• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

Thank-you in advance for listening!

W

Wendee

Junior member
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
1
Location
Ontario, Canada
Hi,
This is my first time posting on a forum.After reading some of your stories I can say I am a definite "dental phobic". I am soo... happy:) I found this forum, it is nice to know I am not alone on this subject.
My earliest memories of my dental issues started when I was around 6 years old. I can remember my mother putting aspirins on my gums and teeth to alleviate some of the pain from having rotten teeth. But the event in my life I feel caused me to fear the dentist the most was having 12 baby teeth pulled out due to extensive decay in them. I can remember being held down against my will during the whole procedure. The thought still sends shivers down my spine. :oGrowing up I don't remember my parents encouraging me to practice good oral care. Maybe because my mother had false teeth from the time I was 6 or 7 years old and she didn't see the importance. Over the years I have always had dental work that needed to be done in my mouth. I can't remember ever going for a cleaning and check-up and not having to go back to have work done. I have been a grinder all my life and my teeth are showing the negative effects of grinding. I still have most of my teeth on the top but are missing most of the bottoms except the front teeth. They have stains from smoking years ago(quit 8 yrs. ago) and from a Tim Hortons coffee addiction.
I am now 42 years old and alot of things have changed in my life except my fear of dentists. My mother past away 8 years ago, I have been diagnosed with panic disorder, gone back to college and about to start a new career path. This has brought my dental issues up in a BIG way.
Anyone who has had an interview know that your appearance is very important.:redface:
Long story short, after not going to the dentist for 3 years because of panic attacks I finally found some courage to go see a new dentist that I feel comfortable with. I went into see him they say I need 2 root canals, 1 extraction, 5 crowns and 3 implants all totaling around $20,000 :cry:. I live in Ontario, Canada and have no insurance. The cost is almost as bad as the procedures for me. I am having a hard time taking a loan out to pay for dental work, that money could be used for much nicer things ie. a trip, a car. But the thought of being able to smile for pictures showing my teeth, laugh without putting my hand over my mouth, just to have self confidence in myself would be sooo.. awesome.:) Any support about the financial aspect of having dental work done would be greatly appreciated.:) I am having a hard time justifying the cost, I feel VERY guilty about using that money for my teeth.

Thank-you for listening,

Wendee
 
Hi Wendee, welcome. I'm in Ontario too.... 47 years old... and I also have panic disorder (along with other things) that have kept me from the dentist for way too long.

I'm sorry about your mom.

Dental work is obscenely expensive... it should be part of our OHIP because teeth are a necessity not a luxury!

Anyway, if you want to talk, feel free to message me.
 
You should not feel guilty about using the money to take care of your teeth. You are important and should put yourself first. I do not have dental insurance either and have spent almost $20,000 almost five years ago on crowns, a root canal, periodontal work, etc. etc. etc. I stopped going to the dentist and just started again only to have the bills pile up again. The cost of dental work is not cheap but your health and well being are worth every penny. I would rather spend my money on other things as well but I look at it this way. If I keep putting off and putting it off as I have done so many times my teeth get worse and then I want to kick myself for being so fearful and of course for waiting. I know the more I wait the more money it will cost me later. I guess it is cheaper and easier to maintain teeth than to let them go. I am learning that the hard way believe me but still have a huge fear. Try and remember that you are doing something for yourself. That you will be able to smile in pictures again and have confidence in doing so. My front teeth are not straight (they are angled toward each other some) so I try and keep my mind focused someday on getting veneers and finally being able to smile without being self conscious of my teeth. I had them whitened years ago and when I first saw how white they were in pictures for the very first time I felt pretty good about my smile. Yes they are still angled in the front but the picture taken straight on from the front you could not tell. Boy did they look nice. It was a wonderful feeling. It will be worth it to look at your beautiful smile in the pictures!!! The confidence it will give you will be priceless. My best to you. :)
 

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