Seriously?! I'm an idiot. :(

[MissTaylorP]

I posted here a few weeks ago saying how I was going to make my first dentist appointment for the first time in about 7 years.

I chickened out.

I'm an idiot I know.

Well today, I was in the car with my mother when the back of my mouth (upper left) started killing me. While my mother was in the store, I took a flash light and shined it in the back of my mouth. I was MORTIFIED! The very last molar on the upper left hand side of my mouth is completely rotten. It made me sick to my stomach to even look at. It also wiggles so I know it's lose.

Once again, I'm an idiot. I know.

Now it's Christmas eve, my entire mouth is killing me and I am feeling completely ashamed of myself.

I need to stop being so stupid and just go to the dentist. I called earlier today to make an appointment but I guess they were closed due to it being Christmas Eve.

Can I say it again? I'm an IDIOT! I am so ashamed of myself, I really am. I'm only 22 years old and my teeth are rotting out of my mouth.

I REFUSE to to allow my mouth to ever get like this again. 2014 WILL be a better year for me and I WILL start to take better care of my teeth...

 

[carole]

I hope that you are not in too much pain over the holidays. Maybe inbetween Christmas and the new year you may be able to get in to see a dentist. If not contact your local A&E and ask if they know of any dentist services that could help you.

Hopefully 2014 will be your year to get dentally healthy. You will be surprised at how much the right dentist will make you feel as comfortable as they can. Don't concentrate on what you haven't done, concentrate on what you are going to do.

'tis the season for everything and anything to go wrong as it often does. Lucky for us the holidays are shorter than they used to be and things get back to normal quite quickly. Good luck I hope you can get sorted out quickly

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

That sucks, I know just how you feel!

Don't get too down on yourself-- it's REALLY hard to get back to the dentist the first time. It took me years. Some piece of tooth would break off, or I'd get some new pain or problem, and I'd swear to myself, I'm going to go get this taken care of and get my teeth sorted out. And then, a couple days later, the pain would go away, I'd cancel the appointment, and be right back where I started.

And I felt like a complete idiot and loser each time.

Two thoughts to encourage you:

First, as bad as the tooth looks to you, it's not going to shock or disgust the dentist. And it's almost certainly something that can be taken care of quickly and painlessly, so you get get out of pain very quickly. The dentist can get you numbed up really quickly, and have the tooth repaired or extracted usually in less than an hour, and you'll feel so much better immediately. I've been in this exact situation several times now, and it was amazing how easy it was and how much better I felt after.

Second, you are far from alone in your dental situation, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it's such a common problem that they started a whole web site with support forums and everything, just to help people through it. All of us here have been in your position or are at some point in correcting many years of dental neglect. I used to be so ashamed of my teeth, which were breaking and rotting in all kinds of horrible ways. But there are so many options for fixing and restoring broken teeth. And there are so many wonderful, compassionate dentists out there who can help you start getting better without lecturing or judging you. And, there's all of us here on the forum who will cheer you on and listen to your rants and share our own stories to help you move forward-- however quickly or slowly you manage to go. I know I can't just tell you not to be ashamed and have you suddenly lose all your shame. But I hope you read through some of the journals and success stories here, to understand just how many other people have been right where you are, so you know that you're truly not alone.

Do take care, and try to get that tooth taken care of asap, just for your own comfort. No one should have to live in pain, and it does get better.

Let us know how you get on...

 

[Fuzzgin]

Just wanted to add my support. I hope you've since been able to get it fixed. Let us know how you get on. And you're not an idiot, just frightened as we all are or were. Been there.

 

[MissTaylorP]

I have yet to get it taken care of. I called 4 different dental offices and no one could see me until the end of February which is crazy. I will start calling more places tomorrow. Just a few minutes ago I was eating a Subway sandwich when I went to pick a chip out of my back molar (opposite side than the original bad tooth). When I touched it, a sharp shooting pain shot through the whole tooth. Ohmygod do I really have ANOTHER bad tooth? Well I know I have lots of bad teeth but I'm thinking this may be an abscess. I know it could be worse... I have ALL of my teeth still, none have cracked or chipped yet, and when the average person sees me smile they probably can't tell there's a problem. HOWEVER I KNOW there are MULTIPLE cavities. I'm done with this. Enough is enough. I swear by the time March rolls around I WILL be in the process of bettering my smile and my health. This is getting crazy. I'm tired of putting it off and most importantly, I'm tired of the pain.

 

[carole]

You could make an appointment for the end of Feb but still look for another dentist then cancel the Feb appointment if you have been seen by someone. If you give the dentists involved good notice that you don't need the appointment it won't matter.

Good luck

 

[MissTaylorP]

Well I just requested patient- callbacks from 3 different local dentists. I AM going to schedule an appointment before the end of this week. I am bound and determined. My teeth are causing me constant pain now. No one should ever have to live this way and I know by waiting, I am only making it worse.

 

[carole]

Well done you Good luck

 

[Steve In Cleveland]

Great job MissTaylorP!!!

Making these calls and scheduling that first appointment takes a lot of guts and courage, and you're doing great. You can do it, and once you get started you'll feel SO much better. I will tell you that the morning of my first appointment I felt like I was walking into an execution-- and an hour or so later, I was driving home with no pain and feeling on top of the world.

Hang in there, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I'm so proud of you!!!