This is a guest post written by Lauri Carter, about her experience with dental anxiety.
Read Part 1, where Lauri explores her fears and why she has them, here.
Despite having major dental anxiety, I recently sucked it up and had my first dental cleaning in over a year.
Why a year?
At this time last year, I lived in Zurich, Switzerland. When I moved to Chicago in August 2014, I put finding a dentist on the backburner. Serious backburner. There is a multitude of things that one must arrange in a new city; cable television and internet service were the absolute FIRST after we secured housing. Then I needed to find doctors for my family.
But not a dentist.
School uniforms were purchased as well as new school supplies. We even researched dog breeders and found the next member of our family.
But no dentist. Not even on my radar screen.
Nearly a year has passed living back in the USA, and things are going amazingly well. The kids and the puppy are adjusting to everything well. I’ve had no major health concerns (knock on wood!), and I’ve begun working in creative endeavors at Sugar Fix Dental Loft.
It’s been offered several times to clean my teeth, but I was really, really not interested.
But, over the course of time, I was much less anxious and more impressed with the behind-the-scenes tour I’ve received on a daily basis at the dental office.
I’ve gotten to know all the ladies that work there. I’ve heard them interact constantly with patients. I’ve heard the doctor interacting with them.
I know the education that these women have attained, so I know they are a competent staff. I’ve heard them interact and plan before patients arrive as well as after they’ve left.
I’ve seen them celebrate when patients walk away pleased, and in the rare instances that something hasn’t gone right, how hard they’ve worked to remedy the situation.
They genuinely care and work hard to make every patient and case the most important. Individualized care is honestly at the forefront of everything that the staff does.
Seeing all this on a daily basis lessened my dental anxieties so much, that when they asked me yet again to clean my teeth, I decided to go for it!
I had massive anxiety beforehand. Any of the ladies at the office could tell you that! Sweaty palms. I even tried to cancel the appointment several times (to no avail).
I decided to document this journey because honestly, it’s a huge one for me!
My first cleaning in over a year is now under my belt, and look at me, I’ve lived to tell the tale!
Read Part 3, where Lauri goes to her appointment, here.