K
Knitfastdiewarm
Junior member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2022
- Messages
- 3
- Location
- USA
Fist off I want to say that I've been a long time lurker and without this forum, it would have been so much more difficult to screw up the courage to see a dentist. So thank you to everyone who has posted their stories and their support.
I am 53 years old and today was my first ever visit to a dentist. My parents never took me as a child and by the time I was old enough to have a job with insurance I was already too afraid to go. This spiraled into an intense phobia. I never talked about teeth to anyone. I would get up and leave the room when commercials involving anything to do with teeth came on. If friends started talking about teeth I would find a way to excuse myself from the room. That shot of adrenaline one gets when something terrifying happens to them? That would happen to me when anyone asked me about my teeth. If someone could just dart me in the wild like a zoo animal and fix everything while I was out and return me to my bed when they were done, that is the option I would choose!
I have had anxiety almost every single day about my teeth. I worried about how much it would cost to fix the issues. I worried about what my spouse would think when I finally told him. I've known for a long time that my bottom front gums were in bad shape. I never had a plan. I was never going to do anything until I was FORCED to do something. I had several abscesses in an upper right molar. The first one was the worst pain I have ever experienced. I was 19 or so and told my manager at work that I had a migraine and went home. I honestly felt like if I died that day, it would have been fine. The subsequent abscesses were not as severe and apparently I have a high pain tolerance. The only reason I was able to go for as long as I have without anyone knowing is that my bottom front teeth at the gumline are not visible when I talk or smile and the back tooth that is gone at the gumline from decay is not visible. Apart from the abscesses, I never really had tooth aches or pain. Telling my husband the whole truth was the hardest conversation I've ever had. He is the most supportive and understanding person I could ever hope for. He simply said "Tell me how I can help."
I was diagnosed with osteopenia when I was 32 and it has finally progressed to osteoporosis. My doctor wants me to start a medication for it and one of the side effects is possible necrotic jawbone. So how would I know at that point if any pain I had was from dental issues, or from the medication?
So today I had x rays and an exam from a wonderful dentist that I met a month ago for a brief meet and greet consult. She did not look at my mouth at that first visit and referred me to another dentist that offered a higher level of sedation than she was able to offer. They provide IV sedation and also general anesthesia, which is what I need to have to do this. So today I finally know the extent of my problems and have a plan going forward. I have a consult appointment set up with the sedation dentist to go over a plan and set up the appointment to get everything fixed.
I will need scaling and root planing, which I figured, and possibly several more deep cleanings to get everything healthy. I have one extraction of the root of that one molar. I have 3 small cavities to be filled. I was shocked that that there weren't more. I was convinced I was going to need like 27 root canals. I will likely lose the two or three bottom front teeth which I also figured. The doctor told me I'd need a partial and I'm going to ask about a bridge since it is only 3 teeth.
I feel like a weight has been lifted. I will be able to get the work I need completed under general anesthesia and when it is finished I can start regular routine care with the dentist I saw today. I took a valium for this visit and it made a huge difference in my anxiety level. The hardest part of the exam was knowing that while I needed my husband in the room for support, that he was going to see all the gory details. I also had a lot of trouble getting the bitewing things in my mouth for the x rays. I have a small mouth and I kept gagging and didn't know what to do with my tongue! I asked the hygienist if she'd tell me how to position it and let me put it in and that worked. She also put salt on my tongue to help with the gag reflex part. Weird- but it worked.
I'm hoping that I can get all the major work done under the general anesthesia in one or two visits.
I wish I hadn't waited so long, but I can't go back in time and I feel so much better about the future.
I also plan on seeking a therapist that can help me with my phobia.
I am 53 years old and today was my first ever visit to a dentist. My parents never took me as a child and by the time I was old enough to have a job with insurance I was already too afraid to go. This spiraled into an intense phobia. I never talked about teeth to anyone. I would get up and leave the room when commercials involving anything to do with teeth came on. If friends started talking about teeth I would find a way to excuse myself from the room. That shot of adrenaline one gets when something terrifying happens to them? That would happen to me when anyone asked me about my teeth. If someone could just dart me in the wild like a zoo animal and fix everything while I was out and return me to my bed when they were done, that is the option I would choose!
I have had anxiety almost every single day about my teeth. I worried about how much it would cost to fix the issues. I worried about what my spouse would think when I finally told him. I've known for a long time that my bottom front gums were in bad shape. I never had a plan. I was never going to do anything until I was FORCED to do something. I had several abscesses in an upper right molar. The first one was the worst pain I have ever experienced. I was 19 or so and told my manager at work that I had a migraine and went home. I honestly felt like if I died that day, it would have been fine. The subsequent abscesses were not as severe and apparently I have a high pain tolerance. The only reason I was able to go for as long as I have without anyone knowing is that my bottom front teeth at the gumline are not visible when I talk or smile and the back tooth that is gone at the gumline from decay is not visible. Apart from the abscesses, I never really had tooth aches or pain. Telling my husband the whole truth was the hardest conversation I've ever had. He is the most supportive and understanding person I could ever hope for. He simply said "Tell me how I can help."
I was diagnosed with osteopenia when I was 32 and it has finally progressed to osteoporosis. My doctor wants me to start a medication for it and one of the side effects is possible necrotic jawbone. So how would I know at that point if any pain I had was from dental issues, or from the medication?
So today I had x rays and an exam from a wonderful dentist that I met a month ago for a brief meet and greet consult. She did not look at my mouth at that first visit and referred me to another dentist that offered a higher level of sedation than she was able to offer. They provide IV sedation and also general anesthesia, which is what I need to have to do this. So today I finally know the extent of my problems and have a plan going forward. I have a consult appointment set up with the sedation dentist to go over a plan and set up the appointment to get everything fixed.
I will need scaling and root planing, which I figured, and possibly several more deep cleanings to get everything healthy. I have one extraction of the root of that one molar. I have 3 small cavities to be filled. I was shocked that that there weren't more. I was convinced I was going to need like 27 root canals. I will likely lose the two or three bottom front teeth which I also figured. The doctor told me I'd need a partial and I'm going to ask about a bridge since it is only 3 teeth.
I feel like a weight has been lifted. I will be able to get the work I need completed under general anesthesia and when it is finished I can start regular routine care with the dentist I saw today. I took a valium for this visit and it made a huge difference in my anxiety level. The hardest part of the exam was knowing that while I needed my husband in the room for support, that he was going to see all the gory details. I also had a lot of trouble getting the bitewing things in my mouth for the x rays. I have a small mouth and I kept gagging and didn't know what to do with my tongue! I asked the hygienist if she'd tell me how to position it and let me put it in and that worked. She also put salt on my tongue to help with the gag reflex part. Weird- but it worked.
I'm hoping that I can get all the major work done under the general anesthesia in one or two visits.
I wish I hadn't waited so long, but I can't go back in time and I feel so much better about the future.
I also plan on seeking a therapist that can help me with my phobia.
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. Wonderful to hear that you have come such a long way in such a short time!
