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Dentist Appointment Tomorrow! Haven't been in over 6 years...

UNCjigga

UNCjigga

Lifer
Man I'm so scared I almost called to cancel it today! I haven't seen a dentist in over 6 years! I only brush like once a day and I never floss, and I'm sure my teeth are a mess--I can see hardened plaque in some spots (especially under my permanent back retainer) but so far my gums are okay and I haven't had any toothaches or anything...but I'm still scared!!!

A bit of backstory--I grew up in socialist Canada where all my healthcare was free and all I had to do was walk across the street from my house to the dentist and get a checkup every 6 months. Then just as I was becoming a teenager we moved to America and my rents got divorced, and my mom (who took care of all the "health stuff") left. My dad hated the HMO system with a passion, and although we were fully covered through his employer he never did the regular checkups--doctor or dentist--for himself or the rest of the family. Only when I was goin to college did I see a doctor for tetanus/tb shots (required by the school.) I didn't really care for either so I never said anything. Then I graduated highschool, graduated college and now I'm working. All of a sudden I have my own benefits package. Wow! So I started doin the 6 month doctor thing, and everything's cool. But I dreaded the dentist appointment..I kept puttin' it off until I saw Austin Powers late one night on TBS (and I think I had a bad teeth nightmare that night too!)

I'm like so paranoid. I don't even know what to do, and I'm afraid to ask the dentist about things in case I'll look like a dumbass. Tonight I packed my little travel kit so I can brush a few times at work before my appointment! I even tried flossing tonight (though I had no idea WTF I was doing so I don't think it worked!) What should I do? Will the dentist laugh at me? Will I laugh at the dentist (will he gas me?) Will I get the drill??? Arrgh I'm so scared! :Q
 
Nobody will laugh at you unless you wet yourself, but this won't be easy for you... They'll tell you what's going on - so don't worry too much.

 
heh i went to checkups always, but i didn't get my drilling done for a year and a half. racked up 4 drillings at once .. what fun🙂

i hate drills, i hate needles. just unpleasant grr.


but i've gotten less cavities recently since i no longer drink sugared soda and eat less candy. bought an electric toothbrush since they do clean way better, and floss since all my cavities were between teeth. no i'm mr no plaque🙂




oh, buy good floss. eithre glide or oral b satin. the stuff glides between teeth with ease and never shreds. i find that if its unpleasant i do it less, so a few cents more isn't much to pay for good floss. carry it around just incase u gotta garotte someone🙂
 
You sound very insecure. Maybe some psychotherapy would help. You got to hitch up your pants and tough it out through the pain. Dentists are all graduates of torture school. No matter how well prepared you are, they have an instrument that will make you crawl out of your skin.
 
i haven't been to the dentist for a year or so. I went today, it kinda BAD dude. I usually got 6 month checkups but then my dentist retired and i totally put off finding a new oen. I found one and went. She was scrubbing off plaque for about 40-50min and then they found 3 cavities. Tomarrow I get them filled ARGGGG. Also had to get x-rays, talk about gag. I'm glad I did it though.
 
You're better off knowing about problems with your teeth now than later. Later could be too late to fix whatever problems you have with your teeth now.
 
just go. if you keep putting it off, you're problems will only get worse. I see teenagers losing teeth everyday b/c they don't take care of themselves (i'm a dental student)... I keep thinking to myself "if she only came to the dentist sooner..."

also TELL your dentist exactly what you wrote about not going for years... he'll be supportive of your decision to finally come. TELL him you don't know how to floss... if he's a good dentist, he'll teach you how to brush and floss (yes there is a correct way...) If he laughs at you and makes you feel like a dumbass, leave his office. Trust me, when someone comes in and says they haven't been to the dentist for several years and they finally want treatment, I do not think "what an idiot"...

🙂
 
Don't worry too much, if they do anything that's painful, they usually give you novocaine (spelling?) or something like that. You probably have to return a few more times because of the plague built-up over the years. Even the cavity fill-in isn't that bad now.
 
Oh man i have the same problem. I came from Canada a year back and suddenly these things cost money :Q I haven't been to the dentist in two years which in actual fact isn't all that bad. My teeth are in decent shape (I think), but one of them has a funny color on it - it's had it for years but I think something is happening there...I know I need to check out a dentist this year but until the cash is flowing in heavy I'm reluctant to get the bad news (if there is any).
 
Most dental schools offer free basic dental cleaning, X-rays, and routine work such as filling cavities. The work is done by advanced students (NOT freshman newbies,) under the close supervision of Professors of Dentistry. I highly recommend this method of obtaining dental care, for those who do not have insurance. I have never had a bad experience in the care of a student who was trying to impress his teachers; I've had lots of bad experiences with DDS's in private practice who didn't give a damn whether they hurt me or not.
 
Don't sweat it man! I didn't go for over 10 years:Q

I just went in April because I had a broken tooth, and the root was still in there. I was so paranoid!!! It took the dentist 10 minutes to get the root out. I went back to have my teeth deep cleaned, and everything. After 10 years I don't have any cavities, and only need 3 crowns. I can go back and get a bridge for my missing tooth, but that is up to me. You will be fine.
 
Originally posted by: NorthRiver
Don't sweat it man! I didn't go for over 10 years:Q

I just went in April because I had a broken tooth, and the root was still in there. I was so paranoid!!! It took the dentist 10 minutes to get the root out. I went back to have my teeth deep cleaned, and everything. After 10 years I don't have any cavities, and only need 3 crowns. I can go back and get a bridge for my missing tooth, but that is up to me. You will be fine.
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Why get a bridge? Implants are MUCH better.
 
Originally posted by: Dudd
Originally posted by: AmusedOne
Stop whining or we'll show you The Big Book Of British Smiles.
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Aw, I wanted to get the first British joke in.
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its more of a simpsons joke than it is a brit joke.

"how often do you floss ralph?"
"why must you turn my office into a house of lies?!"
 
hehe, I didn't go to the dentist for about 7 years, except I brush 2 - 3 times a day and floss a couple times a week. When I finally went, I had two teeth pulled - molars - which I swear were attached to the top of my skull. It took him 15 minutes each to work them out, back and forth, snap and pop, crunch and grind. The glorified pair of pliers he was using kept slipping off, too. He kept chuckling and would utter pleasantries like "Damn!" or "What's holding that in there?" or "My arms are starting to get tired."

My hands were stiff from grasping on to the arm rests, I couldn't put-up enough resistance to stay in the chair with just my neck muscles, so I was like using my whole body to provide resistance so he didn't push and pull and twist me right off the chair.

I'm not sure who was more traumatized after they were out, him or me.

Then I had to come back for two deep fillings, both of which had to be redone. I guess the filling wound-up too close to the nerve, and he didn't use some sort of insulating material to protect the nerve. Just taking in a breath of cool air would send me through the roof. So he drill them out and did them over.

Good luck!
 
Originally posted by: tcsenter
hehe, I didn't go to the dentist for about 7 years, except I brush 2 - 3 times a day and floss a couple times a week. When I finally went, I had two teeth pulled - molars - which I swear were attached to the top of my skull. It took him 15 minutes each to work them out, back and forth, snap and pop, crunch and grind. The glorified pair of pliers he was using kept slipping off, too. He kept chuckling and would utter pleasantries like "Damn!" or "What's holding that in there?" or "My arms are starting to get tired."

My hands were stiff from grasping on to the arm rests, I couldn't put-up enough resistance to stay in the chair with just my neck muscles, so I was like using my whole body to provide resistance so he didn't push and pull and twist me right off the chair.

I'm not sure who was more traumatized after they were out, him or me.

Then I had to come back for two deep fillings, both of which had to be redone. I guess the filling wound-up too close to the nerve, and he didn't use some sort of insulating material to protect the nerve. Just taking in a breath of cool air would send me through the roof. So he drill them out and did them over.

Good luck!
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Bet you can't wait, hey JIGGA?😉

 
the funny thing is sometimes i feel absolutely nothing, perfect numbing, other times only halfway which sucks ars.


and dude tcenter, thats insane!! everytime i've had teeth yanked it took like 3 seconds a tooth heh. then again the molars i lost due to bad rootcanals were done at about the age of 12. by english dentists too..those #%@ freaks😉 funniest part is i've never felt pain when they rip out the tooth... yet drilling sometimes sucks😛
 
Shouldn't be that bad..better late then never. Just think how good you'll feel comming out of there.
 
i haven't been to my dentist in over a year...
though i brush twice a day i know i have 2 cavaties which i can't feel are there, i don't want to go in not because i am scared but because i don't want to go through the whole needle, drill, numbness, can't eat, thing
 
Dentists over here aren't bad at all. I used to live in Australia, where I had a crazy dentist that would give me hell if I didn't brush and floss religiously. My new guy here in Israel is more enlightened. Brushing once or twice a day is just fine, and the quality of your teeth is mostly hereditary anyway. I just brush twice a day and go for a check-up once a year to hear how nice my teeth are 🙂. Once I had a couple of fillings done, with lasers, over in about 10 painless minutes.
 
Heh, I've been there. I didn't go to the dentist for over 4 years because I absolutely hate going. Well, when I got there he chewed me out. He didn't say I was a moron or anything like that, but he made it clear what can happen if you don't keep up with your dental hygene. My whole family uses this dentist and he knows that my parents have gum problems and various other dental problems so he gave me a stern warning that unless I wanted to end up like them I better start flossing daily (along with my brushing) and see him regularly.

I guess that was the kick in the butt that I needed 'cause the last time I went to the dentist I got the A O.K. 😀
 
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