My Everest

"We understand that not everybody can climb Everest; but everybody has an Everest to climb."

I would say I have several Everests in my life. To say I conquered one of them yesterday would be too much of a stretch, but I at least made some progress.

I went to the dentist.

To say going to the dentist is like climbing Mt. Everest sounds so absurd. For most people, a trip to the dentist is a normal part of health care. I don't know anyone who necessarily enjoys it, but you do it and it's not a big deal.

It's a big deal for me.

I have a long history with my mouth. Multiple tooth extractions, braces twice, gum surgery, major reconstructive jaw surgery in the attempt to correct a congenital deformity, and then at least two minor surgeries to remove infected (or presumed infected) hardwire from the jaw surgery. Along the way I encountered nice dental professionals and not-so-nice dental professionals. Surgeries, pain, hours in a dental chair, dealing with the various personalities of dental personnel, losing the ability to chew for a time, and a lifetime of unhappiness with my appearance have all resulted in a fairly significant dental phobia. Add to all that excess saliva as a by-product of weakened facial muscles from my neuromuscular disease which results in an aspiration concern, and dizzy spells when I'm leaned back in a chair from my inner ear disorder, and hopefully you get the picture of why a trip to the dentist is such a nervewracking experience for me. Finding a dentist and hygienist who can work with me and deal my issues has been a task years in the making.

I have seen a pediatric dentist since the age of ten. He saw me through all the rough years of braces and surgeries. His staff knew me and most of them were patient with me. But once I moved away to attend graduate school and eventually became a resident of Austin, getting back to Houston to see this dentist became a challenge. Plus, I had no dental insurance, so as an adult my visits were costing me $200+

Finally a few years ago, I set up dental insurance through work, and with much trepidation I made an appointment with a well-known dental chain. My main reasoning was that the dental office was about a mile from my apartment.

The exam, cleaning, and subsequent filing weren't a terrible experience. They tried to work with me. But I just did not feel comfortable there. So until yesterday I have not seen a dentist in probably two years or more.

A few months ago, I started researching dentists in the area. I performed a google search for the term "special needs dentist." I found several who mentioned patients with special needs on their web sites. Some were pediatric dentists; some were family dentists. Unfortunately, none of them accepted my insurance. At that point I was quite discouraged. I was psyching myself up to go, I was focusing on positivity, but since money is a big issue, I needed to find a dentist on my plan.

In the end, I took a shot in the dark, and hoped for the best. This dentist did not mention special needs on his web site, and I only found one review on the Internet about him, but it was a positive one. He is a private practice dentist, so I was hoping I would feel more comfortable with someone who was not part of a big, chain-style operation. I was hoping to avoid a large office where I was one of several people in a row of chairs in a huge room. My orthodontist's office is like that; luckily I do not have to see him often.

So long story short, I have a new dentist, and I am happy and relieved. I was the only patient during most of my time there, and the dentist performed the cleaning himself, with an assistant. The x-rays were as challenging as ever, but the rest of the appointment went very smoothly. The dentist was friendly and talkative, which made the time pass quickly, and for a first visit, after hours of agonizing anticipatory anxiety, I was remarkably calm during the cleaning. He adhered to my needs without needing a lot of explanation and seemingly with no impatience. He gave me enough opportunities to swallow, and he and his assistant did well with limiting the amount of water and instruments in my mouth. He was swift, but thorough, and not at all rough.

The further good news is that the co-pay was amazing low. At that price, and with the good level of care I received, plus my surprising comfort during the cleaning, at this point I plan to see him twice a year. A remarkable turn of events for me. I am very pleased. And proud of myself for making the appointment and being brave enough to follow through. For anyone else, it was a visit to the dentist, no big deal. For me, it was quite a mountain to climb. I arrived home worn out and a little dizzy, but definitely triumphant.

Have I conquered my dental phobia? As I stated at the beginning, I wouldn't say I reached the summit of this Everest. But maybe I'm close. I credit the dentist and his staff, who were patient and made me feel comfortable. I also need to credit myself, for focusing on the positive, and for persevering to find a dentist that is a good fit for me. I am finally realizing that even with all my issues, physical and emotional, I deserve to be treated well by health care professionals and their staff, and it is both my right and my responsibility to require nothing less than respect, understanding, and the best of their professional abilities.

librarianintx