scared of dying....i know, silly, but....

[panickedgirl]

hello. 35 year old female here. terrified of dying.

i know you all are probably wondering what that has to do with anything dental, but to me, it's all the same.

i will first start off by saying that i have severe panic disorder, agoraphobia [i can leave my house, just not go far] as well as even worse health anxiety. if this tells you anything - i have not been to a doctor in well over seven years. as for the dentist, i want to say the last time i saw one of them was 8-9 years ago. my health anxiety and fear of dentists doesn't stem from the dentist, though. it stems from the fact that, throughout my entire life, i have had numerous allergic reactions to medications that have landed me in the hospital for several days. because of this, i have a fear of anything 'medication wise' that would be put into my body. [injections, numbing agents, flouride, the nines]

here is my current situation: i have had a loose tooth ALL the way in the back for years. you would never guess it looking at me smile, as i have always been complimented on my smile over the years - and even to this day. it is grey and doesn't hurt. it hurt for a few days about 3ish years ago; but since that time? nothing..no pain, nothing, just became loose over time. WELL, the time has come. the tooth is wiggling up and down bad that i can tell it will fall out within the next day or so. but i am terrified that i am going to die. like many others with my condition [health anxiety] i have run to google and have read terrible things about how i will get an infection, it will spread to my heart, and i will have tons of complications and/or pass away from it.

has anyone here had a tooth completely die, come out, and be okay with NOT going to the dentist? i understand this forum is here to aide people in getting to the dentist to overcome their fears - and i will eventually - but i am asking about the now.

thank you, in advance, for your help. please know that i am currently undergoing treatment with a therapist for my health anxiety as well as panic disorder/agoraphobia, before that becomes an issue[?] in the comment section of this thread.

 

[Enarete]

Hi panickedgirl,

sorry to hear about your situation. I totally get your anxiety, if I got into a hospital for several days because of an allergic reaction to medication, I would never go to any doctor again in my life.
This forum is here to inform and support people with dental anxiety, no matter where on your way you are. You are in the right place here even if it's not possible for you to see a dentist at the moment.

There is an article in the 'common fears' section that you might find helpful:

Allergy or Bad Reactions to Local Anaesthetics

Have you had a bad reaction to local anaesthetic? Do you think you may be allergic to lidocaine? Find out all about the causes and possible solutions!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

May I ask you how your dental appointment 8-9 years ago went?

Hope you get some reassuring replies to your question about an infection soon.

All the best wishes

 

[panickedgirl]

Thank you for the response. The tooth came out yesterday on it’s own and so far so good. I actually feel (oddly enough) better with it gone. I’ve been gargling with warm salt water and antiseptic mouth wash throughout the day - but not over doing it. So far, I can tell it’s very clear the tooth was literally just sitting in there, not attached to anything. I’ve known this for a while, but hung on for as long as I could due to my fears.

My dental appointment 8-9 years ago was horrible, if I’m being honest. That’s honestly not what is swaying me from going though, because I know that not all dentists are that way. It’s weird, because I never had a dental or dentist phobia until I started becoming allergic to things I wasn’t in the past. My old doctor says it’s more common than you think. Every seven years, our bodies change - and we can become allergic to things we never were. That’s always stuck in my head since, especially with so many reactions under my belt.