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Scared to go to Dentist, not because of pain but embarrasement.

S

Springfairy556

Junior member
Joined
Aug 4, 2016
Messages
7
I haven't been to a dentist since I was 10 and I'm now 28.And I'm ashamed, I didn't have the best dental hygiene at all, wish someone would have kicked my behind.Anyways half my top teeth have rotted or broken off, and two in the front are starting to rot, so I'm missing about 8 or 9 of my teeth.

I know there's nothing they can do about the missing teeth, but I have 2 that have begun to rot and they're in the front and need to be taken care of.But I'm afraid to go because I'm afraid the dentist will lecture me on why I haven't been or why my teeth are digusting.

The thing is as a kid I was afraid of the pain, now I'm no longer afraid, i would suck it up to fix what teeth that can be saved, but I worry about being judged.
 
I sort of get that. My hygiene is average/acceptable, but I still end up going to the dentist for a new problem practically every other month! Just when one problem is solved, another pops up soon after. Sometimes I worry that people will think I'm either doing something wrong or I'm the dental version of a hypochondriac.

I still think that despite the fact that the people at my dentist are very nice and have never once said anything judgmental. If someone acts that way towards you, I'd say a new dentist should be in your future. Coming to them late for help is better than never at all.
 
Most dentists out there don't judge patients. Best thing you can do is do a little research and choose a dentist right for you. I went with the dentist my mom and aunt used and none of us have been judged.

However, i get what you mean since that reason did play a minor role in why i waited so long. Please don't repeat the mistake i made of waiting due to fear of judgement. Things went from the point of being minor problems to the point that was a lot worse.

I had to get 14 teeth removed, upper and lower partial dentures, a total of 4 fillings(2 june 2014 and 2 early october this year), and am now border line having a panic attack b/c i'm having a tooth causing problems and i have to call tomorrow for an appointment.
 
I am 28 myself I feel I can absolutely relate to what you are going through. I haven't seen a dentist before this summer for about 10 years mostly out of fear and shame and more fear. Ended up loosing 9 teeth and having a bunch of fillings etc

Don't let shame and judgment loom over you. Most important is to find a dentist who you can trust, if you feel blamed or they lecture you or judge you choose another dentist. Only go with someone that is there to help you in every way. You have lived far long together with this hence you should be proud in a way - you have survived this and now you choose to step up for yourself and take the first step to recovery. My experience has been that dentists would rather be supportive of you to go and see them then judge. And don't worry about what they see, they have seen worse and have trained and practiced many, many years just to have the experience to help you, and heal also complex cases not just simple cleanings and teeth whitenings. They probably became doctors for the more interesting cases ;)

Another thing you are still young so don't write off your teeth just yet! Think, research and set a plan for teeth replacement with your doc carefully! These are really not to scare you just to give you an idea when you discuss your options with your doctor - they will be the one who really see your x-rays, state of your bones, gums, bite etc to make a plan. But I think it is good to know especially being so young what your options can be.
Based on biology naturally you should start loosing your teeth only after your 50s. And while a lot of people would swear on being ok with missing teeth there are a few health sides to consider.
- the space where you are missing teeth is at risk for bone loss, gum desease
- the heathy teeth surrounding and opposing the gap can move, chip, are more open for going bad faster and in a long run it could lead more toothloss
- bite - healthy teeth need bite pressure from opposing side, also think how different it is for the strength of the biting to be distributed between 16 teeth or just 8. That pressure will stay the same and slowly hurt the remaining healthy ones.
Number one rule is to keep as much of your teeth structure as possible because still that is the best anatomically for your health. If that is not possible then it is important to imitate that structure as much as possible. Meaning that that there needs to be something under your gumline as well as above the gumline. If there is a gap in the bone where your tooth was it will lead to bone loss which will lead for further tooth loss. Note the timeline here is not 1-5 years, it is 5-10-15 years. So if you are in your 20s, this will lead to problems in your late 30s, early 40s. Whereas if you are in your 50s, you are looking to get dentures in your 70s and by the time your bone is lost you wouldn't really need biting anymore. Plus the younger you are the better your body regenerates and heals. So keep thinking about replacements, bridges, implants. Note that under dentures theoretically to keep up with bone loss you would need some extra bone crafting every 2 years.

I am literally going through similar and am 28 myself :dunno: lost 6 useful teeth, 3 wisdoms, had a million fillings, root canals and am waiting for my implant surgery. All I can say is it will get sooooo much better! Once you start healing both your heath, mouth and mind will feel better and happier. :rolleyes:
 
Contact office first and tell them what you need. Make it clear. If you get supportive response then go if not call someone else. My office staff treats everyone nice and they know that I'm very nice to patients and I expect the same from them. The staff in any office follows the doctor in general.
 
I agree with Comfortdentist. Please call around, tell the staff your situation and see how they respond. Not to offer false hope but there are people here who have had great restorations even though they originally thought they were going to loose most of their teeth.
 
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