Iāve been reading through the notes and I just have to say that I absolutely promise, promise, promise you that nobody in the dental surgery is there to judge you, and weāre certainly not mad at you. Cavities happen. Even to dentists. You think your dentist has a mouth full of virgin teeth? Unlikely! Theyāve all visited eachotherās surgeries to get a quickie filling (ooh, saucy) between patients. They understand that life can get in the way of oral hygiene sometimes. They understand that lifeās too short not to eat chocolate. They understand that youāve got to live. I swear to you that everyone in that room is just there to help you. Please, please, please donāt stop going to the dentist because youāre worried theyāll be mad at you. Itās really not the case. They understand. Itās fine. Itās really, really fine. Please go to the dentist. I promise you itās ok.
You would not believe how comforting this is.
I had some badly bleeding gums awhile back after a depressive episode and my dentist has access to my prescriptions and I was on an anti depressants and antipsychotic at the time
he asked if my mental health was a factor and when I admitted it was he said āI can understand that it gets hard to do things like brush your teeth at times like that. Just do the best you can and brush your teeth at least once a day whenever you have motivation but if you canāt donāt beat yourself up. I know youāre doing your bestā
When I tell you I almost cried
I tell this to the kids I treat so often when theyāre old enough to ask what getting a cavity means for them. I tell them, āIf you get a cavity, the only thing that happens is that we fix it. Iām not gonna be upset, Iām not gonna think you did anything wrong, Iām just gonna help you fix it.ā
