Terrible fear and even worse teeth.

[msb3]

Hi everyone

I'm just looking for some support and understanding - maybe some advice too if I'm lucky!
I have awful teeth - yellow, overcrowded and crooked and most of the back ones are rotten. Last year I had a tooth extracted which is my worst phobia and thought I'd made huge progress, but the dentist said I needed 8 extractions and much more work on the others and so I panicked and didn't go back.
I'm ashamed to say I also skipped an appointment with a facial surgeon to explore extraction of all 8 under general - I was shaking and crying just reading the appointment letter.
My teeth hurt all the time, I'm so ashamed of them and I can't eat certain foods because of them. I currently have sharp pain from a wisdom tooth, two wisdom teeth that have not come through and 1 tooth that's in half - along with about 4 lots of retained roots.
I'm terrified and just can't cope with it. I also suffer with anxiety and depression and this is just too much.
I'm sorry for the essay but I don't have anyone to talk to. Noone around me understands how if it's hurting, I still won't get help.
Thank you for 'listening'. Xx

 

[sunflower32]

Hi msb3! I just wanted to offer you my support. I'm going through my own dental issues right now as well, and sometimes I struggle to not panic or cry, or both. Just some ideas I have that might help you: email the dental office to explain your situation so they can best accomodate your anxiety, write out all your questions beforehand and bring the list with you to your appointment (I did this at an appointment yesterday and I feel like it helped me feel somewhat in control of the situation, and I didn't have to worry about my mind going blank while talking to the dentist!), and maybe try to do something you enjoy (exercise, sewing, cooking, etc.) to help alleviate your anxiety caused by your dental problems; self-care is always important.

Good luck! I hope you're able to get your teeth sorted out before they cause you too much more pain than you're already feeling.

 

[Finding my voice]

I'm sure we can all understand how you feel on this forum.Anxiety grows out of proportion until you can't see a solution and then everything seems impossible.You have to empower yourself and realise that you are the customer.If you can't deal with so much work on your teeth at the moment ask the dentist if you can deal with it gradually at a pace that you find acceptable.If he disagrees seek out another dentist.There are compassionate people out there and you need to find one.Hope you find the strength.You have not committed a crime you are trying to rectify your problems and should be acknowledged for that.Good Luck.

 

[AsaGohan]

Following up with what the other people said, I've had 1 tooth pulled under general anesthesia. I was scared too, hyperventilating before the doctor even came in the room! I gathered up the last bit of courage I had and went through with it. They start the anesthesia and then POOF. Done. It was so fast. Later I wondered what I was so scared of. I even willingly went back for an implant surgery,

Talk to your doctor about everything that makes you scared. They can help make things work for you.

P.S. If you are scared of the needle...from personal experience request the 'baby' sized needle and have them put it in the crook of your elbow. I didn't feel a thing.