Scared and embarrassed

[Jumper34]

Okay so I've never posted on this before, but I've been reading for a couple weeks now and thought I'd try it.
I'm 20 years old. I went to the dentist for the first time in like 4-5 years last week and found that I have 16 cavities and most of them are 3 surface cavities. I also need two crowns on my front two teeth. "Ones a deep cavity and the other is a once broken tooth that only has a temporary filling (?) I think that's what they call it. I had it done when I was young" Anyways I'm just scared and nervous and embarrassed.
I have no pain really right now so I guess that's good, it's just when the dentist said I had 16 cavities it was kind of like a smack in the face. Also I'm worried that the crown procedure will hurt or they'll be messed up or won't look good.
My wisdom teeth also need surgically removed because they are completely crooked and my bottom back mollars need removed because they are crooked as well. This is probably the part that scares me the most.
Not to mention the dent in the pocket book this is going to make. Overall it's probably going to be like a 2 year project to fix everything.
I guess I'd just like some support or success stories of people who have had this stuff in the past. You'd be helping out greatly!

 

[Courtenay]

Hi jumper. I went for a dentist consult back before Christmas. My teeth were bad.... like I figured I would get dentures and I am only 31. Worst case I figured every tooth would need something. Not quite the case but close. I have since done a bunch of appointments as o have great insurance now. I have one filling left to do but have addressed all fillings in my other 3 quads. I also had 3 teeth extracted that were broken or couldn't be saved. I had front fillings and restorations done on my front teeth, luckily I didn't require crowns there. After my filling next week I will be on to stage 2. Though I will have no more major issues I need 2 crowns. . One for an old rct I couldn't afford to finish in my 20s and one for a more recent root canal. I also need one implant ASAP as one of my extractions was the first molar tooth behind the eye tooth. My smile isn't that big (yet) so it's still hidable but I already notice that I am smiling bigger since addressing my front teeth which bothered me since I had braces in my teen years one tooth always had marks on it from the braces. Anyways, my point is I have gone through some similar restorative work as to what you are facing. If cost is an issue which it usually is, ask the dentist to prioritize stuff and do what you can one step at a time. For me I found breaking it down to be much more manageable. I looked at each appointment as a percentage complete. I am almost ready to post before and after pictures of my restorations. So far I have had about 4500 worth of work done. Luckily my out of pocket has been minor but the difference is outstanding. I am no longer terrified to see my dentist (she's amazing) and I am certainly substantially less embarrassed about my mouth. The first step is the hardest and you have done that. Good luck!

 

[Jumper34]

Thank you so much Courtenay! Yeah my dentist did prioritize and I have an appointment to get the temporary crowns put on in about two weeks. Super nervous as the most I've ever had done to my teeth is one filling when I was like 13 lol. So like you said I'm taking it one step at a time and hopefully all will go well! I can't thank you enough for sharing your experience with me! Keep me updated on your progress!

 

[Cribgoch]

Hi Jumper,

This might sound odd but it's my theory of how to deal with dental fear: my dental fear got better the more appointments I had. This sounds counter-intuitive but when I used to have to go for an annual checkup it was like torture, but when it was a checkup, then come back for some x-rays, then we'll do a clean....somehow I got used to going to the dentist and it bothered me a whole lot less. So, I'm really glad that you've got a treatment plan that seems manageable and I hope that you get through all your appointments ok. Oh and well done for going int he first place