Scared. Plaque buildup, shame, pain.

[littleturtle]

Hello

I hope this post is alright.
I'm terrified of the dentist for several reasons. Embarrassed due to crooked teeth, not many cleanings over the years and my own lack of knowledge on how to care for my teeth. (I was also shamed by a few hygienists in the past)

I recently went in to get some x-rays with excruciating pain on my front bottom teeth.
I was anxious the whole time.

The bottom tooth really hurts and it's constant pain. The gum below is inflamed and I had massive plaque buildup.

They told me it's similar to having a "splinter" in my mouth, all that hard plaque, that it's not even tooth pain but gum pain. Why does my tooth hurt then? Is this a thing?

I'm really scared as I am going back to get it cleaned, am also really scared of the local (which they suggested) to get deeper into the gums to clean. Will it bring relief? I can't sleep or eat, I'm freaking out.

Thank you for input.

 

[Gordon]

Why does my tooth hurt then? Is this a thing?

It's the same nerves supply the gum as the tooth, so it's not easy to distinguish pain between the two.

Here's some information for you:

Embarrassed? What dentists really think

Do you avoid the dentist because you're too embarrassed about the state of your teeth and what a dentist might say or think? You're not alone!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

A few articles on local anaesthetic there too: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/fears/