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Scared, Embarrassed, and Feeling Awful

C

CrazyCrafter

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
85
Location
USA
I haven't been to the dentist in a long time and I know I need to go but I'm terrified of what he will say. I have a tooth in the back of my mouth that is causing me intense pain and I believe pulling it will be the only solution, but that's not what I'm scared of. My front top teeth are in kinda bad shape (small cavity, chips, and some decay). It's so embarrassing that I don't smile in photos anymore, I avoid saying certain words so my teeth won't show and I even hate looking at them! Part of my fear of seeing the dentist is sheer embarrassment because I let my teeth get this bad and the other part is I'm scared of what might have to be done cause I really don't wanna lose my front teeth, I'm only 21. But at the same time I know something has to be done, the pain at time is debilitating. I just feel so stupid for letting things get this bad. This is the first time I've ever gone into detail about this, even my parents don't know how bad it it. They only know I have toothaches. But I have told them I need to see a dentist, and I've gotten the phone number to a dentist. But I haven't called yet, I want to but like I've said I'm scared and embarrassed. Thanks for hearing me out.
 
UPDATE: I'm thinking of calling the dentist tomorrow and making an appointment. I'm still uneasy about going but I know I need to.
 
I'm also 21, and I felt the same. I was worried about the dentist judging me for having bad teeth at a young age. But he didn't judge me at all, nor did he lecture me. You have to find a good dentist, one you can trust and preferably one who has experience dealing with nervous patients. Once you've found the right dentist, you'll be on your way to getting the treatment you need, and from there those feelings of fear, embarrassment, etc. should go away :) try searching online for dentists with good reviews.

I don't think you'd need to lose any teeth, certainly not the front ones by he sound of it. One of my front teeth has decayed so much that it's just starting to go black, but all I need is a regular filling. I don't know anything about chips, but dentistry has come a long way, I'm sure that wouldn't be a reason for a tooth to be taken out. Even if that's what you'd need, you can get a fake one put in (I'm not sure what it's called, sorry). My brother has to have a tooth taken out, he still has a baby tooth but he's 17, so it's going to be taken out and he'll be fitted with a bridge or whatever it's called. First step is to find a dentist that sounds good, and then take it from there, explain your fears, etc. :)
 
I would be surprised if would lose any teeth at this point. I predict they will fix them, and you will be on your way. Call the dentist and let us know how things went. Don't be embarassed. I have to admit that as a mother if my child had bad teeth at 21 I would take all the blame. I am not saying anything bad about your parents, but at your age it is not like you have had much choice in the matter of your teeth. But you are an adult now, so this is the first step to taking care of your teeth as an adult- and you will be way ahead of the game then many of us on this forum when you do. Good luck! :)
 
Thank you both so much for the encouragement. I honestly believe most of my fears are because I don't know exactly what the dentist will say or do, but going will be the only way to find out. Besides not going will not make anything better. My fears of the dentist only started a few years ago when my regular dentist left and I got a new one, and she used that instrument (I don't know what its called) to scrape my teeth, she did it so much that it made my whole mouth sore and my gums red. I've been talking with a friend who recently got past her fear of the dentist and got her wisdom teeth removed, so it's definitelyhelping me to talk about my fears and reading this forum I've realized that I'm not the only one who's scared. I'll post updates about how things are going! Thanks again!
 
A quick update: I have been doing a lot of research on finding the best dentist for me and I believe I finally found one. I'm just worried about how to pay for it, I don't have dental insurance so I'm hoping they will set up a payment plan or something for me. I'm trying not to use not having dental insurance as an excuse to put off making an appointment. I'll post more updates as I make my journey to having a smile I'm not ashamed of and to no longer having excruciating toothaches.
 

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