I am 30 years old and I am terrified of going to the dentist. When I was younger I went every 6 months. When I was 18 years old I had a tumor growing on the right side of my mouth. A specialist had to do surgery and reconstructions as well. I’ve been a couple of times after but now I know that my teeth needs some work on them but I dont know how much it will cost and what exactly I would need done. I know for a fact that I have gum disease because I have all the symptoms that you describe on the website. Please help. I dont want to be 35 without any teeth. I thank you in advance for your response.
- Jean from Atlanta
Dear Jean,
You’re on the right track if you want to save your teeth as you say. That’s a healthy attitude, and once you have that, the other problems can all be resolved.
I see you’re near Atlanta. I would recommend that you find a dentist in Atlanta who does sedation dentistry or sleep dentistry. There are a number of them there. They should be able to help you with your fear of the dentist. If you need it, they can give you a medication which will make it so you may not even remember your appointment.
Usually, people who have trouble with dental care have had some traumatic experience at the dentist, and that sounds like your situation. Dentists who become trained in sedation dentistry often do so because they are especially concerned about people who have dental fears, and they want to help them.
It’s nice that you’re catching this problem at age 30. If you go ahead and take action now, I think they will be able to solve all your problems. If you do indeed have gum disease, at age 30 it is much less complicated to treat. And if there are some teeth that can’t be saved, yes, dental implants can replace them. But there will probably be some less expensive options that would also work. I’d be sure to ask the dentist to explain all of your options, which should include trying to save the teeth, replacing missing teeth with removable partial dentures, using dental implants, or using bridgework. Look for a dentist who gives you various options and doesn’t seem to be trying to push the more expensive radical work on you. Expect him or her to give you pros and cons of various treatments and lets you decide. Then, once you have had your examination, if you have a bad feeling about the office, you have the right to have your records sent to another office and transfer to another dentist. Don’t be afraid to make that move, because there is a lot at stake here for you.
Good luck.