Semi Successful

[Curious_Li]

Hi, I accidentally found this board when I was having teeth problems a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say that it's absolutely wonderful. I'm a 32 year old whose parents were not that into oral health care. As a kid, brushing my teeth was sporadic and probably completely stopped around the age of 7. My one and only visit to the dentist came when I was 6 and that was only for medical forms when transferring to a new school. I noticed my first cavity when I was around 11 but never mentioned it because I was so afraid of the idea of going to a dentist. I tend to be extremely afraid of things I'm not familiar with ( doctors, strangers, message boards) . I'm pretty much afraid of all things medical. After I was 6 I didn't see any type of doctor until I was about 14, all in all I've only been to the doctor about 4-5 times in the last 26 years. I even have anxiety when taking my pets to the Vet but that's for their health and I make myself do it. Back to the topic , the tooth with the cavity broke about 12 years ago. It surprised me when it happened but it didn't hurt or anything so I figured I could live with it rather than seek help. At first I just used the other side of my mouth to chew but food would become lodged in the broken tooth anyhow and I worried about trying to keep it clean. I had during High School taken an interest in keeping my teeth clean, even if at that time it was as much for social reasons as it was for health reasons. I have since then brushed at least twice a day even when I'm sick and feel horrible. I can't even imagine going to sleep with unbrushed teeth. But brushing alone doesn't solve everything as I later found out. What got me thinking about looking for a dentist was my bottom left wisdom tooth it's been trying to come in for years and was starting to become pushy with the next two teeth. I had also earlier this year broken a molar on the lower left and opposite side of the the original broken tooth which made eating more difficult. I had no idea that tooth even had a problem until it broke and now I can see a cavity in the tooth next to it. I stumbled upon this site and it changed my life (very dramatic, I know) . I saw the section on types of fear and was amazed that it showed one about being embarressed by the state of ones teeth, which I had over time developed after my first broken tooth ( who goes around with a broken tooth if they don't have to, would a dentist be judgemental). I read a little more, and read about a person who had a root canal and said it was pain free and I was amazed. Growing up the only pain I heard that was possibly worse than child birth was a dreaded root canal. The more I read the more confidence I gained . I looked in the local phone book under dentists and found a name of one I liked ( very scientific ), and like the adult that I am , asked my Dad to call for me. I still had ( and have ) alot of anxiety but I knew deep down I had to do something or it would only get worse. I had to wait a week before she could see me and I honestly thought it would be like waiting for Doomsday. I was scared but it never became full blown terror like before when going to a doctor for a shot or antibiotics. I think my mind accepted what had to happen. So my appointment was 3 days ago and it wasn't that bad. The assistant was extremely nice and did what she could to make me comfortable. The dentist was a little abrupt but she wasn't mean or scary (much), she just wasn't as nice as the assistant. The result is to take out all 4 wisdom teeth ( both bottoms were stupid, and the tops because they would have nothing to rest on), the original broken tooth was too decayed so it would be extracted also, 2 possibly 3 root canals. It gets kind of tricky because she said they might extract the broken left tooth instead of repairing it because of crowding. This kind of scares me but all in all I feared it would be worse. I haven't completely overcome my fears but think I can manage them especially with help from this site . Thank you, Dental Fear Central, this site is fantastc and I can't praise it enough!


Sincerely Lisa

 

[gumgirl]

Aww Lisa, well done
You've taken a huge step and should feel very very proud of yourself.

 

[letsconnect]

Lisa - well done ! Even though websites and the like might help, at the end of the day it is the individual who makes a really tough decision for themselves, and nobody can make that decision for you. And it takes a lot of guts to do so (but many thanks for the thumbs-up, anyway ).

You must feel very proud of yourself - and deservedly so!!! Please let us know how you get on !

 

[Curious_Li]

Thanks gumgirl and letsconnect ! It means alot to have other people understand what I'm going through . It's not just simple nervousness I feel, it's more like intense anxiety and dread that can be overwhelming at times. I just felt if I didn't address the situation now then what I would be facing later would be that much worse. I think ,for me, the best thing about the site is knowing there are others who have the same fears and problems I do. We may not all have the exact same issues to deal with but it is helpful to read how others cope with theirs.


Thanks again, Lisa

 

[Curious_Li]

Hi there, just figured I'd update . Went for my cleaning yesterday (first ever ), wasn't bad. I had some buildup on my back front teeth, lowers. The dentist seemed much nicer this time, more friendly. The 2 assistants I've met are extremely nice. The cleaning itself was interesting and just like I read here it wasn't horrible, just odd. Very pokey, and she was much rougher on my teeth than I ever would be. It seems so weird to me to have the anxiety kind of build up but I haven't become completely terrified like I used to be about thing like this ( medically related ). I think my curiosity gets the better of me, which is probably a good thing. Next is making an appointment with the oral surgeon for the extractions. I hope my curiosity wins the battle with my anxiety there as well. That's all for now, bye, Lisa.