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Of course I’m worried about my health, and honestly, being a young person, it hits differently. Even though I tend to spiral into these deep depressions where everything looks bleak, I suppose there are those fleeting moments where I try to find some semblance of positivity—just telling myself that things will eventually work out—but even that wasn't enough to give me the courage to actually make an appointment with the dentist.
I haven't really gone into the specifics, but you can probably just imagine how miserable it is trying to eat when your mouth is constantly filled with tiny fragments of broken teeth; my lower jaw is still holding up reasonably well, I guess, but my upper teeth are a complete disaster, which I suspect is largely due to my diet and a constant habit of drinking too much Coca-Cola.
Good evening.
I’ve decided to unburden myself here anonymously because I am just so deeply traumatized by my teeth that there are moments when I feel like I’m losing my mind; honestly, it feels like I have no reason left to live, and I fall into these dark depressions where, whenever I think about it or catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, the despair hits so hard that I’ve probably contemplated suicide a hundred times over.
The last time I actually sat in a dentist's chair was back when I was just a kid in elementary school, and it’s been over ten years since then; I remember fleeing from a dentist's chair once and I simply haven't had the courage to step foot in an American dental clinic since, regardless of how much my parents and family "encouraged" me—or even begged me—to go before I ended up losing all my teeth.
Today, things feel so heavy, and I feel such a sense of guilt and wretchedness that I can't quite put it into words, because living a life where you can't truly smile, where you constantly have to calculate how to hide your mouth or be careful while speaking so people don't see your teeth, is just inexplicably senseless and psychologically draining.
As the condition worsened, it became increasingly difficult for me to find the nerve to visit a dentist, and right now, I'm genuinely ashamed to even let a professional look inside my mouth; I’m terrified of being judged, and I keep spiraling into thoughts about what they might think of me as a person in general.
Regarding my quality of life, it’s the classic downward spiral: avoiding going out at night, dodging social gatherings during the day or in the sunlight, and having my self-confidence hit absolute zero...
I just can't live like this anymore, yet I have no idea what to do or how to fix it; I don't even know how far gone everything is or if anything can actually be saved. I keep beating myself up thinking there's no hope, but because of the sheer shame, I can't bring myself to go to a dentist just to get an assessment of how much money and time it would take to finally be able to laugh again and live a normal life.
I thought about posting a photo so you could see what it looks like, but I just can't do that publicly; however, I would be very grateful to send one via private message if any doctor or dentist would be willing to take a look, especially since I've read through half this forum and noticed that some dental professionals follow these threads and post here.
A final thought.
People, please, take care of your teeth, because you have no idea how much you can ruin your own life if you end up facing what I am facing.
Best regards.