Thanks to this forum, today I had my first visit to the dentist since 2002

[spicymeatball]

I came across this forum back in November when toothache pain made me realize that I'm going to have to face my fear and do something about my teeth. Well, it took me 6 months but today I finally had my first dentist visit in 15 years. I had the problem molar extracted and overall the visit went much better than expected considering how long it's been. I'm going to need a lot more work, and I'm going to have to space it out to be able to afford it, but it feels incredible to finally face my dental issues. I haven't brushed regularly, rarely ever floss, and have tons of cavities but thankfully I won't need to have any more teeth extracted. My anxiety and shame about my teeth has been hanging over me like an ominous black cloud for my entire adult life (I'm 40 now) and I almost started crying when the dentist told me the next thing we'll work on is restoring my smile... I really can't remember the last time I smiled fully without trying to hide my yellowing, decaying teeth.
I want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to the people on this forum who have shared their stories, fears, successes, and support for one another. There's no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't have been able to force myself to tackle this problem if I hadn't found these message boards.
There is a wonderful community here, and I'm very grateful to be a part of it. Before I get any work done on my smile, I'm going to take some photos so I can post a before and after & hopefully give someone else the motivation that I've received here.
Sorry for the long post, I'm just so relieved & grateful and I owe this largely to the posts on this site. Thank you all, and God bless!

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

Re: Thanks to this forum, today I had my first visit to the dentist since 2002

Well done for going to the dentist