M
mgf_86
Junior member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2019
- Messages
- 3
- Location
- London, England
Hello,
I have had a phobia of dentists from a very young age. During my childhood and teenage years I had several bad experiences at the Dentists which included extractions without the anaesthesia set in, extremely rude/bullying dentists and an extremely atrocious diet including BED (Binge Eating Disorder) and smoking for several years. Of course this has lead me to be extremely avoidant of Dentists in adult life and now in my mid-30's I feel like I am at a crossroads with my oral health and health in general.
My last trip to the Dentist was in January 2016. It was the first time I had willingly been to the dentist without an emergency appointment and was able to build up some trust with the Dentist which helped ease my phobia. The first visit was just a look and chat, the next were a deep clean and two root canal treatments, the third was temporary fillings from Nov 2015-Jan 2016. Unfortunately, the Dentist had called in sick for my last appointment near the end of Jan 2016 - it was a major blow to the trust I had built up, mainly because of all the procedures I had created in order for me to physically go to the dentist willingly. I had become a master of meditation during this period and self-hypnosis. However, sickness happens and I rearranged the appointment a week later. I follow the procedures again, the meditation, the hypnosis, the sleepless nights of worry and nauseous feeling for days before the appointment only to be told the Dentist has gone AWOL. It was the final straw for me. The trust I had built up had gone and I have not seen a dentist since.
The 4 temporary fillings she had put in place have all fallen out about 1-2 years ago now. She had put me on the waiting list for Dental surgery at a local hospital (Romford) and was told it has the highest waiting list in the UK for Dental surgery appointments and I could wait up to 10 years! I remained in the area until late 2017 and was never contacted. The surgery was to remove 4 roots from the upper jaw where all the teeth had eroded to the stubs.
In 2012 I had emergency root canal treatment on my left front upper tooth after a bad abscess a week before cured with antibiotics. The dentist was only able to save about 25% of my tooth and filled the rest up with filler. In 2017, this broke off biting into a Ciabatta and have been left with a broken smile ever since. To say my confidence has plummetted since then would be an understatement. I have been single for 3 years and do not even bother trying to date anymore because of my teeth.
My reason for writing this post is to find out what my options are? Especially from a Dentist or other people who have been in the same or similar boat to me. A few months ago I had a shave/trim at the barbers for the first time in my life and when he swung the chair back I had a full-on anxiety attack because it reminded me of the dentist. It's been playing on my mind since then that I need to stop avoiding the issue and start addressing it.
Unfortunately, I can't afford to go private in the UK which leaves me with the option of the NHS or seek private treatment abroad in Eastern Europe.
The former (NHS) as far as I understand do not do cosmetic treatments - so that rules out fixing my front tooth but I could get the roots surgically extracted to help my oral health in the long term, right? One friend told me to go to a Dental School where I can get free treatment by Students but this only heightens my phobia knowing they're not fully trained.
Another friend said the NHS will extract all my teeth and give me dentures but at 35 years of age is this the best choice?
The latter (Private abroad) would be affordable in about 12-18 months of savings but is it safe? I have one friend who got a filling and crown in Budapest and was full of praise. They do not have a dental phobia or needed as much treatment as me.
Do I contact my local NHS Dentist and make a check-up then go from there? Do I contact a Dental Hospital? I really don't know where to start.
I have attached two of the best photos I could at the poor state of my teeth after many attempts.
I have had a phobia of dentists from a very young age. During my childhood and teenage years I had several bad experiences at the Dentists which included extractions without the anaesthesia set in, extremely rude/bullying dentists and an extremely atrocious diet including BED (Binge Eating Disorder) and smoking for several years. Of course this has lead me to be extremely avoidant of Dentists in adult life and now in my mid-30's I feel like I am at a crossroads with my oral health and health in general.
My last trip to the Dentist was in January 2016. It was the first time I had willingly been to the dentist without an emergency appointment and was able to build up some trust with the Dentist which helped ease my phobia. The first visit was just a look and chat, the next were a deep clean and two root canal treatments, the third was temporary fillings from Nov 2015-Jan 2016. Unfortunately, the Dentist had called in sick for my last appointment near the end of Jan 2016 - it was a major blow to the trust I had built up, mainly because of all the procedures I had created in order for me to physically go to the dentist willingly. I had become a master of meditation during this period and self-hypnosis. However, sickness happens and I rearranged the appointment a week later. I follow the procedures again, the meditation, the hypnosis, the sleepless nights of worry and nauseous feeling for days before the appointment only to be told the Dentist has gone AWOL. It was the final straw for me. The trust I had built up had gone and I have not seen a dentist since.
The 4 temporary fillings she had put in place have all fallen out about 1-2 years ago now. She had put me on the waiting list for Dental surgery at a local hospital (Romford) and was told it has the highest waiting list in the UK for Dental surgery appointments and I could wait up to 10 years! I remained in the area until late 2017 and was never contacted. The surgery was to remove 4 roots from the upper jaw where all the teeth had eroded to the stubs.
In 2012 I had emergency root canal treatment on my left front upper tooth after a bad abscess a week before cured with antibiotics. The dentist was only able to save about 25% of my tooth and filled the rest up with filler. In 2017, this broke off biting into a Ciabatta and have been left with a broken smile ever since. To say my confidence has plummetted since then would be an understatement. I have been single for 3 years and do not even bother trying to date anymore because of my teeth.
My reason for writing this post is to find out what my options are? Especially from a Dentist or other people who have been in the same or similar boat to me. A few months ago I had a shave/trim at the barbers for the first time in my life and when he swung the chair back I had a full-on anxiety attack because it reminded me of the dentist. It's been playing on my mind since then that I need to stop avoiding the issue and start addressing it.
Unfortunately, I can't afford to go private in the UK which leaves me with the option of the NHS or seek private treatment abroad in Eastern Europe.
The former (NHS) as far as I understand do not do cosmetic treatments - so that rules out fixing my front tooth but I could get the roots surgically extracted to help my oral health in the long term, right? One friend told me to go to a Dental School where I can get free treatment by Students but this only heightens my phobia knowing they're not fully trained.
Another friend said the NHS will extract all my teeth and give me dentures but at 35 years of age is this the best choice?
The latter (Private abroad) would be affordable in about 12-18 months of savings but is it safe? I have one friend who got a filling and crown in Budapest and was full of praise. They do not have a dental phobia or needed as much treatment as me.
Do I contact my local NHS Dentist and make a check-up then go from there? Do I contact a Dental Hospital? I really don't know where to start.
I have attached two of the best photos I could at the poor state of my teeth after many attempts.