That’s basically my nightmare—dentist says, “Let’s yank it,” and my brain just nopes out. I swear, every time I sit in that chair, I’m convinced they’re gonna find something new to drill. Love the idea of slowing things down though. My gut usually screams “run!” at the first mention of extraction, but maybe next time I’ll actually ask some questions before I panic. Crowns sound way less scary than implants anyway...
I totally get where you’re coming from—every time they mention “extraction,” my stomach just drops. It took me a while to realize I could actually pause things and ask questions. The first time a dentist suggested pulling a tooth, I just nodded along and barely heard anything after that word. Looking back, I wish I’d known it’s okay to slow them down and get all the options laid out.
Honestly, crowns felt way less intimidating to me too. I went through the whole “should I get an implant?” spiral and ended up with a crown instead. It wasn’t nearly as bad as my brain made it out to be. A bit of sensitivity for a few days, but nothing like the horror stories I’d imagined.
One thing that helped was literally making a list of questions before my appointment. Stuff like, “Is there any way to save the tooth?” or “What are the pros and cons here?” It made me feel way more in control and less like I was just along for the ride. You’re definitely not alone in feeling freaked out by all this.
That “extraction” word still makes my heart race, honestly. I used to just freeze up and agree to whatever the dentist said, but after a botched filling years ago, I started stopping them mid-sentence. Ever had one of those moments where you realize halfway through you have no idea what’s actually happening? Making a list of questions is huge—sometimes I even write down things like, “What if I do nothing for now?” or “How long can I wait?” It helped me dodge a root canal once that turned out not to be necessary. Dentists usually respect when you want all your options, but it’s wild how easy it is to get swept along.
Extraction is such a loaded word, right? I swear, the first time a dentist mentioned it to me, I felt like I was about to sign away my soul. I totally get freezing up—I used to nod along to everything until I realized I had no clue what was happening in my own mouth. Once, I almost agreed to an implant for a tooth that just needed a deep cleaning (how embarrassing is that?). Now I’m the person with a full-on list of questions, and honestly, it’s saved me more than once. Sometimes I wonder if dentists get annoyed, but hey, it’s my face.
Honestly, I’ve started asking for second opinions if something feels off. I get that dentists are the experts, but sometimes I feel like stuff gets rushed or lost in translation. Last year, one said I needed a crown ASAP, but another dentist said it could wait and just needed a filling. Saved me a ton of money (and stress). I wouldn’t worry about being “that patient” with questions—better to be sure than regret it later.
