Confession - I’m going to the dentist for the first time in over 10 years this week [blush]

[bluetongue]

I’m not proud of this but I made an appointment for the dentist after more than 10 years.

I’ve got dental anxiety after some bad childhood experiences. Then after my last dentist visit I kept on putting the next visit off and before I knew it years had gone by. Then I was anxious about going back after a big break and ‘getting in trouble’ due to leaving it so long.

One of my worries was the cost (not in the UK so no NHS dentists) but I have a decent amount of savings at the moment so have plucked up the courage to book.

My teeth REALLY need a good clean and are looking rather yellow which I hate. I’ve promised myself that I’m going to at least get some quotes for teeth whitening so I can feel great about my teeth after neglecting them.

I do brush my teeth twice a day most days and have never had a filling. My gums do bleed sometimes when I brush though which I know isn’t great.

When I was child many of my baby teeth didn’t fall when the adult teeth came through and needed to be pulled out by the dentist. When one of my molars was being pulled the dentist didn’t check properly that the anesthetic had worked and basically pulled it out with no numbing in place. I jumped in the chair and shrieked. I also had an orthodontist with truly awful bedside manner who made me cry and I used to have meltdowns before I went.

Fingers crossed there isn’t anything too painful or expensive that needs fixing.

I was similar, up to maybe 5/6 years ago hadn't gone for several years. Had really bad anxiety about dentists. My whole body would be so tense in chair, my knuckles white.

Found a really nice dentist in a small practice who is great with nervous patients (I'd googled reviews of dentists).

I had to get a filling first time there but he was so gentle, talked me through everything and numbed gum before injecting local anesthetic so I felt nothing. Even though not exactly fun it was the most positive dentist experience I'd every had.

I go every 6months now, apart from in lockdown was a bit longer. The dental hygienist is lovely too. Everything is done as gently as possible.

No lectures either, he just explains really nicely each check up what are the important oral hygiene things to do.

I'm not in UK either, I pay for some visits but get 1 check up a year free or for €15 I think under PRSI (tax) scheme. Everyone entitled to that if pay PRSI or have enough contributions over previous years I guess.

Good luck with your appointment! Hopefully it will be a more positive experience than ones when you were younger!

@lucertola28

I was similar, up to maybe 5/6 years ago hadn't gone for several years. Had really bad anxiety about dentists. My whole body would be so tense in chair, my knuckles white.

Found a really nice dentist in a small practice who is great with nervous patients (I'd googled reviews of dentists).

I had to get a filling first time there but he was so gentle, talked me through everything and numbed gum before injecting local anesthetic so I felt nothing. Even though not exactly fun it was the most positive dentist experience I'd every had.

I go every 6months now, apart from in lockdown was a bit longer. The dental hygienist is lovely too. Everything is done as gently as possible.

No lectures either, he just explains really nicely each check up what are the important oral hygiene things to do.

I'm not in UK either, I pay for some visits but get 1 check up a year free or for €15 I think under PRSI (tax) scheme. Everyone entitled to that if pay PRSI or have enough contributions over previous years I guess.

Good luck with your appointment! Hopefully it will be a more positive experience than ones when you were younger!

Thanks! It’s costing me a fair bit more than 15 Euros sadly but this dentist is recommended as being good for nervous patients so it’s worth it. I’m in Australia and dental care is very expensive here. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t one of the things putting me off.

The incentive is my shiny white teeth once it’s all done

I’ll try and commit to go every 12 months after this.

I left it about 13 years once. The dentist was lovely, the receptionists just went ‘oooh’ when they realised but they were lovely too. They gave me an X-ray but everything was fine. You’ll feel on top of the world when you come out of there!

Don't worry OP, if you clean your teeth twice a day you aren't neglecting them, that's taking care of them. Most likely you won't have any fillings so just the cost of the examination plus the clean and polish, and xrays if you choose. That's very affordable (I'm also in Australia). It's not like half your teeth will be rotten and you haven't noticed.

I left it longer than 10 years after a bad childhood experience. Didn’t need any treatment when I did manage to make myself go back. Found a dentist so lovely I am now happy to go every year.
Good luck !!

Oh OP I posted this EXACT thread a few months ago. Hadn't been in ten years, terrified of getting told off and needing loads of expensive and painful work.

I had ZERO issues, teeth just needed a good clean! They looked great afterwards! I felt on top of the world.

@WaterBottle123

Oh OP I posted this EXACT thread a few months ago. Hadn't been in ten years, terrified of getting told off and needing loads of expensive and painful work.

I had ZERO issues, teeth just needed a good clean! They looked great afterwards! I felt on top of the world.

Good to hear

Even if I do need a filling it two it won’t be the end of the world. I just need to think of the lovely clean, white teeth I’ll have.

My mum doesn’t recall the botched tooth extraction so I’m not sure if I even said anything at the time (was a school dentist so she wasn’t there). Pretty sure it actually happened and I didn’t imagine or dream it.

I went this year after about 10-15 years. I feel you!

I’m back!

As suspected I need two cleans and have plenty of tartar and some gingivitis. Apart from that though he said my teeth were perfect I still have no cavities or filling ever,

I did get a lecture........that I need to stop judging myself about my teeth and lose the anxiety. He even said my bite was good! When I was a teenager I was told by my awful orthodontist that if I didn’t get jaw surgery for my overbite that my teeth would be ruined by the time I was 35 - 40. I refused but my orthodontist was pretty awful and tried to put pressure on me to do it.

I’m soooo glad I got the courage up and went.

Oh that’s brilliant OP. Well done. Hopefully that will give you the confidence to keep going.

@Wolfiefan

Oh that’s brilliant OP. Well done. Hopefully that will give you the confidence to keep going.

Thanks. On top of all that it was actually cheaper than quoted! Apparently they quoted a price that included x rays for wisdom teeth but as I have no wisdom teeth it wasn’t needed.

I was actually a bit emotional on the way home about how awfully my orthodontist used talk to me and how depressed it made me To think that all these years I was convinced because I was ‘bad’ and decided against jaw surgery I would have bad teeth and it was just a matter of time.

I can relate to that. I didn’t go to the dentist for quite a few years. Faced up to it and was told by a really intimidating dentist that unless I spent thousands on treatment I would lose all my teeth within a decade. Scared me witless.
Nearly 30 years later I still have all my teeth. Found a lovely dentist and go each year. So I can only assume the treatment they tried to railroad me into was a scam.

I left it years - when i finally went i got told off and lectured.

Guess what? I've left it years again!

:(

The lecturing for not going is so counterproductive. We’re not idiots. We know we should be going. The lectures are one of the things putting us off!

I don’t recommend leaving it 10 years even though I got lucky. I’m convinced it’s more luck genetics than my amazing oral care. My diet is terrible and I chug soft drink all the time!