Stuck between a rock and a hard place...

[RustyRebecca]

My last post here was saying about having periodontal disease. I have explored this further and thank you for such help here.
So I am with a dental school in the UK (or I can be, I still obviously have the option to go private and perhaps that is my only option because of my extreme anxiety in the dentist chair).
At the dental school it is so anxiety provoking. I was meant to go for an appointment for x-rays and a treatment plan but got too anxious because of my previous experience of simply a check up! The student took over an hour to check my teeth and gums. It was painful, uncomfortable and I was anxious the whole time. She had to keep repeating info to another student who didn't get what she was saying, she was clumsy, without any finesse at all. Kept worrying she would make a dangerous mistake. I could see loads of other patients in dental chairs with really young students dangling instruments in their mouths. It was just like a hospital ward where you can see each other suffering (my ideal of hell). Now of course, this is all free (so must be appreciated) and I have a friend who is a dentist and she says I should continue with the dental school but with all the work I need doing (and it is a lot sadly), it would take the student hours upon hours and be incredibly anxiety provoking because I don't trust her. It might be free but it aint good being a Guinea pig! The actual supervising dentist came along and checked my teeth in just ten mins!
But my private practice is super expensive. They have done a pricing to endeavour to contain my periodontal disease so that I don't actually have to see a specialist.
They believe I need to have 8 periapical radiographs. Does that seem normal? Then periodontal charting (I know this is needed). But just that alone comes to £348.
Then two sessions of oral detox at £170 a throw. And I don't even know what that is?
Then periodontal charting again and another hygienist appointment. All for the grand sum of almost £1000.
So I could go to the dental school, spend simply hours having this lot done (as I imagine it would be similar) but be potentially traumatised... or sell my body to go private, still get highly anxious, but not as bad!
I am just at this stage of thinking now, step by step, because the overall picture of what needs to be done to my teeth is too big to consider.
But I am at a loss really and just wanted to express all this here...

 

[scifiemz]

i would stop going to the dental school you need some one you can feel comfortable and confident with. ive have students before and it was a bad move, the filling he put in chipped badly in less than a month, ive not been able to get it fixed as cant see the point ( it chipped once, so will do it again) i think you need to go with community dental if there's one with you, you need to ether talk to your doctor or get a appointment with any nhs dentist and ask to be referred, CD can do the work, at nhs cost and not scare the life out of you ( or so im told, ive got a appointment with them in two weeks) hope this helps.

 

[Judythecat]

Sorry to hear you're in such a difficult situation. I don't have any experience of periodontal disease, or of student dentists, but the phrase that stood out of your OP was "because I don't trust her". I believe that you (as in "one", not you in particular) need to have 100% confidence in your dentist, and if you don't, you should seek an alternative.

I needed a lot of dental work done in 2017/18 due to clenching my teeth with stress, and while it was a bit of a nightmare, I completely trusted my dentist - who I'd always seen for six month checkups prior to the clenching starting - and knew I was confident in her recommendations and treatments. I shed a few tears along the way, and she simply patted my shoulder and handed me a tissue! At one point she referred me to a private endodontist, which was a bit scary because I didn't know him, but I knew he was going to be okay because my own dentist recommended him. In fact he was great, really kind, and I knew after the consultation that he would see me right.

I'm not a phobic patient and have always had regular checkups/any treatment I needed, but I am absolutely TERRIFIED of needles, so I need someone who is going to be patient and reassuring if I need an injection, and not make me feel like I am being silly. My dentist always gets the nurse to hold my hand!

Would you let someone you didn't trust cut your hair, even if they were going to do it cheaply?