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Toothlessish little step forward

T

toothlessish2

Junior member
Joined
Feb 10, 2009
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Those of you who have known me over the many years I've posted on here will realise what a big success and move forward this is...ok it's not a big dramatic success like so many people have so quickly...

BUT drum roll.........................

I"M GOING TO SEE A DENTIST ON THURSDAY:)

That's right I have A DENTIST APPOINTMENT:)

It's the begining of the culmination of me deciding that this is the year I stop feeling pain, and learn to eat and smile again...

It is just an appointment to talk and comes after lots of emails and phone conversations which in themselves were milestones...But if you know me you'll know I've been looking for a dentist to feel hopeful about for so many years.

I'm going to drive 400 miles each way to see this dentist...I'm trying not to get too excited as she may not feel able to take my particular set of problems on but you know what even if I'm too much for her I'd still and will recommend her because she has really stepped out of the box for me and has helped me to feel that it is possible...

Can you all if you have a second send happy successful wishes my way on Thursday afternoon:)
 
Congratulations and best of luck!!
 
WAY TO GO!!!:jump::jump::jump:
Every step we take is an acheivement!
Blessings to you:)
 
:yay:I thought I should update this and really for anyone reading this you might want to read my posts over the last 4 or 5yrs...yup it's really taken that long. I used to be toothlessish and then evolved into toothlessish2. I just wanted to say that because sometimes it seems poeople turn up here and manage (lucky souls) to solve their problems very quickly. I'm probably not the only person for whom it hasn't been so straight forward and whilst I'm still very much at the beginning of the road, I think it is important for anyone despairing of every being able to do anything about their mouth either because of fear or lack of money or even geography to just keep hold of the belief that one should never give up.
So here we go: I travelled over 400km each way to find what I hoped was my best chance dentist in the last 5yrs. She was as lovely has I had hoped and without getting in the chair I managed to let her look in my mouth. She was prepared to bet her money that my mouth wouldn't be the worst she had ever seen and yet it must have been very close. Mostly we talked which really was what I needed and she seemed to understand that for me the issues are more about control than pain. I liked her honesty and directness, patronising wouldn't work for me and she just made me feel that I could trust her to do her job and understand the best way for her to do her job for me. Feeling brave and wanting so much to move things forward we agreed that I'd come in for Xrays the next day. Straight after I rewarded myself with:sleepyjuice:
I rolled up for my Xrays and now she knows that even if I trust and like her I'm not able to stop the shakey scared reaction I get, it's totally physical. I had to take my flipper out, which is so embarrassing as I've made 'home adjustments' to it:redface: I didn't like the Xrays, uncomfortable nasty stuff in my mouth and quite difficult due to the general pain in my mouth and lack of teeth, but hey compared to an abcess it was a walk in the park and of course the reality is that without them everything else as to the state of my mouth was just speculation. Ten mins later we had the results and they were very much as I'd expected. The teeth I'd felt definitely have to go do have to go and there is the chance to possibly save the ones that I'd dared to hope could be saved. As a bonus there is one tooth that I was sure was a gonna that can be saved, so as everybody always says 'they're not as bad as I expected'. The truth is I have very advanced periodental disease :cry:(which I knew). It's so sad a pretty much cavity free mouth but no bone left to hold the teeth, still this about the future not about the past so I'm not going to dwell on that. But please for anybody reading this what my jouney has taught me is that teeth and gums never absolutely never get better on their own it just gets worse and more painful with every passing year. It's a shame in a way that so many of us only end up here when we start to get dental problems and actually the best time for a phobic to be finding a dentist is before the problems start. Anyway back to me.:)
I have a chance to save my bottom front teeth although they will need to be splinted (not quite sure what this involves yet) to see if they can recover as although they don't wobble there is virtually no bone left. I have a back molar that can be crowned which should help to stop my face collapsing and hopefully a couple of top teeth which will help to provide some stability for the partial which will have to replace all that have gone already and all that have to go. I can see that on some levels the full denture option might be the simplest and easiest option but I do think I have to at this point try to keep the teeth I can in the belief that the dentures I will need will be more stable and if I don't try I'll never know.
Of course now the big issue is distance and associated expense, but I've spoken to all my family, children included and we're all up for it as I've been so ill both physically and depressed with it for so long. I'd like to be starting next week but because of the distance and my commitments here nothing can happen until the end of August. The plan is I'll go there for about a week, have a very deep clean and the splints applied, we'll also take impressions for the partials. I think then I have to wait a couple of months for that to all work and then out come the yuckies and in come some hopefully nice pretty and importantly functional knashers. I think I'm going to need the remaining teeth cleaned once a month which is a heck of a commitment as it's just not possible to get there and back in one day so it's going to involve an overnight stay each time and of course any time I have a worry or need an adjustment it's so far to go. But both lovely dentist and I are in agreement that this is absolutely the last chance to save my remaining teeth. She suggested locals for the cleaning but as I have such an issue withthe bleeming needles we'll give it a go without, I've got a reasonably high pain threshold but if I can't cope then we'll use local.
So hopefully now toothlessishes journey begins, maybe now I get to be moretoothish:) Hey I wonder if this should become a journal:)
 
Wooohoooh :yay::yay::yay::yay::yay:!!!!

I only just spotted this thread (for anyone else reading this thread - yes, it IS true - toothlessish2 aka toothlessish really has been around for 4 or 5 years - in fact, she helped to kick-start the very first Dental Fear Central forum, in the dim and distant past, which was then hosted on ProBoards ;D).

I can't believe you finally did it - that's an amazing success and your determination and courage is truly admirable :respect:. Dammit, I think you even beat scaredstiff in the "longest drive to the dentist" stakes ;D... and how great to hear that your family are so supportive :thumbsup:.

Hope you've had lots of chances to celebrate your success - here's to you :sleepyjuice::party::cheers:
 
It's the begining of the culmination of me deciding that this is the year I stop feeling pain, and learn to eat and smile again...

I know exactly how you feel. And good for you! :) Even if it's in baby steps, you'll feel much better about it after.

Going through that pain and hassle everyday is not natural and it's something that most have learned to live with. It's become so much apart of our lives that we do not know the difference anymore.

So good for you for making this decision!
 
Would love to hear how this continued, i wish you all the best of luck on your journey
 
Congratulations Toothlessish..I hadn't seen this when I sent that last 'pm' when I got back from holiday. I am relieved for you - at least you now have a firm plan and can be painfree at least.:jump::party::sleepyjuice::sleepyjuice::XXLhug:


I've merged your other Toothlessish2 threads but not sure if I can fnd and link in the old Toothlessish ones - will try and see. I am sure you are right others will benefit from seeing the length of your struggle.
 
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Ok next update:)

I had to get blood tests before the dentist would treat me and that took a while because my phobia sort of runs into anything medical, but I got by with a little help from my friends, sing along now:) The good thing that came out of my blood test was that I have amazingly good cholesterol levels, I've never seen a doctor so excited.

Sooooooo:) I'm off to the dentist next Tuesday, I've got appointments scheduled for Weds and Fri. I'm getting scaled and hopefully splinted and not sure what else, to say I'm nervous is an understatement. But to feel that I might be at the beginning of the end of all this pain and sadness is also so exciting.

My big ambition is to one day have a 'crunching party' with my kids where we all eat crunchy things:)

I'm not taking any sedatives and sedation in surgury is so difficult to come by that it's not even an option if I want this dentist so I'm going to have to go in cold so to speak. Can you all send me warm and positive thoughts if you get the chance.

I'll let you know how it goes when I get back:sleepyjuice:
 
All the best :yay:for next week's appointments (note the plural;))..you've come this far, you can do it - now you have found a human being to treat you.:XXLhug:

I dread to think how that other guy would have handled you and what he would have suggested, if you had not had the good sense to make your escape.
 
Sending you lots of warm wishes and positive vibes :XXLhug:

She sounds like a lovely person and I'm certain that you are in good hands!!

All the best - we'll be thinking of you!! :grouphug:
 
Adding some more warm and positive thoughts for tomorrow (if I have my dates right.)

I can't imagine how inconvenient it must be to have to arrange an overnight stay to see the dentist. The drive alone must be nerve-wracking! That alone shows you're one tough and determined cookie!
 
Well I'm back and............

I DID IT:jump::yay::jump:

I'm splinted and cleaned and I've sat in a chair and
had work done

Yes to say I was nervous was an understatement and there were a couple of sticky moments but she was just so good she got me through, and I was just soooo determined. Both she and my OH did everything they could to make this work for me and all I really had to do was believe I could do it:)

My dentist (mine you get it:)) said to me last time to think if there was anything that would help me that we could do and as the countdown to the day started and I could feel myself getting more and more nervous and anxious as each day passed an idea came to me and it was so simple:) I knew that by the time I arrived in the surgery I'd be a gibbering wreck and that's my moment of run away so I asked if it would be possible for me to meet with her for five mins early in the morning (my appoinment was for afternoon) well that worked so well it sort of diffused some of the anxiety if that makes sense? I met with her and wandered around the surgery and and she showed me all the things that she would be using and explained what each thing did, I can't describe how helpful I found that and I left feeling really ready for my appointment and almost looking forward to it. For people who's fear is abnout control this I can recommend.

She praised me constantly while working on me and explained again each thing as she was about to do it that helped loads as well. I even got stickers for being brave:) The other thing I did which maybe you're not really supposed to do but I sort of don't see why not was to have a glass of :sleepyjuice: about half an hour before each appointment, it really was only one and it just gave me a little bit of confidence:) Fortunately I live in a country where a glass of wine with lunch is totally acceptable:) Interesting fact I've discovered is that you can't get sedation here in a dental surgery, it's just not allowed because my dentist is trained to do it and wishes she could but it's forbidden. Not that it would have helped me anyway as I didn't want to be out of it, I didn't even want to take the pills the doc gave me although I did get them just in case I got to the point where I might chicken out, but I didn't:)

Well that's me for now:) Because I have to take antibiotics before treatment I have to have a months gap between each tranch of work, but I can't wait for the next step:):yay:
 
:jump:Great news! I'm so happy for you!
It sounds like you've found a wonderful dentist. You must feel fantastic!!
 
:yay:I am so happy for you. Go you and that really was a wonderfully clever idea to meet with the dentist prior to your appointment like that. I might have to try that sometime for a doctor visit. Doctors usually :scared:me. Not dentists anymore at least lol "mine."

Anyway huge congrats and all the best to come!

Mona
 
Fantastic news! I'm so happy for you!
 
That's wonderful news....an inspiration to all....great new tip about the meeting in advance on the day....I can imagine if diffuses the fear/apprehension..such that when you go back, you are nowhere near as tense as you otherwise could have been. :grouphug::sleepyjuice:
 
Can I just say I am SO glad you posted about this.

I've been told I also have fairly bad periodontal disease. At least in one quadrant of my mouth; it was an emergency appointment (I go on vacation tomorrow), so I have no idea what he might find in the rest of my mouth. The fact that you've nevertheless had a positive experience is giving me hope - thanks again for posting this, and I hope the rest of the treatment goes well for you!:)
 
Well I'm back and............

I DID IT:jump::yay::jump:

I'm splinted and cleaned and I've sat in a chair and
had work done

Yes to say I was nervous was an understatement and there were a couple of sticky moments but she was just so good she got me through, and I was just soooo determined. Both she and my OH did everything they could to make this work for me and all I really had to do was believe I could do it:)

My dentist (mine you get it:)) said to me last time to think if there was anything that would help me that we could do and as the countdown to the day started and I could feel myself getting more and more nervous and anxious as each day passed an idea came to me and it was so simple:) I knew that by the time I arrived in the surgery I'd be a gibbering wreck and that's my moment of run away so I asked if it would be possible for me to meet with her for five mins early in the morning (my appoinment was for afternoon) well that worked so well it sort of diffused some of the anxiety if that makes sense? I met with her and wandered around the surgery and and she showed me all the things that she would be using and explained what each thing did, I can't describe how helpful I found that and I left feeling really ready for my appointment and almost looking forward to it. For people who's fear is abnout control this I can recommend.

She praised me constantly while working on me and explained again each thing as she was about to do it that helped loads as well. I even got stickers for being brave:) The other thing I did which maybe you're not really supposed to do but I sort of don't see why not was to have a glass of :sleepyjuice: about half an hour before each appointment, it really was only one and it just gave me a little bit of confidence:) Fortunately I live in a country where a glass of wine with lunch is totally acceptable:) Interesting fact I've discovered is that you can't get sedation here in a dental surgery, it's just not allowed because my dentist is trained to do it and wishes she could but it's forbidden. Not that it would have helped me anyway as I didn't want to be out of it, I didn't even want to take the pills the doc gave me although I did get them just in case I got to the point where I might chicken out, but I didn't:)

Well that's me for now:) Because I have to take antibiotics before treatment I have to have a months gap between each tranch of work, but I can't wait for the next step:):yay:


Here we are in 2020.... How are you doing now with your dental treatment?
 
Hi @katiew1977 , it's unlikely that toothlessish will see this (this thread is from 2009)! We've changed forum software a number of times over the years and old members won't be getting notifications when someone has posted in their thread (that's if their email address is still valid...). So don't hold your breath for a reply :) !
 
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