I feel more than stressed or even afraid of the dentist today ... I've come to the conclusion that help just isn't there. I'm not asking someone to pay my bills, I'm just asking for a payment plan or some type of CareCredit. Despite making enough money every month to comfortably pay a dental bill - and having had perfect credit for over 2 years now - no one will approve me for either a loan, dental credit account (CareCredit), or even insurance that will be worth anything to me (most require that you do not have a pre-existing condition). I've been terrified of the dentist to the point of faintness and hysterics since I was about 12. I haven't been to the dentist or had ANY dental work done in my life - thanks to my parent's disregard for my dental health AND my phobia. Anyways, I'm on my own now. Last year (almost exactly) I finally took myself to the dentist and sat through the exam without running out or being hysterical. I just sat there breathing and shaking ... but stable enough (surprisingly) to let the dentist poke around. God it was so frightening. And for all of that (the relief of actually making myself go) ... I gained nothing but a whole new set of problems. He said I need nearly $14,000 worth of dental treatment. $5,000 for braces, $7,000 for the mass of fillings I need, and nearly $2,000 to have my impacted wisdom teeth removed. Since then I have been trying to find some way to pay for all (or any) of it ... to no avail. I don't know what to do. What good is learning to control a phobia if there is no means of healing? And ... since it has been a year, I know more decay has inevitably happened and my wisdom teeth are impacted further. I'm 20 years old, confused & depressed, but not at all surprised. :cry:

Oh I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. That just shows what can happen when your parents are not attentive enough to notice things like that and now you have to suffer because of it.

I live in Moscow and here you can get almost any dental treatment for free so it wouldn't be a problem. I don't know how it works in your country, don't they offer any free services for people in your situation?

I don't know where I would go for *free* treatment. And even If I could find it, It would probably be offered only under local anesthesia. My phobia makes it hard for me to even sit down in the dental chair let alone have a dentist drill my teeth while I'm fully conscious.

Yeah, American health care & I are seriously butting heads right now.

*searches for passport* :wink:

Le Papillon,

I sympathise with you. It is a crazy situation with regards to the cost of dental treatment and even more crazy when its something you hate with a passion. I remember when i had to go to the dentist for the first time in years because i was in complete agony and when it was over and they asked for the money i told them "you should be paying me for that"!!!!

You say about searching for passport but thats what many people do.

If i remember correctly from UK you can have dental treatment done on the National Health Service but it isnt free, just cheaper than private. Maybe someone who is living there now can let us know how it works now?

Hope you get something sorted soon anyhow.

In the UK it works per visit/what you're having done rather than individual costs for each filling etc..

For instance: Examination, Advice and one or more fillings - £49.30 - or around that

Got a dentist appointment today.. not really been in years apart from a few weeks ago for a check up... need a few fillings which im just going in for in about an hour.... absolutely terrified!

Le Pap,

I feel you on the healthcare thing. Some of us aren't fortunate enough for whatever reason to have jobs that will pay for dental/health care. It's kind of like our government telling us that only the select few who have such jobs deserve to live.

I went six years without dental care and then got more financially secure, and started going to the dentist again

. I was a little bit nervous and queasy, but not nearly as bad as going to the doctor. Then they wanted me to go get my wisdom teeth yanked as a precautionary measure. I was afraid to because of my phobia and would experience panick like symptoms just thinking about it. They kept hassling me about it every time I would go in there and got rude with me. I returned the favor to them and haven't been back since.

We are all taught that it is not proper to degrade others for various disabilities or quirks they have about themselves, I just wish we could adopt the same system of etiquette when it comes to phobias. People just see our phobias as us being childish, and although they don't make sense, they are definitely a disability in their own right.

You're among friends here though and we are all going to try to put a stop to these menaces!!!!!!

Well i grinned and beared it... got 3 fillings... didn't hurt one bit... infact i ended up finding it quite relaxing! :shock:

After i finished my fillings i went into another room and got a scale and a polish...

I'm the person that feels panicky sitting on the underground!

Feel totally rejuvenated now and could go to the dentist anytime.. Have to go on the 11th of June again...

Hi Black Snow and a warm welcome to OPF

Its great you have found us and by the look of it you have found your way around nicely already

Im sure you will find the forums very interesting and everyone is very friendly as im sure you have found already. Please take your time to look around and read all the information provided.

The forum is here for your enjoyment so keep posting and have fun meeting new people and sharing your knowledge about fears and phobias.

Once again welcome aboard

Take care

John

blacksnow Wrote:Well i grinned and beared it... got 3 fillings... didn't hurt one bit... infact i ended up finding it quite relaxing! :shock:

What, you mean your anasthetic actually worked? Last time I had a filling I could still feel it, every time the drill went over a nerve in the tooth... ouch.

Quote: every time the drill went over a nerve in the tooth... ouch.

Ouch :cry:

Yeah hearing things like that isnt exactlya good advert for getting me to go to the dentist!!!!