My OCD has found a new focus - my teeth and dentists

[ocdsupport]

I’ve got OCD, for months it’s been covid covid covid . Now it’s given up on that, and moved onto my teeth -
I have an overwhelming panic they’re all going to fall out . I can feel one shifting/clicking slightly and that’s set me off thinking I have advanced gum disease and I’m going to lose them all .

How do I get off this one? Have spent days googling dental decay, signs of gum disease etc . Doesn’t help that I’ve not always taken very good care of my teeth - now I floss, brush and use listerine 2 or 3 times a day every day but haven’t always . I’m scared I’m going to bite something and they’ll all fall out .

It sounds more like health anxiety than OCD. Have you had any support with it?

Not for a long time no . Had very specific covid19 support but that was all talking about reducing fears, understanding the virus better etc .

This feels so much harder to ignore, I keep thinking if I lose my teeth it’s going to be one at the front (that’s the one I can feel moving) and then I’ll be laughed at . I can’t afford false teeth or anything like that .

Some CBT might help a great deal. It's very treatable, you just need to understand it a bit better.
I share your dental anxieties actually as I have a couple of missing teeth that have been replaced and that sometimes fall out! It's really crap but it's not the end of the world and there are options for replacing them. I know it's easier said that done but do try not to google if you possibly can.