Dreaded Dentist Debacle

Do you like my alliteration title? It's all I can do to keep my sanity in this time.


Ok so I went to the dentist yesterday for the first time in like 15 years. Yes, 15. I went probably 5 years ago and had them tell me what I needed done through xrays and what have you, but I haven't actually had work done in 15 years. I knew I needed to go because about 3 years ago one of my molars broke. It hasn't really caused me much pain at all...the occasional twinge here and there and I would think 'oh this is it, dentist Monday' but then the pain would go away so I'd forget about it. Well....I wouldn't forget but I had rainbows coming out of my mouth telling me 'it must have healed itself, go go gadget dentist!'. Yeah. It didn't heal itself. So anyhow, (and I want to apologize profusely to the person this is referring to because it is very selfish of me to think this way when you've gone through this) but right near the tooth that is broken, I developed a 'lesion' recently (or a long time ago? I never really paid attention). It's not bothersome, etc...but recently a friend of mine with no history of smoking, drinking, or drugs, developed oral cancer. Immediately I booked an appt to a dentist because this weird lesion HAD to be cancer too right? (again I am so sorry to who this refers to...I am NOT taking the situation lightly by ANY means, in fact, it is the opposite...I'm taking it too seriously for myself). So I go in to the dentist and I explain to them (for about an hour) that I do not have (repeat do not have) a dental phobia, I have severe health anxiety. Like I said, I explained it to them for about an hour before they were actually able to get me in to the chair just to LOOK at me (because I don't have a dental phobia right?). She assured me that it just looked like an irritation from the decay (yuck) of my broken molar. I still insisted that it looked like a cancer lesion so they got out their special vero-whatever scope and screened me for oral cancer. So $50 later they said I don't have it. That the lesion is irritation from the tooth. Like they said.


Sigh. So for not having been to the dentist in so long, I have periodontal disease :( and 4 cavities. The whole periodontal thing SUCKS because it is progressive but I believe it can be halted with proper dental hygiene. Folks, brushing 2x a day is not enough...you have to be diligent with your flossing too. I haven't been hence disease. They said I'm very early and very mild but that I will lose some of my gum line but that it won't be noticeable and that in fact my mouth will look/feel healthier once they deep clean my teeth.


As for the broken molar, there isn't too much they can do right now. I have to be referred to a root canal specialist to see if the tooth can be saved. If it can be he will tell me that putting money in to the tooth would be worth it. If it can't be saved, they will extract it (along with my wisdom teeth) and then we will talk about a replacement tooth. I don't really MIND losing a back tooth per say....it could have been a lot worse, however, the blame is not on me for this one. I guess when I was younger I had bad decay in that back tooth and the dentist should have done a root canal but he actually filled the entire tooth with amalagram (sp?) filling. Those types of fillings are notorious for expanding and cracking teeth...so that is why it broke. It should have never been filled in the first place. My fault comes in that when it broke, I should have just gone in and gotten it fixed...but I didn't and here I am.


Now, I don't have a dental phobia...and I have my appt tomorrow to deep clean the right side (broken tooth is on the left) and fill 3 fillings on that side. I called and tried to cancel the appt. NOT because of a dental phobia but because of this or that and this or that. The lady who is going to clean my teeth convinced me to come in just to 'sit' in the chair and see how I do. She promised she wouldn't touch me or do anything if I didn't want her to. I told her she's silly...but not to touch me. Good thing I'm not afraid of the dentist because they must act like lunatics going in!


Wish me luck tomorrow! Hope I don't have too much pain! *side note* Happy Birthday Mom! Love you!