39 And Embarassed by Teeth

Go to a "caters to cowards" dentist.
Do NOT be embarrassed, they've seen it all.
The important thing to remember is if you do nothing you'll be in worse shape when you're 49....59....etc.
Go NOW!
You can do it!
Good luck!

Take care of things now. I hated the dentist. Waiting and waited and then had to have major major work done. My front tooth was chipped too. Do not
put it off. I did find a dentist I absolutely adore, so that helped. However, because I let things go so long, I paid the price meaning big bucks. Do not be
a fool like me.

There are dentists who specialize in dental phobias.

They treat their patients in a number of different ways. Some use meds. Some headphones and 'sunglass viewers'. Some do giant appointment to 'do everything at once' (because they know you won't come back for years, others do very short micro appointments.

Ask around (your dentist, friends, etc. if they know / use any dentists that specialize in phobias.

I went in for a cleaning one time, and the hygienist was talking to me about a patient she had seen earlier in the day. She told me this person had not been to the dentist in a very long time (10 or 15 years?) and that it was a little bit of work to clean the teeth. At first I thought she was going to make a comment about people not caring about their teeth or something, but she didn't. She really surprised me, because she paused and said that it felt really good knowing that she had helped the person out by cleaning their teeth and letting them know that there was no need to be embarrassed and that she was really there to help.

There really are some great, gentle, kind, compassionate dental practices out their. The dentists in the practice we go to have been great to us and to our boys. I know if you ask around, you will find one.

Good luck!

There are plenty of dentists that work with nitrous oxide etc.

I would have your teeth repaired cosmetically and to get them healthy again. Otherwise you're going to lose your teeth.

People make a lot of judgements about you if your teeth aren't fixed. You owe it to yourself and your kids to get the basics taken care of.

I think most of us dislike the dentist. As a matter of fact, my 6 year old went on Thursday. I asked her if she bit Jane the assistant and she said, "No, but I wanted to".

Get on the phone on Monday and make your appointment and go do it.

get to the dentist ASAP

i did the same thing as you with the waiting. i cannot stand the sound or the feel. i also do a nervous tap.

i had 3 kids in 3 years and the pregnancies were too much on my teeth. thank god i didn't wait another minute cause it could have gotten a lot worse. now i go regularly (even if i have to take all 3 kids) and my teeth have made major changes for the better. my teeth and gums are healthy now.

please go asap

Ask your friends for referrals. Just know that, getting there is the hard part. Nothing is going to be near as bad, as what you're imagining.

Just go, it will be fine. Most dental offices understand that visiting the dentist causes some people a lot of anxiety, they know how to deal with it and want to make your visit as pleasant as possible. It is very important to your overall health to get your teeth healthy. Don't stress!

I have gum disease really bad because I couldn't go to a dentist for years, no insurance. I have lost 3 bottom front teeth, needed a root canal and now I'm on a 3 month recall for cleanings. If I don't take care of my teeth and gums I will lose all of my teeth.

Find a good dentist with a good hygenist. The hygentist numbs my mouth so the cleanings don't hurt. Mine were bad enough that she could only do only upper right then left and lower right then left, a week apart. For 4 weeks I went in for about an hour on a Monday afternoon so she could get my teeth descaled and cleaned.

I had to go to a specialist for the root canal, once the numbness wore off I had no pain, or discomfort at all.

Go in get it done and save your teeth. You will be happy you did.

Go to the dentist and then deal with what is real not what you are imagining right now. :)

It's time to put you at the top of the to do list. If you don't take care of you nobody will. How are you going to eat if you don't have any teeth - through a straw?

Look up dentists the state "cater to cowards" or something like that. They are gentle and will work with you to ease your fears. You are also showing your kids by example that this is not a good place to go. Suck it up and do the Nike thing "just do it"! All will work out and there are payment plans.

The other S.

Just go. You will feel better once you have gone. It wont be any where near as bad as you are making it out to be in your head.

I didn't go to the dentist for 3 years, exactly at your age. I cracked a tooth nd ad o go in. Amazingly, I didn't need any work. I went to an old time dentist that doesn't believe in fixing what is not broken.

Maybe you can find yourself a Dentist like that to get warmed up to going back to the dentist.

My dentist always give me valium before I go, and then I only go to someone who will use Nitros Oxide (laughing gas). Its the only way I can sit there and even let them give me the shot to have anything done. I would really like it for a cleaning too, but they won't do it since mine aren't that bad. I would find someone who does stuff like that. Also, we have a sleep dentristry place that will put you into a twilight sedation and do it so that its easier on you. Good Luck!

Call your insurance provider and ask them if they have any dentists that do general anesthesia during dental work. Tell them you have a phobia of dentists and you have a broken tooth. You may have to pay a bit more for the dental work but it should fall into the out patient surgery area and not just dental. Your provider can really help you in this area.

I found a father and son dental clinic in Tulsa where they were both dentists. The father decided he wanted to be able to do more so he went back to school and became an anesthesiologist. They did the work there in their office. The drug they used on me didn't work well, I found out later I do much better with a Valium mix instead of Versed. I just have a bad reaction to that one.

I am put to sleep each time I go to the oral surgeon who pulls my teeth instead of getting them fixed. I just can't do it.

I found this dental clinic through our insurance provider.

Be the good example to your children, be brave and take care of your teeth..

As the other moms said, there are dentist that are really good with patients that are nervous.. Call around and get this fixed ASAP.. Teeth are part of your over all health.

My mother never had a cavity until she became pregnant with me.. She lost a lot of calcium.
Pregnancies take a lot from our teeth, you have not done anything wrong.. it is just part of being a mom..

What I like about my dentist is they have massage chairs while you get your teeth cleaned and examined. There are dentists with this perk as well as headphones to listen to music to help relax patients.

Find a dentist that a good friend of yours likes.

Don't work yourself up about what can happen. Building up your apprehension is making it worse and you are stressing yourself out.

It might not be a bad idea to speak with a professional about your fears of going to the dentist.

Also, are you sending a message to you children about your fears of the dentist? If you don't do it for yourself, do it for them.

Many blessings.

i went 20 years without going. yep 20. then i only went a handful of times before not going again. it's not as easy as "just make the appointment and go." hubby has to be in the room at all times. i have to be put under anesthia for anything other than a basic cleaning. yep i am a chicken. look for a gentle dentist. oddly enough my boys are fine with the dentist.

yeah i need to go to. it's only my list of things to do. really. ;)