Terrified of the unknown. Help?

[Vix]

I'm so glad I found this website. Hopefully it will offer me some comfort.

My teeth are a really sensitive subject for me, only one person knows how I feel about them.

I'm 20, never been to the dentist, my upper teeth are mostly okay, but my bottom front teeth are a problem. I have tartar issues (as a result of it I need gaps somehow closed as well), that's for sure. But the reason I signed up here is because of something else.

My bottom wisdom tooth has a hole in the middle of it, its never really bothered me, until today I (painfully) realised my nerve is now a little exposed. Ever since I keep randomly bursting into tears because I know it's becoming even more crucial that I go to the dentist when I've been desperately wanting to go to the dentist for MONTHS. I just haven't been able to afford it, now with my dad's help I'll be able to go.

I'm just so, so scared of what will happen. If I knew what would happen, I'd probably feel better. I have no idea of the routine the dentist will go through.

As well as that, I'm scared of a stranger poking around my teeth, one of my other biggest fears is losing teeth. I keep visualising the dentist trying to clean my front teeth, but accidentally knocks one out.

Please, please help me. I'll probably be going tomorrow because I don't think I can eat anything until something is done about this. I only have the support of my mom, but she's scared of the dentist too (never been either) so she can only say so much.

 

[Vix]

That's good to know, but I am also a shy person. So knowing me I'd probably stay quiet and suffer in silence... unless it was too horrible to just 'grin' and bear it.

I know either way I will be going, it's just a matter of when. The fact it feels like it suddenly needs to happen has shaken me up quite a lot. I feel like I'm going to come out feeling physically worse than when I went in.

I have never heard of Rescue Remedy, I'll check it out. I do suffer from anxiety in certain situations, and going to the dentist is pretty much all the situations I would hate put into one place. Even filling out a silly form at the dentist will start freaking me out.

My mom will come with me if my dad isn't back from England. I know I wouldn't be able to stick it in the waiting room on my own, but in the room alone with the dentist him/herself I'd be fine.

I hope he would just need to fill it in, that would be great. I'll think the worst of this first, though. I'm thinking he'll need to pull it. It's not black in the middle, it's just a pale yellowy colour on the inside. I really hate that it has to have gotten to this point before I've seen the dentist.

It's odd though... I'm not scared of needles or pain (okay, perhaps a little, but that's not really the thing that's stopping me) it's just losing teeth that has got me mostly in a fit over this.

Thanks for getting around to my post, Pippin. I feel a little better thinking about it.

 

[odette]

I was wondering also if your dad could go with you, or at least be avaliable by phone to call before the appointment to reassure you and afterwards for you to debrief?....i'm not sure if this is standard operating procedure, but even call him during the appointment if you're seriously about to have a meltdown. Sometimes even a 30 second reassurance call can help.

 

[Vix]

@Pippin ~ I'm having my mom call them for me, I honestly doubt I'd be able to breathe if I spoke to anyone from there. I have a very hard time talking about teeth related matters without getting upset. I'm happy enough with her doing it on my behalf.

@Odette ~ No way. I would have a worse time if he was speaking to me on the phone or was waiting for me outside. I love my dad to bits, but he likes trying to push me further than I feel willing or able to go in many situations. My mom would go at my pace, she's a little more understanding in that sense.

It's just financially my mom isn't able to help me, but my dad is. He only knows a smidgen of how I feel about my teeth, and that was purely by me telling my mom and her relaying it back to him. I couldn't say it to his face because I'd breakdown.

In ways I wish it was the other way around, my dad visits the dentist whenever he needs to, or just for a check-up. I've tried asking him how it was, and all he ever does is show me his teeth... which doesn't help much.

 

[Vix]

My mom called them this morning, they have to call back again and speak to me a bit before the appointment (in about 2 weeks time). She remembered to mention I was a nervous patient, apparently they said they often get patients booking appointments and not turning up because of the fear, so that's why they'll need to speak to me closer on.

Luckily the slightly exposed nerve in my wisdom tooth isn't bothering me since I posted this thread, but I'm sort of glad it happened. Now I'm actually going to go to the dentist, when it most likely would have been put off until the new year.

I don't know what's wrong with me today, ever since my mom told me she spoke to them and I'll be going I have been strangely excited and so happy. But I know once I'm on my way down there the paralysing fear will begin to kick back in. I'm going to work my hardest to get through it, because I know what will happen if I don't go will be worse than what will happen if I do.

I think I will start a thread in the Journals section about my (hopefully positive) experience (and possible future experiences relating to my first one ever) for other people to read.