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Terrified and embarrassed of the state of my teeth

W

Wandering_dogmom

Junior member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
3
Location
Washington
So glad to have found a place I can vent to after being up all night with my mind racing about "what if's" sorry in advance for how long this post is.
I have had one dentist I've felt comfortable with but he retired yrs ago and his replacement was horrible. I have had traumatic experiences with almost every dentist ive been to(6). Presently I haven't been to the dentist in about 2 yrs because every dr I meet makes me feel embarrassed or guilty about the state of my teeth, I haven't had any work done in over 5 yrs. The last yr I had to go to the dentist as I felt my wisdom teeth breaking the surface and causing me pain. However when I went in I was informed my molar needed a root canal right away. She said she couldn't tell me for sure if that was the cause of the wisdom tooth but we would start there. My dentist was also very uncaring and seemed like she wanted me to "hurry up and decide my fate" even while knowing my fears and fincially sitiaton. I'm terrified of having the root canal as I also fear needles of any kind. I'm also very nervous to get a root canal only to heal and find I'll need a wisdom tooth extraction.
I've been putting off the root canal for so long as I have had no pain(also been a care giver for my mother and mil for the last yr ) but last night a huge chunk of that tooth chipped off. I usually always grind my teeth(yes I wear a retainer but I'm bad about remembering) so that had fractured the tooth a tiny in the past but now about 1/4 is missing and it looks to be at the gumline. Now I'm terrified the root canal will be deemed an extraction. Not only can I hardly afford to go in to be seen my car is broken down at the moment and I don't feel comfortable enough getting a ride from someone to go in. I have very bad anxiety and have had a panic attack in the chair before, the sounds are okay its the needles and pressure during the work. Ive used nitrous to help calm me but I've never had to have work done this extensive. I also am a medical cannabis patient and smoke for my sciatica pain, I read you can't smoke after for about 48 hours which also worries me because the pain from my sciatica and that will more than likely make me throw up. Which I'm terrified to do in that condition. I guess I just want my worries eased.
Do you smoke/did you after and how was recovery(going to most likely use a THC/CBD tincture)
How long was recovery for you
How much pressure was being put on your molar/tooth when it was extracted.

Also if any one has any fabulous dentists that deal with people like us in Western WA send then my way :)
 
Hi Wandering_dogmom ?

Sorry to hear about the traumatic experiences you've had with recent dentists ?. It sounds as if finding a dentist you feel comfortable with is the biggest stumbling block right now? (When you say Western WA, do you mean the Seattle area?)
 
Hi,

sorry to read about your difficult experiences. I will try my best to address your concerns:
Smoking does not interfere with the blood clot, there is much material online about that and it is simply not true. It is not advised to smoke after an extraction because the smoke has more carcinogenic effect on a wound, but that’s it. It will not cause a dry socket.
about the pressure: that really differs between situations. You can certainly ask the dentist to do everything they can to use minimal force and to adequately numb you so that you don’t feel that.
 
Hi Wandering_dogmom ?

Sorry to hear about the traumatic experiences you've had with recent dentists ?. It sounds as if finding a dentist you feel comfortable with is the biggest stumbling block right now? (When you say Western WA, do you mean the Seattle area?)
That is a huge part of it, yes. I also want to gain as much knowledge (tools under my mindset tool belt) to conquer the fear of staying in the chair for the work I intended to get done.
As for my area I prefer Snohimish county if feasible but am willing to travel for the best care!
 
Hi,

sorry to read about your difficult experiences. I will try my best to address your concerns:
Smoking does not interfere with the blood clot, there is much material online about that and it is simply not true. It is not advised to smoke after an extraction because the smoke has more carcinogenic effect on a wound, but that’s it. It will not cause a dry socket.
about the pressure: that really differs between situations. You can certainly ask the dentist to do everything they can to use minimal force and to adequately numb you so that you don’t feel that.
Dr. Daniel,
Thank you so much for your response. I really apperciate you taking the time to address my concerns and anxieties.
Alot of my doctors have started to treat me differently once they learned of my medical cannabis card so I am very relived to hear it won't cause a clot or dry socket. That's info I had been told by many dentists for years.
I'm also glad to hear they can minimalize the pressure and crunches of the procedure. I'm going to be very blunt and open with my fears and hope they will accept me for the scaredy cat that I am.
 
Yes, you should clear about what you need. Many dentists focus on getting the end result (the tooth is out) and you ask them to focus also on the process.
it is very important that they invest time and work patiently.
all the best. Daniel.
 
That is a huge part of it, yes. I also want to gain as much knowledge (tools under my mindset tool belt) to conquer the fear of staying in the chair for the work I intended to get done.
As for my area I prefer Snohimish county if feasible but am willing to travel for the best care!

We've got lots of ideas here on the website. Here's a summary of top tips that have been shared on our forum over the years:


And more info on tools for conquering the fear of staying in the chair here:


I could ask someone who used to work as a clinical psychologist at the University of Washington dental faculty, specialising in anxious patients - do you think she might know someone? How close is Snohimish county to Seattle?
 
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