I finally went to the dentist

Like many of us, I’ve struggled with taking care of my teeth my whole life (I’m 31 now) which has led to gum recession, discoloration, fading enamel. And due to anxiety, shame, lack of insurance, money I hadn’t been to the dentist in maybe .. 8 years?.. Also for a long time my dentist was my horrible aunt, and my mom would punish me whenever I had a “bad appointment” so in general I have a lot of trauma surrounding my teeth lol.

This past year I got a job with insurance, which finally led to my ADHD diagnosis and access to medication. In turn I finally made a dentist appointment and lucked out with the SWEETEST team I could have ever asked for. Three wonderful women praising me for making the appointment and reassuring me that I have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s like they knew I needed maternal energy - I cried so much lol.

I got a thorough cleaning and was told that my teeth are actually not as bad as I think they are. I have a pretty simple treatment plan in place and will even get a complimentary whitening! I haven’t gotten the whitening yet but I’m a few weeks out from my cleaning and have been brushing/flossing every day and I’m already so much more confident about my smile.

There’s definitely a more intense stigma when it comes to our teeth and ability to take care of them. Showering, doing laundry, these are somewhat more palatable things to let slip when you struggle with mental health, but tell people you struggle to brush your teeth and they think you’re completely disgusting. So I just wanted to share my moment of relief and accomplishment and say I appreciate this community and being able to talk about these things here