I will do just about anything possible to avoid going to a dentist. It’s not the dentist as a person from which I stay away. It’s the pain they cause, seemingly unintentionally. Volunteering to walk in the office door is like holding up my hand in a crowd and saying “yes! pick me to be a moveable target for a dart game.”
It doesn’t matter, either, if I have dental insurance or not. I resist the visit just as strongly with insurance as I do without.
So, I do everything in my power to prevent those dental discomforts that make an appointment with the dentist a necessity. When I do go, I do everything in my power to make the visit AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE.
My dental pain avoidance measures:
- I floss first because I know where the floss goes is where the cavities like to live. Cavities can’t get started if I floss the gunk between my teeth first. If I allow cavities to grow, I have to go to the dentist (you see where this leads).
- I brush my teeth A LONG time. I brush from my gums up and gums down so I get right up where the teeth meet the gums.
- I stay aware of what I’m doing and don’t day dream and forget where I’ve brushed and where I haven’t. This is easier to do when I’m not sleepy.
- I make sure the tooth brush is no more than three to four months old. If I’m going to do this, I’m not going to waste my time using a broken down, feathery brush.
- I ALWAYS brush the back of my tongue and my upper palate. The back of the tongue is one of the places from which bad breath comes. Have you ever had your grandchild squirm away from you and say “Granni, your breath stinks.” Subtle, I know but that only happens once or twice before you get the message.
- I know gum disease can cause problems everywhere in my body, so the last thing I do is smile at myself and check out the gums. If they are puffy, real red or bleeding……..I make the dreaded call.
I really like the man who is my dentist and I am purposefully not using his name because I don’t want any of my phobia to reflect poorly on him. It all started LONG before I went to him. As a matter of fact, he’s to be complimented. Because of him I at least go in the office door. Now, if I could just get myself to open my mouth……..