So to make a long story short with a new raise I could finally afford the deductibles on my company’s PPO Dental Plan (Delta) and I want to get some dental work ive been putting off for about a year and a half. 

Basically, from the last time I went to the dentist under an HMO (at a different company) I can get a general idea of what I need to do: I have to get a dental implant and extraction for one of my bottom right molars for sure (it’s like, nearly gone at this point, like I said I’ve been too broke for a long time). On top of that, I’m p sure I have a cavity, and this last dentist I went to royally screwed up my supposedly permanent crown on my old root canal! Two weeks ago I bit into an apple and the crown completely shattered, so I need a replacement. 

Even with PPO insurance, I feel like the costs are gonna skyrocket, or things just won’t be covered. I found a dentist in my network, who has great reviews, and possibly a payment plan. But on average, an implant can cost thousands of dollars, and my insurance can only cover at most 50%. 

I also just have some really bad experiences at the dentist. the last time I went to a dentist I got totally fleeced, I went to the nearest one I could find, and the dentist basically exploited my fear of the situation and the pain I was in and didn’t tell me that my HMO insurance had capped, and then while I was still coming off sedatives, made me pay $1200 up front. 

And the COVID fears? Quadruple my anxiety! Especially bc I’m in Southern California, practically #1 in the world for cases! 

TL: DR I’m just so petrified of being manipulated into paying crazy dental costs and not being able to cough it up, of contracting COVID, that unbeknownst to me, there might be even more wrong with my teeth than I think, and I associate a lot of shame with how my mouth looks and feels. How do I combat all these fears? Help!