My turnaround visit to the dentist

@aureliah (24319)

Kenya

September 1, 2018 8:54am CST

So I have this phobia to visit the dentist and I decided to go there today. The dentist suggested an X-ray and I could not believe what I saw. I have extracted already 3 of them, 4 others have the roots only and must be removed. 6 needs filling and 4 root canal. This was a shocker to me. My dental health is a mess in my early 30s. My fear for dental appointments has finally come to an end otherwise in the next 5 years I will be toothless. What do you do to keep your dental health in check and to combat that phobia to the dentist?

15 people like this

18 responses

@LadyDuck (457975)

• Switzerland

1 Sep 18

Oh no! This is too bad. I also hate to see my dentist, but I go twice a year for a professional cleaning.

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@LadyDuck (457975)

• Switzerland

4 Sep 18

@aureliah Go to see your dentist at least once a year it is important to have healthy teeth.

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@TheHorse (205637)

• Walnut Creek, California

4 Sep 18

Yeppers, that's what I do.

2 people like this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

I have decided I will have such annual check-ups and cleaning. I'm not ready to be toothless yet

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@YrNemo (20261)

•

1 Sep 18

We just go see the dentist twice yearly. I am due to see mine again soon. (I never thought much about it, a duty is a duty I guess.) Hope the dentist's bill won't be too much for you.

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@YrNemo (20261)

•

4 Sep 18

@aureliah Not only a wake up call, but a trigger for insomnia from now on too

. (We dealt with bills similar like that in the past, but we had private health insurance to help 1/3 of the cost, still, it was painful, very painful.)

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

@YrNemo Actually it got me very stressed for weeks thinking about it. Now that the treatment has started, lemmi hope the stress levels will reduce

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

Currently it stands at $2,000. This is a wake up call for me.

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@DianneN (246643)

• United States

3 Sep 18

Oh, my! I wish you luck with all your dental work. I would rather give birth than go to the dentist, but I go twice a year for cleanings and exams, and brush and floss religiously.

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@DianneN (246643)

• United States

3 Sep 18

@aureliah Best of luck to you. Of course I've had a few cavities and a couple of root canals during my lifetime. Keep us posted.

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

I detest these visits but I'm starting tomorrow with root canal. That means you have no dental issues?

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

@DianneN Thanks. I just hope its not painful

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (305965)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

3 Sep 18

If you look closely at my profile picture, I don't have any upper teeth, and only a few left on the bottom. It had nothing to do with bad dental care though, but bad bone structure in my jaw. It deteriorated to the point my teeth were falling out, basically on their own. The doctor is trying to keep the ones I have left - nine total.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (305965)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

3 Sep 18

@aureliah No. They were loose. The ones I have left are still pretty solid, but I have no doubt that one day I'll be completely toothless. I have dentures, but I can't wear them. They fall out when I try to eat, and it isn't from not being glued down, they are. It just doesn't hold. So, I've gotten used to not wearing them, and I'm no longer self-conscious about my toothless smile.

2 people like this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

@just4him You should not be self-conscious. As long as you are comfortable that is all that matters.

2 people like this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

Sorry about that and sorry to ask. The dentists could not fix more?

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@JudyEv (325654)

• Rockingham, Australia

2 Sep 18

I am better now about going to the dentist and I have an appointment tomorrow. I'm sorry your teeth are in such a state. I hate having extractions.

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@JudyEv (325654)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Sep 18

@aureliah Once I had my teeth all sorted, I made a point of going every six months for a check-up. Once you start doing that, any treatment is less intense.

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

@JudyEv That is what I have decided to be doing. After this entire treatment is done then I will be doing annual checkups

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

I hate everything to do with a dentist but i can't really tell why but I no longer have a choice

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@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

16 Sep 18

Thankfully I never had a phobia. Maybe working in a dental office helped. I know what it is like if you don't go.

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

16 Sep 18

You are lucky. I'm always tenses even when it is not my first time

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

16 Sep 18

@CarolDM No they do not do so

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@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

16 Sep 18

@aureliah Does your dentist offer the "laughing gas"? It should help calm you down.

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@xstitcher (30282)

• Petaluma, California

9 Sep 18

Oh, my.

Sorry to say I haven't been to the dentist in several years, but that has mostly the money, or lack thereof. The low income place where I go to the doctor has dental, too, though--I really need to check on that.

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

Okay. Please do your best to have your dental health checked. I regret why I waited for all these years

@TheHorse (205637)

• Walnut Creek, California

4 Sep 18

I brush and floss regularly and pray to St. Francis, whom I believe is the Patron Saint of No Dentures. No, he's the Patron Saint of Animals, or something, but I pray to him anyway. I try to catch cavities early by getting my teeth cleaned and x-rayed twice a year.

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@TheHorse (205637)

• Walnut Creek, California

11 Sep 18

@aureliah He...is?

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

I'm just laughing ...off. I din;t know there was a Patron of No Dentures. He is the patron saint of animals and ecology.

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

12 Sep 18

@sol_cee (38223)

• Philippines

4 Sep 18

I dread going to the dentist but...

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

Same here but I have no choice otherwise will be toothless in a few years

@ridingbet (66857)

• Philippines

5 Sep 18

i have to let my cardiologist be informed if i have a tooth extracted

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

Oooh okay. Why is that?

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

16 Sep 18

@ridingbet okay then you better do so always

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@amitkokiladitya (171936)

• Agra, India

1 Sep 18

I suggest that you become really serious and take treatment at the earliest

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

After this appointment, I decided that I will take my dental health seriously

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@amitkokiladitya (171936)

• Agra, India

4 Sep 18

@aureliah I hope you have planned well for it by now

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

@amitkokiladitya Yes I have and have started the treatment already

@ShifaLk (17817)

• India

4 Sep 18

I just take good care of my teeth and especially I chew Happy dent or Orbit chewing gum twice a day. And i use a strong effective toothpaste.

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@ShifaLk (17817)

• India

11 Sep 18

@aureliah oh I see.. then you must take treatment but after that maybe you can continue with the chewing gums.. Well no, those chewing gums are not sugar one, they're sugar free... only for adults...

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

@ShifaLk Ooh okay. I can take the sugar free ones.

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

I guess mine are just week naturally. I thought chewing gums worsen dental issues in terms of sugar!

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@vsai2008 (11796)

• India

1 Sep 18

Prevention is better than cure. Visiting your dentist periodically will stop furthur problems

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@vsai2008 (11796)

• India

4 Sep 18

@aureliah okay, how did this visit go?

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

11 Sep 18

@vsai2008 The visit was better than I expected

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

I have decided this is what I will be doing from now onwards

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@Courage7 (19633)

• United States

2 Sep 18

Dentists are really evil I hate them..they charge a fortune and love to pull peoples teeth out.

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

You made me laugh. They are not all evil, they just give solutions but I always hate seeing one

@Courage7 (19633)

• United States

3 Sep 18

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@snowy22315 (169893)

• United States

3 Sep 18

Oh that must be dreadful! I found out last time I went I have some gum issues..so I decided it was time to clean up my act., The teeth themselves are in decent shape, and I want to keep them that way!

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

Lucky your teeth are in decent shape. I hope that soon I can say the same

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40440)

• United States

1 Sep 18

I hate dentists and dental appointments.

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

Why dentists? I hate the appointments and whatever they do to my mouth

1 person likes this

@andriaperry (116860)

• Anniston, Alabama

1 Sep 18

I don`t like going but I do because I want to keep my teeth. I brush my teeth 2-3 times a day, making sure to use a soft brush and taking care to clean around the gums with the brush, then I use dental floss around each tooth. By doing that daily I have pretty good teeth, I get a cleaning twice a year. When I turned 40 years old I had fillings and dental work done to have straighter teeth.

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@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

Thanks for the tips. I decided to be taking care of my teeth better from now on. its a total mess

@yoalldudes (35040)

• Philippines

1 Sep 18

I think I'm getting the courage from the toothache I feel. I have accepted the fact that I will have dentures.

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24319)

• Kenya

3 Sep 18

I visited the dentist because I have no choice otherwise I would not