DP, dental phobia, kisses and marriage.

[teethiepegs]

DP wants to marry me. I want to marry him, but there is a problem.

He will not kiss me passionately due to him feeling awful about his teeth (which aren't great, but are nowhere near as bad as he thinks they are). He has such terrible dental phobia that he can not make himself go to the dentist, despite having paid for private dental care.

I love kissing. I miss it quite a lot (we have been together for five years) and I can't get over the idea of not being properly kissed on my wedding day. I'm almost embarrassed at the idea of the whole 'you may kiss the bride' thing and him giving me a little peck.

I have no doubts about the relationship in general, he is utterly wonderful and we are great together...I just don't know how to either get myself over this kissing thing or to help him get to the dentist. Any ideas/advice?

'm almost embarrassed at the idea of the whole 'you may kiss the bride' thing and him giving me a little peck.

It's much more embarrising for the rest of the family to look at a french kiss...

But the dental phobia thing would worry me. It's apparantly bad for your heart to have bad teeth. Could he try therapy to get over his phobia?

He needs to find a dentist who specialises in dental phobia - they are out there! He may even need sedation but that has to be preferable to neglected oral health.

Any chance you live in London? You can be referred for all dentistry under sedation at the hospital, it was amazing. Now I live elsewhere and options very limited which is why I’m now hanging on four weeks to see an NHS dentist who specialises in nervous patients with pretty awful intermittent pain. I’m going to need a lot of work and I’m terrified and mortified. He needs to sort it out before it becomes urgent and he has no choice (like me!)

We did find him a dentist specialises in dental phobia...he couldn't make himself book the appointment, even after chatting with them over email. I think I might ask him if he would consider therapy for it. I know therapy can be super effective with phobias. Thanks.

Re: french kissing is embarrassing...I've never been to a wedding where there wasn't a snog!