you just get another dentist. I know why you did but its
damn brave if you ask me it takes more guts to pull that off then go to a dentist.

Try to calm down you are wasting your energy for nothing and make sure you eat(please do). Be pragmatic about it, you are going to get help that you desperately need. So what if you cry its not bad many people do, its is more important is that you get help. If your phobia is excessive then most dentist won't be able to help you and that is why you have to build up courage and get your mind in proper state. It is not easy for them either most of them will help you but unless you are ready to meet them half way and let them work then it is a problem. That is why I tell you to convince your self that you are going there and doing it no matter what don't give your self excuses and options to back down. That kind of thinking is what got me trough. I really wish I could say something better to help you more but this is all i got.