S
srh77
0
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2016
- Messages
- 2
I'm not sure if this is quite the right place to post this, but I'm hoping to get some perspective in regards to severe dental phobia that has been consuming me the past few days.
For a variety of reasons, I have not been to the dentist in 9 years. This has been for a variety of reasons. Mostly because I've been apprehensive and put it off since I've never seemed to have major issues, as well as not having dental insurance for several years. Anyway, this past week, I decided it was time to finally purchase insurance and see a dentist, as I didn't want to go 10 years between visits. However, after purchasing the insurance this weekend (which I feel is starting to commit myself to going), I have been overcome with an almost crippling fear of what they'll find during my exam. While I haven't taken horrible care of my teeth over the years, and have gotten better in the past year or so, I feel like how could I have gone 9 years, and not taken perfect care of them, and not have major issues. I can handle having a deep cleaning, having to have some cavities filled, or even having to have a root canal or two. However, I'm terrified that I will have to have a tooth extracted, or multiple teeth extracted, or have such bad gum disease that it will require surgery or extraction. I'm also worried about needing multiple (more than 3 root canals). I keep imagining myself at the dentist office, with them discussing my x-rays, which will show that I have numerous teeth that are badly diseased.
I've been obsessively looking in my mouth over the past 2 days. I even had a family member who was kind enough to look also, especially for those parts of the mouth I can't see well. I don't see any visible signs of major decay, either black/brown discoloration or where part of a tooth is missing. I do have some small white spots on a few teeth near the gum line, which I've read online can be a precursor, or early, decay, but I'm not really worried about those. I have tartar building on several teeth that will need removal, but my gums looks pink and are not bleeding, nor do the gums look like they are receding or otherwise pulling away from the tooth. I do have some sensitivity in several teeth, which I always attribute to allergies. I've had tooth discomfort from allergies for probably about 20 years (so before my last dentist visit), but I'm worrying that I've used that to ignore what could be other issues. I did have one upper molar that was occasionally sensitive to cold about 6-9 months ago (a brief, sharp pain when having something very cold, but not reproduced on subsequent exposure to cold). It seems to have gone away, and I didn't really worry at the time, since I was under the impression that cold sensitivity was a sign of needing a root canal if the pain was severe and prolonged (which mine was not). Now though, I'm picturing that the tooth is dead, and will need to be removed (even though I think I can still feel sensitivity there when I have sinus problems). I also had a spot on my gum, near one of the lower molars, that bleed for about a week, a few years ago, but healed up easily. Again, I didn't worry at the time, but now I'm concerning I missed something more serious and it's now too late. I also have occasional tightness/pressure around my lower front teeth, which I've also read can be caused by allergies (and I've had for several years), but I keep picturing that somehow the gum is diseased in a way that I can't see and that those teeth will need to be pulled, or otherwise need some extensive treatment. None of my teeth feel loose, so I'm hoping that a good sign. I don't think my teeth or gums look bad, but I've convinced myself that there is some horrible, invisible decay that's rendered them too far gone for fillings or root canal treatment. I've already had my wisdom teeth out, when I was a teen, so I'm not worried about that, but I can't bear the thought of losing other teeth.
I realize no one can give me a diagnosis on this forum, and I'm not asking for that. However, I could use some honest opinions about whether what I'm describing, and what I'm fearing, are logical. I try to tell myself that if I had anything that serious, requiring extraction, or surgery, there would be signs that I could see that something is wrong. But my mind keeps going back to that worst case scenario. I'd like an honest answer, because I want to be prepared to handle whatever I have to do, but would it be highly unlikely that I would need extractions, or have advanced gum disease, without either having severe pain/sensitivity, obvious loose teeth, or bleeding, red gums? I keep trying to tell myself that, but then I've read that you can need a root canal without symptoms, so I imagine that I need either numerous root canals, or the teeth are so far gone they will need to be extracted. I'm also terrified of having to be put under general anesthesia. I know it's a comfort for some, but I honestly feel better with having them just use a local. Can pretty much anything I would need done in my mouth be done with local anesthesia?
I'm sorry this post is so long, but I really need to either reassure myself it's not going to be as bad as I imagine, or prepare myself for the worst. My dental insurance doesn't kick in until October, which I think is partly making my fear worse. Part of me would like to get it taken care of this week, part of me doesn't want to go at all. But I don't want to be in severe panic for the next two months.
For a variety of reasons, I have not been to the dentist in 9 years. This has been for a variety of reasons. Mostly because I've been apprehensive and put it off since I've never seemed to have major issues, as well as not having dental insurance for several years. Anyway, this past week, I decided it was time to finally purchase insurance and see a dentist, as I didn't want to go 10 years between visits. However, after purchasing the insurance this weekend (which I feel is starting to commit myself to going), I have been overcome with an almost crippling fear of what they'll find during my exam. While I haven't taken horrible care of my teeth over the years, and have gotten better in the past year or so, I feel like how could I have gone 9 years, and not taken perfect care of them, and not have major issues. I can handle having a deep cleaning, having to have some cavities filled, or even having to have a root canal or two. However, I'm terrified that I will have to have a tooth extracted, or multiple teeth extracted, or have such bad gum disease that it will require surgery or extraction. I'm also worried about needing multiple (more than 3 root canals). I keep imagining myself at the dentist office, with them discussing my x-rays, which will show that I have numerous teeth that are badly diseased.
I've been obsessively looking in my mouth over the past 2 days. I even had a family member who was kind enough to look also, especially for those parts of the mouth I can't see well. I don't see any visible signs of major decay, either black/brown discoloration or where part of a tooth is missing. I do have some small white spots on a few teeth near the gum line, which I've read online can be a precursor, or early, decay, but I'm not really worried about those. I have tartar building on several teeth that will need removal, but my gums looks pink and are not bleeding, nor do the gums look like they are receding or otherwise pulling away from the tooth. I do have some sensitivity in several teeth, which I always attribute to allergies. I've had tooth discomfort from allergies for probably about 20 years (so before my last dentist visit), but I'm worrying that I've used that to ignore what could be other issues. I did have one upper molar that was occasionally sensitive to cold about 6-9 months ago (a brief, sharp pain when having something very cold, but not reproduced on subsequent exposure to cold). It seems to have gone away, and I didn't really worry at the time, since I was under the impression that cold sensitivity was a sign of needing a root canal if the pain was severe and prolonged (which mine was not). Now though, I'm picturing that the tooth is dead, and will need to be removed (even though I think I can still feel sensitivity there when I have sinus problems). I also had a spot on my gum, near one of the lower molars, that bleed for about a week, a few years ago, but healed up easily. Again, I didn't worry at the time, but now I'm concerning I missed something more serious and it's now too late. I also have occasional tightness/pressure around my lower front teeth, which I've also read can be caused by allergies (and I've had for several years), but I keep picturing that somehow the gum is diseased in a way that I can't see and that those teeth will need to be pulled, or otherwise need some extensive treatment. None of my teeth feel loose, so I'm hoping that a good sign. I don't think my teeth or gums look bad, but I've convinced myself that there is some horrible, invisible decay that's rendered them too far gone for fillings or root canal treatment. I've already had my wisdom teeth out, when I was a teen, so I'm not worried about that, but I can't bear the thought of losing other teeth.
I realize no one can give me a diagnosis on this forum, and I'm not asking for that. However, I could use some honest opinions about whether what I'm describing, and what I'm fearing, are logical. I try to tell myself that if I had anything that serious, requiring extraction, or surgery, there would be signs that I could see that something is wrong. But my mind keeps going back to that worst case scenario. I'd like an honest answer, because I want to be prepared to handle whatever I have to do, but would it be highly unlikely that I would need extractions, or have advanced gum disease, without either having severe pain/sensitivity, obvious loose teeth, or bleeding, red gums? I keep trying to tell myself that, but then I've read that you can need a root canal without symptoms, so I imagine that I need either numerous root canals, or the teeth are so far gone they will need to be extracted. I'm also terrified of having to be put under general anesthesia. I know it's a comfort for some, but I honestly feel better with having them just use a local. Can pretty much anything I would need done in my mouth be done with local anesthesia?
I'm sorry this post is so long, but I really need to either reassure myself it's not going to be as bad as I imagine, or prepare myself for the worst. My dental insurance doesn't kick in until October, which I think is partly making my fear worse. Part of me would like to get it taken care of this week, part of me doesn't want to go at all. But I don't want to be in severe panic for the next two months.