Fear of visiting the dentist - looking for honest support.

[TenTenTenAgain]

I'm autistic and have a severe phobia of dentistry. For this reason I've only seen a dentist as an adult when things were really bad and not had regular check ups. I know that's awful , please don't judge me.

Things are bad now. I've got receding gums under my central incisor and it's receded so far that my gum aches when I speak. I'm going to make an appointment and get treatment , I'm terrified , but I'll do it. I want to know what to expect though , it will help me cope with making the appointment and actually attending. Does anyone have any idea what treatment is usually offered in these circumstances?

I know someone who was terrified and had all the work done in a hospital under general anaesthetic. Probably you need a checkup, x-rays and discussion first. There are dentists specialising in people who are scared.

@timoteigirl thanks. I've emailed my local dentist and will probably also try to get a referral from my gp if that's at all possible.

Hi op, I cant stand the dentist either, although not a fear as bad as yours i dont think. I had a similar issue with my gums and also a tooth really hurting.
All they did was a quick look at my teeth, an x-ray which involved placing a little thin plate thingy between my gum and teeth, so nothing painful, it was xrayed and plate removed in less than 30 seconds probably.
Unfortunately for receeding gums there isn't a lot they can do i dont think other than making sure you keep on top of dental hygiene. I was prescribed a tooth paste to also help with plaque build up. I also went back for a root canal for the hurting tooth which I never thought id do!!
If you get on google you can probably find the plate thing used in dental xrays so you have an idea of what will be used and how its placed. I didnt get a good look at it but i think it was just a small, thin square, placed between the gum and teeth behind the cheeky basically. You then bite down, they move the xray machine into place and pop out the room while its taken. The plate is then moved to the other side of your mouth and xrayed on that side. It took less than 30 seconds each side for mine. If you haven't been the dentist in a very long time, its highly like they will xray

@Whowhatwhere21 thanks for your response. Yeah , I read the same about gums , there is very little gum left under that bottom tooth , it's really worrying.

I've made an appointment for a check up and paid my deposit. It seems like a really small thing , but it took a lot for me to do that.

I'm glad you were able to get your treatment completed. I understand how difficult it must've been to return for the root canal.