I went to the dentist today

[CancelTheSkip]

So what, I hear you ask?

Well, I have a severe dental phobia and hadn't been for many, many years.

My teeth were vile and disgusting - and a couple were broken. In January, I broke a(nother) tooth and decided that I had to be a grown up and get it sorted.

In March I had extensive cleaning and filling done (under sedation) and it changed my life. The dentist even managed to save a damaged incisor which I had resigned myself to losing. An enormous weight has been lifted. My teeth are clean and intact.

Today was a routine follow up. I went, sat in the chair and had a check up - without the dentist needing to scrape me off the ceiling! I have made appointments for some follow up cleaning and for a 6 monthly check up.

Still struggling to remember that I don't need to smile with my mouth closed anymore.

It's a hard thing to talk about as I know that "most" people just go regularly and look after their teeth, but this was a massive deal to me.

Bloody well done. I know exactly how you feel. I go every six months now and don’t give it a second thought but went ten years without going as I was too scared.

Congratulations, nothing worse than a dentist phobia.
I overcame mine when I had children and needed to be brave so my children didn’t pick up on the fear.

Well done!!! Be proud of yourself

Excellent 0p! 👏
Well done!
Enjoy going out into the world and flashing your biggest brightest smile! You've earned it!

Thanks everyone. It's soooooo irrational, but I'm glad I'm not the only one.

The dentist remarked to her colleague that I was a very different person from the shaking and sobbing wreck who turned up earlier in the year.

I may have paraphrased the "shaking and sobbing" bit, but - hey- it's MN 😁

Well done!
I know exactly how hard it is.

If it helps, I found heaving my earphones in and playing music whilst the dentist worked an absolute game changer.

She was very impressed and said she was going to recommend it to her other nervous patients too.

That's great, you won't look back now. Your dentist must feel pretty brilliant too, helping you get back in a proper routine - you must be their favourite kind of patient 🙂

Well done! This is a huge achievement!

Well done OP! That’s brilliant!!!!

Well done. I've been through this myself. I even had a thread going about it on here (you can advance search my username if interested). It's an incredibly hard thing to do, to overcome this phobia. People who don't have it can't understand it. My dentist told me that most people are scared of the dentist to a certain extent or find it uncomfortable and unpleasant but manageable. Those people don't really understand the difference between their feelings and a full on, out of control phobia where even the word dentist makes you want to vomit.

It's amazing what you've done and I'm so proud of you. It's so hard to talk about to anyone and especially to admit things like (in my case) you haven't been for 30 years, so you want to scream it from the rooftops because it's a major achievement.

@conxray

Yes, exactly. I mean, nobody "enjoys" going to the dentist (I don't think), but if you have a real phobia then it can be almost impossible.

I have spent all week dreading this check up but it's done now - and although my instinct is to say "thanks, you've fixed me - I don't need to come back", it was absolutely fine and I have committed to further appointments.

I have spent the last few years with this dreadful shadow hanging over me 24/7 - what if I get toothache and have to go as an emergency? what if something else breaks and I can't eat properly? what if, what if..........

That's all gone now. I hadn't realised just how miserable it was making me.

I'm never going to have sparkly white, perfectly aligned teeth with no gaps but to be honest that isn't what I wanted anyway. The dentist could have pressured me to have all sorts done, but they didn't (and tbh then I would have ended up not looking like "me").

They are clean, with no holes/broken off bits and that is all that I wanted.

Well done OP! I detest the dentist also but got myself into a 6 monthly routine a few years go after a long hiatus and it is the only way.

Well done @CancelTheSkipare you walking around like this 😬 now?

@JaneJeffer

Not really. It's hard to unlearn years of keeping my mouth closed/putting my hand in front of my mouth. I'm trying though!