First time going to the dentist in a long time.

Legs.Eleven

Hello.


I'm not familiar with this forum, so if this is not the right place, sorry about that!

I'm embarrassed to even write this but I haven't been to the dentist in years, mainly because I was supposed to get a root canal but couldn't afford it at that time and I kept putting it off like a big coward.

I now have the money to get whatever needs done, done but I'm really embarrassed about going after all these years. I look after my teeth as much as I can (clean regularly and floss and don't eat many sweet things) but I know I definitely need fillings and of course, this root canal. I'm going to bite the bullet tomorrow and book the appointment but I really am very embarrassed about not going for so long and am afraid of what they'll find or what they'll say to me.


Is there anyone here who can tell me what I should expect?

Thanks a million for your help.

Legs.

Edit: Just to add, I have no pain at all.

johndoe99

i was in a similar situation about 20 years back, i was 18 at the time and had neglected my teeth for nearly a decade before that. I put it down to the fact that when i was a teenager some dentists were nothing short of butchers (in my case anyways).

I had to have extensive work done when i did, root canal and basic fillings, and a couple of extractions. But since that day i now take care of my teeth everyday, regular checkups and cleanings etc.

I find dentists these days are very professional, and i'm sure they regularly receive patients like us, no one likes visiting a dentist. I see your not in pain, that's a plus, but do make an appointment as the future may be different.

helimachoptor

one of the dentists said this before but i'll repeat it.. "no matter how bad you think you are.. we'll have seen someone worse than you that day"

Get to the dentist and then you can get a treatment plan for whatever needs doing

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Dentists love patients with bad teeth, and rarely are your teeth as bad a you think.

tom808

Hi op.

I know EXACTLY what you are going through as I was in the same position as you last year. If you think you only need a few fillings and such then as Fitz said above you have nothing to worry about as dentists have seen much worse. Please take a few minutes to read my thread below (you will see what I mean then ). Please feel free to pm me if you have any questions that you don't feel like asking in public.

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056963574/1/#post84912897

Legs.Eleven

My teeth are actually in decent condition considering (I hope!) as I'd be fairly obsessive about brushing and flossing but I will need fillings and the implant. I'm just wondering will I get a lecture from the dentist and am scared I'll be told off. I already feel really stupid. I've put it off for so long out of fear and the longer I left it, the more scared I was. I got braces when I was a teenager under the HSE and the dentist wasn't very nice. Perhaps she's the one who instilled the fear in me. I've been since then but my last experience wasn't great either. I've just made the appointment and doubly nervous as I'm in Spain, so need to study my vocabulary related to the mouth before I go! Thanks everyone for setting my mind at ease. Will let you know how it goes.

Legs.Eleven

tom808 wrote: »

Hi op.

I know EXACTLY what you are going through as I was in the same position as you last year. If you think you only need a few fillings and such then as Fitz said above you have nothing to worry about as dentists have seen much worse. Please take a few minutes to read my thread below (you will see what I mean then ). Please feel free to pm me if you have any questions that you don't feel like asking in public.

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056963574/1/#post84912897

Thanks so much, Tom.

Legs.Eleven

Neil Inexpensive Grater wrote: »

Dentists love patients with bad teeth, and rarely are your teeth as bad a you think.

Do they really???

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Do they really???

Absolutely, I love bad teeth and the satisfaction of making them good again.:)

ballsymchugh

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Do they really???

if everyone had good teeth, our days would involve a serious amount of navel gazing

there was a listerine ad a few years ago where dentists were practising putting with old dentures at work because everyone was using listerine and there was no work to do.
by the way, don't use listerine. it makes our eyes water.

Emme

Neil Inexpensive Grater wrote: »

Absolutely, I love bad teeth and the satisfaction of making them good again.:)

Why is dental treatment in Ireland so much more expensive than anywhere else? People put off routine dental work because they can't afford it.

Legs.Eleven

Emme wrote: »

Why is dental treatment in Ireland so much more expensive than anywhere else? People put off routine dental work because they can't afford it.

When I was told in my early twenties that I'd need a root canal, I was quoted about 2500. I was a student and broke at the time, so the dentist gave me a filling as a temporary measure. It's only now that I live in Spain where I can get it done for about 600 that I can afford it. The original price I was quoted in Ireland seems totally mad.

ballsymchugh

2500 is not for a root canal on it's own. i don't think the most expensive dentist in ireland would have the balls to quote half that for a root filling even at the height of the boom. there must've been more treatment on top of that.

basically it boils down to the price of doing business. the overheads in ireland are astronomical compared to the UK where i am.

a root filling done privately by a specialist here is 550stg. that's in a small town outside london where prices increase as it's more expensive to do business there.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Emme wrote: »

Why is dental treatment in Ireland so much more expensive than anywhere else? People put off routine dental work because they can't afford it.

How much do you work for in Spain as compared to the same job in Ireland? And how does this give encouragement to the OP in any way who didn't ask about price in any way.

Oral Surgeon

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

When I was told in my early twenties that I'd need a root canal, I was quoted about 2500. I was a student and broke at the time, so the dentist gave me a filling as a temporary measure. It's only now that I live in Spain where I can get it done for about 600 that I can afford it. The original price I was quoted in Ireland seems totally mad.

No one charges that much for a root canal. Maybe you were quoted for an implant??

Essex Boy

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

When I was told in my early twenties that I'd need a root canal, I was quoted about 2500. I was a student and broke at the time, so the dentist gave me a filling as a temporary measure. It's only now that I live in Spain where I can get it done for about 600 that I can afford it. The original price I was quoted in Ireland seems totally mad.

I'm a practicing Dental Surgeon with over 20 years experience. and I charge between 300 and 600 euro for Root canal/ Endodontic treatment. That price is about average in the area where I practice. Considering the comparatively low cost of doing business in Spain 600 euro seems an outrageously expensive fee for root canal there . I think you're being ripped off there OP. Thieving exploitative Spanish Dentists!!!!! Rip-off Mediterranean !!!!

Legs.Eleven

Essex Boy wrote: »

I'm a practicing Dental Surgeon with over 20 years experience. and I charge between 300 and 600 euro for Root canal/ Endodontic treatment. That price is about average in the area where I practice. Considering the comparatively low cost of doing business in Spain 600 euro seems an outrageously expensive fee for root canal there . I think you're being ripped off there OP. Thieving exploitative Spanish Dentists!!!!! Rip-off Mediterranean !!!!

Relax there. I haven't been quoted anything as I haven't been to the dentist yet. Most adverts I've seen have been for around 300-500. I never actually stated anything about Irish dentists being exploitative or a rip-off but Ireland is more expensive than here, no doubt about it and when I was a student, I couldn't afford to go and couldn't pay the money I was quoted to fix this tooth (It must've been more an a root canal). Not complaining and another poster has explained the overheads cost more, which I understand. I'm sure you're used to getting hassle over it, so I understand your reaction.

Legs.Eleven

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

No one charges that much for a root canal. Maybe you were quoted for an implant??

Are they not the same thing? The handout I have in front of me here (see below) is advertising 330 Euro for an "implante dental" (I'm sure you can guess what that is). I must've got a quote for that then. Tbh I presumed they were the same thing.

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/622363/292381.jpg

Anyway, it's not important. Thanks for taking the time out to reply.

ballsymchugh

there's one word on that flyer that would put me off using that place anyway!!

Legs.Eleven

ballsymchugh wrote: »

there's one word on that flyer that would put me off using that place anyway!!

Well the whole thing would put me off going. We get a lot of different businesses putting in leaflets in the letter box with these kinds of deals but it's too good to be true. The dentist I'm going to is a regular one and I'm willing to pay more for quality.

Chattastrophe!

I finally bit the bullet and went for the first time last week in about ten years. I've just had a baby, and puked every day for six months solid, so couldn't really put it off any longer.

I was very much expecting the worst, but it was grand. A few fillings, and one tooth at the very back needs either extraction or root canal.

The dentist was SO lovely and reassuring. As she said, yes there's some work to be done, but with a few appointments over the next couple of weeks it'll all be over and done with, and I'll basically be starting with a clean slate (the rest of my teeth are fine.)

It'll be such a relief to get it over and done with. And not be constantly wondering if I'm suddenly going to come down with a horrific toothache some day!

I totally get what you mean about having a fear of dentists left over from your teenage days - mine was an absolute tyrant! This was a totally different experience though - she didn't seem at all cross or judgemental, she explained everything thoroughly, and she did the first filling there and then and, while obviously never a pleasant experience, it was all very painless and quick.

Hopefully you'll get on just as well.

Emme

Essex Boy wrote: »

I'm a practicing Dental Surgeon with over 20 years experience. and I charge between 300 and 600 euro for Root canal/ Endodontic treatment. That price is about average in the area where I practice. Considering the comparatively low cost of doing business in Spain 600 euro seems an outrageously expensive fee for root canal there . I think you're being ripped off there OP. Thieving exploitative Spanish Dentists!!!!! Rip-off Mediterranean !!!!

Where are you based? Are you in Ireland? Some Dublin dentist charge between €600 and €800 for the same treatment. I know that it is more expensive to treat certain teeth but are those prices relatively expensive?

helimachoptor

Essex Boy wrote: »

I'm a practicing Dental Surgeon with over 20 years experience. and I charge between 300 and 600 euro for Root canal/ Endodontic treatment. That price is about average in the area where I practice. Considering the comparatively low cost of doing business in Spain 600 euro seems an outrageously expensive fee for root canal there . I think you're being ripped off there OP. Thieving exploitative Spanish Dentists!!!!! Rip-off Mediterranean !!!!

Maybe i'm being a bit simple here, but as an oral surgeon i'm guessing you wouldn't be any more qualified than a general dentist at doing RC's? And subsequently not as qualified as an Endo?

Oral Surgeon

helimachoptor wrote: »

Maybe i'm being a bit simple here, but as an oral surgeon i'm guessing you wouldn't be any more qualified than a general dentist at doing RC's? And subsequently not as qualified as an Endo?

Yep a bit simple there Heli. Dental surgeon / dentist are the same. Sure the course is called Dental Science...!

As an oral surgeon, I can say that not only am I no more qualified to do root canals, I'm much less practiced too. The last root canal I did was 2006...

ballsymchugh

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

Yep a bit simple there Heli. Dental surgeon / dentist are the same. Sure the course is called Dental Science...!

As an oral surgeon, I can say that not only am I no more qualified to do root canals, I'm much less practiced too. The last root canal I did was 2006...

pfft. dubs.

Oral Surgeon

ballsymchugh wrote: »

pfft. dubs.

What do they call it down south?? We really should call it Dental Arts since we get a complimentary BA with the course too!!

ballsymchugh

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

What do they call it down south?? We really should call it Dental Arts since we get a complimentary BA with the course too!!

on CAO it was listed as dentistry, although the degree is dental surgery

Legs.Eleven

ballsymchugh wrote: »

there's one word on that flyer that would put me off using that place anyway!!

What's the word btw? Dying of curiosity here...

ballsymchugh

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

What's the word btw? Dying of curiosity here...

lumineers.

i work with a spanish dentist, i asked her to have a look at the flyer. she said there's no way it's right, that there has to be some major catch involved. although she did say that implants are generally cheaper where she's from.

pillphil

helimachoptor wrote: »

... "no matter how bad you think you are.. we'll have seen someone worse than you that day"...

That's only true for 99% of the people they see

I find it helps to look up videos of other people's teeth. Something oddly satisfying about watching this video. NSFW?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnWH6lrt1KU

Legs.Eleven

ballsymchugh wrote: »

lumineers.

i work with a spanish dentist, i asked her to have a look at the flyer. she said there's no way it's right, that there has to be some major catch involved. although she did say that implants are generally cheaper where she's from.

I don't know what lumineers are! I thought a root canal and an implant were the same thing until yesterday. In fairness, those prices are the cheapest I've seen but the prices for an implant have been no more than 600. I'd be interested to hear how much they quote me tomorrow.