I have really healthy teeth. And I have had a lot of dental work over the course of my life. And some of the fillings are 25+ yrs old. My teeth aren’t hurting or loose or anything but I’m thinking I might need to go to a dentist just to get a checkup.

And I’m absolutely terrified.

I had really bad dental experiences when I was a teenager and have never really gotten over the fear of sitting in that chair. Even though I had a wonderful dentist for five or six years, it’s been at least that long since I’ve gone and I’m scared shitless that they’re going to tell me bad things have happened. Logically, I know that’s not true. But every time I think about going even for a checkup, my breathing gets shallow and my chest gets tight.