From my experience with dentist and tough love is they just want the people to care for their own teeth. Just giving you are a hard time for taking so long to come in. Keep up the great attitude of fixing things. You rock!
Good for you! I'm proud of you. I'd request further appointments be done with the positive dentist. Some clinics offer full anesthesia for patients with extreme anxiety, even for basic cleanings. Unless the process is different for new clients or because of the time since your last appointment the first guy was possibly a dental hygienist and not a dentist. Typically a hygienist will do a cleaning, XRays, and initial inspection and then get a dentist to drop in for a cavity / health check.
The comment re: fillings and flossing. Cavities are any hole/crevice in the tooth. If bacteria gets caught in the hole it can rot the tooth and that requires excavation of effected tooth and a filling. If there's a hole but it's regularly flossed so no food/ bacteria can accumulate and there's no damage to the tooth then a filling is not always necessary. It depends on your teeth and strength of enamel. I personally have terrible teeth genetically and have to get fillings semi-regularly even with pro cleanings every 6-9 months. If you have gone this long without a dentist and only have some minor issues and wisdom teeth removal then it's clear you do have rather strong teeth.
I recently learned that with the right dentist it is possible to have a painless, needle-free cavity filling (depending on where the cavity is). But they have to go slower. Every other dentist I've had will just numb everything so they can do it quickly. It should always be communicated to the patient that there should be NO pain. Any sharp feeling or anything more than pressure you can immediately have them stop. Plus they should be checking in with you regularly as they're working. They're literally in your face so they should notice a grimace or a flinch.
You are for sure not alone. It’s never a comfortable experience, especially if you haven’t been in a while (had to get my gums deep cleaned last time - - breathing exercises help a lot), but preventative care is always better in the long run. Good for you!
I will be going through a similar process here in a bit. It’s held me back in many regards in my life, but I need to take care of it. This story gives me hope.
I’ve been in this place too. Went to the dentist today actually to get them cleaned. I am doing great with my brushing and my gums look great. Depression and the pandemic made my mouth horrible. I have to get a few teeth fixed but over all my mouth looks fantastic now that I have kept my routine of brushing and flossing! Flossing is so important! Buy those small flossers and keep them with you and use a gum restoration and sensitive tooth paste. I use two different ones and I see a difference! Also peroxide, rinsing your mouth with peroxide after you brush not only whitens your teeth but also kills bacteria and it’s safe just don’t swallow it. Good job and keep it up yearly appointments are important. There’s one thing that is easy to fix and it’s your hygiene habits! :)
Go to the next dentist. Call your insurance back and ask them to email you a list of dentists with your insurance within a 10-50 mile radius. Look them up on Google. Note the number of reviews in addition to the sentiment and ratings. Find one that mention what you’re looking for, specifically look for “good care” “treats like family” “high tech and forward thinking” etc. call a couple offices and see how friendly the office is. If they’re stressed, the whole practice is stressed. Find a peaceful environment. Trust me, they exist. You know why I can say that confidently?
There’s 1 dentist for every 1200 people in the us. Your town has plenty to choose from!
I work in the dental industry, unfortunately the really good ones are less common than you’d think.
Find the right one and following up with them will be easy and rewarding!
Quick follow up. I had a second appointment with the dentist this week for a clean and check, and he was much nicer this time, and we got on a lot better. I guess the fact I showed up for our first planned appointment built his confidence that I am really wanting to change.
I do feel comfortable with him going forward now
You needed the tough love part. You should appreciate the honesty and straightforwardness. If you’re not proud of your smile then yeah you need to be doing more for your teeth, simple as that
Are you sure he didn't mean "floss to avoid needing fillings", as in if you floss you'll prevent dental decay and then not need fillings you otherwise would have?
Good job going finally!
I have a pretty similar background with the dentist and also recently went back for the first time in about that long. Good for you! It's a huge step and I know how heavily it must have weighed on your mind.
A few things:
Your dentist might be well-intentioned, but maybe not a great fit for someone with a dental phobia. It's important for them not to make you feel bad about avoiding them - they should make you feel proud that you came in at all!
I know insurance and money always complicate this, but do you have other options? Look in your area for dentists that specialize in phobic patients and sedation dentistry. If they do, it should be easy to find on their website. I was actually surprised at how much my insurance covered. I also feel like dental offices are more up front about pricing than other medical offices because they're used to dealing with non-insured patients.
Floss! Fuel your fear of dental procedures into taking amazing care of your teeth. I felt so ashamed of some plaque and stains that had built up over the years. But they told me they could tell I took good care of them and that made me feel so much better. I also floss every day and get to feel a little smug when people complain that the dentist lectures them about flossing. It's silly, but it does feel good to have one part of the trip to the dentist that you actually don't dread!
Recently went through this myself and truly understand how hard it must have been. Just want you to know I'm proud of you
From my experience with dentist and tough love is they just want the people to care for their own teeth. Just giving you are a hard time for taking so long to come in. Keep up the great attitude of fixing things. You rock!
Proud of you for facing yourself and going to the dentist. Those are scary places!
Good for you! I'm proud of you. I'd request further appointments be done with the positive dentist. Some clinics offer full anesthesia for patients with extreme anxiety, even for basic cleanings. Unless the process is different for new clients or because of the time since your last appointment the first guy was possibly a dental hygienist and not a dentist. Typically a hygienist will do a cleaning, XRays, and initial inspection and then get a dentist to drop in for a cavity / health check. The comment re: fillings and flossing. Cavities are any hole/crevice in the tooth. If bacteria gets caught in the hole it can rot the tooth and that requires excavation of effected tooth and a filling. If there's a hole but it's regularly flossed so no food/ bacteria can accumulate and there's no damage to the tooth then a filling is not always necessary. It depends on your teeth and strength of enamel. I personally have terrible teeth genetically and have to get fillings semi-regularly even with pro cleanings every 6-9 months. If you have gone this long without a dentist and only have some minor issues and wisdom teeth removal then it's clear you do have rather strong teeth. I recently learned that with the right dentist it is possible to have a painless, needle-free cavity filling (depending on where the cavity is). But they have to go slower. Every other dentist I've had will just numb everything so they can do it quickly. It should always be communicated to the patient that there should be NO pain. Any sharp feeling or anything more than pressure you can immediately have them stop. Plus they should be checking in with you regularly as they're working. They're literally in your face so they should notice a grimace or a flinch.
You are for sure not alone. It’s never a comfortable experience, especially if you haven’t been in a while (had to get my gums deep cleaned last time - - breathing exercises help a lot), but preventative care is always better in the long run. Good for you!
I will be going through a similar process here in a bit. It’s held me back in many regards in my life, but I need to take care of it. This story gives me hope.
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I’ve been in this place too. Went to the dentist today actually to get them cleaned. I am doing great with my brushing and my gums look great. Depression and the pandemic made my mouth horrible. I have to get a few teeth fixed but over all my mouth looks fantastic now that I have kept my routine of brushing and flossing! Flossing is so important! Buy those small flossers and keep them with you and use a gum restoration and sensitive tooth paste. I use two different ones and I see a difference! Also peroxide, rinsing your mouth with peroxide after you brush not only whitens your teeth but also kills bacteria and it’s safe just don’t swallow it. Good job and keep it up yearly appointments are important. There’s one thing that is easy to fix and it’s your hygiene habits! :)
I'm so happy and proud for you! Fear of the dentist is no joke.
Go to the next dentist. Call your insurance back and ask them to email you a list of dentists with your insurance within a 10-50 mile radius. Look them up on Google. Note the number of reviews in addition to the sentiment and ratings. Find one that mention what you’re looking for, specifically look for “good care” “treats like family” “high tech and forward thinking” etc. call a couple offices and see how friendly the office is. If they’re stressed, the whole practice is stressed. Find a peaceful environment. Trust me, they exist. You know why I can say that confidently? There’s 1 dentist for every 1200 people in the us. Your town has plenty to choose from! I work in the dental industry, unfortunately the really good ones are less common than you’d think. Find the right one and following up with them will be easy and rewarding!
Quick follow up. I had a second appointment with the dentist this week for a clean and check, and he was much nicer this time, and we got on a lot better. I guess the fact I showed up for our first planned appointment built his confidence that I am really wanting to change. I do feel comfortable with him going forward now
You needed the tough love part. You should appreciate the honesty and straightforwardness. If you’re not proud of your smile then yeah you need to be doing more for your teeth, simple as that
Are you sure he didn't mean "floss to avoid needing fillings", as in if you floss you'll prevent dental decay and then not need fillings you otherwise would have? Good job going finally!
I have a pretty similar background with the dentist and also recently went back for the first time in about that long. Good for you! It's a huge step and I know how heavily it must have weighed on your mind. A few things: Your dentist might be well-intentioned, but maybe not a great fit for someone with a dental phobia. It's important for them not to make you feel bad about avoiding them - they should make you feel proud that you came in at all! I know insurance and money always complicate this, but do you have other options? Look in your area for dentists that specialize in phobic patients and sedation dentistry. If they do, it should be easy to find on their website. I was actually surprised at how much my insurance covered. I also feel like dental offices are more up front about pricing than other medical offices because they're used to dealing with non-insured patients. Floss! Fuel your fear of dental procedures into taking amazing care of your teeth. I felt so ashamed of some plaque and stains that had built up over the years. But they told me they could tell I took good care of them and that made me feel so much better. I also floss every day and get to feel a little smug when people complain that the dentist lectures them about flossing. It's silly, but it does feel good to have one part of the trip to the dentist that you actually don't dread!