The fact that I haven’t seen a dentist in my entire life has been an incredible source of anxiety and shame. Incredible might not even be a strong enough word for the amount of anxiety it’s caused me. It’s something that I would think about daily but was so insanely anxious that I couldn’t make the first step to make the appointment. I was forced to make an appointment when I noticed one of my molars had cracked. 

My parents never took to the dentist growing up and I still don’t know the reasoning behind that decision. I know my dad had extreme dental anxiety and once had a full on panic attack at the dentist (even though he had near perfect teeth). I still hold some resentment towards my parents for this. 

Anyways, I had my first appointment a few days ago and I was super surprised to find myself calm that morning. Like super surprised. I think I was just so relieved that I had made the first step in my journey towards healthy teeth. And the best part? The outcome was not as bad as I was expecting. Turns out that I’ll need a root canal on the tooth that cracked and a couple fillings. I’ll also need to get all 4 wisdom teeth out in the next couple years. I was fully expecting them to tell me I’ll need extractions. I know it’s going to be expensive but I would pay anything in order to feel comfortable with my smile and have this weight lifted off my chest. 

I made this post to inspire any of you who have dental anxiety to make that appointment. I can’t believe I was so anxious about this for so long and now I realize I actually like going to the dentist. I might make a more in-depth post soon about this anxiety about teeth because I don’t think I really conveyed it the way I wanted to. I feel invincible now!