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I have a disaster of a mouth. I’m fairly certain most of my teeth are infected. I know they all have decay. My problem is two-fold. One, money. It’s going to cost a fortune to get all of this fixed and I don’t have a fortune. Two, I’m terrified of the dentist, which is what got me in this situation to begin with. I really don’t know what to do at this point, but I’m in a lot of pain and can barely eat.
Lori
Dear Lori,
You are in quite a tough spot. The first thing I want to address is the dental anxiety you feel. You are not alone in this, so don’t feel awkward about it. The great news is that there is a solution. I would like you to see a sedation dentist when you go in for your procedures to get your teeth healthy again.
They can give you a medication which will completely relax you and give you a pain-free and anxiety-free appointment. Patients who’ve had dental anxiety for years find they are finally able to catch up on all their dental work. In your case, I would recommend oral conscious sedation. It’s very strong. So strong that you will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment as well as stay with you for a bit at home until you are lucid and steady on your feet.
As for the cost. I would start by looking for a dentist who advertises on their website as an affordable dentist. They are usually the most understanding about finances and would be willing to work with you about paying things out. I would also ask them to do a triage of sorts of your needed care from most urgent to least.
I’ll be honest with you that if your teeth are as bad as you say, you may have some teeth which are in what I’d considered a dental emergency stage. Be aware of whether you get any swelling in your cheek or jaw. This would mean that your infection has spread and can turn life threatening. Take that seriously. People die every year from untreated tooth infections.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Baton Rouge, Dr. John Theriot.