Dental crown, OCD and Body Dysmorphia
I have OCD and I think Body Dysmorphia and one of the things I am obsessed about is my teeth. I can spend hours and hours every day checking them, cleaning them and worrying about them. I just found out I need a root canal and will then have an amalgam crown because I am an NHS patient and I am absolutely freaking out over this because I CANNOT HAVE A SILVER TOOTH. I have two amalgam fillings and can’t cope even looking at the them so I know I won’t be able to deal with an amalgam crown. A tooth-coloured one would cost me somewhere in the region of £350, which I can’t afford, especially as I am looking to start a University course in January and will be paying my own course fees (I do not qualify for a student loan). I don’t know what to do. Please help me. Has anyone successfully managed to get a tooth-coloured crown on the NHS and how did you manage this? Any advice would be welcome but please do not tell me just to deal with it or to get over it because that is not possible. I have a mental illness and it is ruining my life.
Talk to your dentist and your GP about your concerns. They will be able to help you with the dental problem and mental health issue. I would advice that you only keep one bathroom mirror in your house to avoid continuously checking. Set yourself a routine and a structure for eating and brush only after your 3 meals a day.
Original post by sunnydespair
Talk to your dentist and your GP about your concerns. They will be able to help you with the dental problem and mental health issue. I would advice that you only keep one bathroom mirror in your house to avoid continuously checking. Set yourself a routine and a structure for eating and brush only after your 3 meals a day.
Thank you for replying. Just one mirror?! That would mean getting rid of my wardrobe door, hall mirror, hand mirror and dental mirror! Yes, I have a dental mirror!
Unfortunately all the dentists I have dealt with are unapproachable, unfeeling types who treat their NHS patients as second-class citizens so I'm not sure I'll be able to find one who cares. Do you think my GP could help? If he wrote them a letter or something?
Original post by Anonymous
Thank you for replying. Just one mirror?! That would mean getting rid of my wardrobe door, hall mirror, hand mirror and dental mirror! Yes, I have a dental mirror!
Unfortunately all the dentists I have dealt with are unapproachable, unfeeling types who treat their NHS patients as second-class citizens so I'm not sure I'll be able to find one who cares. Do you think my GP could help? If he wrote them a letter or something?
Unfortunately all the dentists I have dealt with are unapproachable, unfeeling types who treat their NHS patients as second-class citizens so I'm not sure I'll be able to find one who cares. Do you think my GP could help? If he wrote them a letter or something?
I think you'll feel better if you only have one or two mirrors to access.
To be honest your main issue at the moment is a mental health issue, not a dental issue. You urgently need to see a GP, not for a letter, but for treatment. Tell them what is going on in regards to your dental OCD.
Original post by sunnydespair
I think you'll feel better if you only have one or two mirrors to access.
To be honest your main issue at the moment is a mental health issue, not a dental issue. You urgently need to see a GP, not for a letter, but for treatment. Tell them what is going on in regards to your dental OCD.
To be honest your main issue at the moment is a mental health issue, not a dental issue. You urgently need to see a GP, not for a letter, but for treatment. Tell them what is going on in regards to your dental OCD.
I have a lot of mental health problems, unfortunately, and my GP knows about them. I am currently in eating disorder therapy so cannot get treatment for my other issues at the moment as it is not a good idea to have more than one therapy at the same time. The eating disorder is the most pressing issue because of the impact on my physical health.
Therefore I'm just doing my best to manage everything else and my biggest concern is getting a tooth-coloured crown so my anxiety will reduce and I can get on with focusing on recovering from my eating disorder. The OCD stuff around my teeth has been pretty manageable up until now, but has gotten way out of control since I found out I would need the root canal treatment and crown. Hopefully if I am able to get a tooth-coloured one on the NHS things will settle down a bit again. I know that won't cure it, but it would at least make things more manageable until I am ready and able to tackle those particular issues.
I really hope my GP can help me with this otherwise I really don't know what to do.
Your GP might be able to help you with this in terms of informing the dentist about your particular aversion to a gold crown. They can't force you to do something that you don't want to. Just to see your GP and make that step is a step in the right direction. Keep me informed about your situation. Make sure you are eating. Enjoy food, its great !
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by sunnydespair
Your GP might be able to help you with this in terms of informing the dentist about your particular aversion to a gold crown. They can't force you to do something that you don't want to. Just to see your GP and make that step is a step in the right direction. Keep me informed about your situation. Make sure you are eating. Enjoy food, its great !
I know they can't force me but my worry is that I need the crown and they won't let me get a white one, causing me major distress.
Anyway, I saw my GP this morning and while he can't promise anything he does seem to think he can help somewhat. I am being referred to the Community Dental Service. They can work with people who have mental health problems so hopefully they will be sympathetic and accommodating to my ridiculous problem! Fingers crossed. I will also discuss it with my mental health team as they might be able to support me and provide any evidence needed etc.
I appreciate your responses, sunnydespair. Thanks for your help!
Original post by Anonymous
I know they can't force me but my worry is that I need the crown and they won't let me get a white one, causing me major distress.
Anyway, I saw my GP this morning and while he can't promise anything he does seem to think he can help somewhat. I am being referred to the Community Dental Service. They can work with people who have mental health problems so hopefully they will be sympathetic and accommodating to my ridiculous problem! Fingers crossed. I will also discuss it with my mental health team as they might be able to support me and provide any evidence needed etc.
I appreciate your responses, sunnydespair. Thanks for your help!
Anyway, I saw my GP this morning and while he can't promise anything he does seem to think he can help somewhat. I am being referred to the Community Dental Service. They can work with people who have mental health problems so hopefully they will be sympathetic and accommodating to my ridiculous problem! Fingers crossed. I will also discuss it with my mental health team as they might be able to support me and provide any evidence needed etc.
I appreciate your responses, sunnydespair. Thanks for your help!
I'm glad to hear it, hopefully this will all be resolved, in the meantime I wish you well with your eating disorder. Maybe because I'm a guy I can't begin to understand what is going on in your head, but I appreciate and love food, and I hope you find a way to make sure you can one day too ! Make sure you get all the help you can get, because it must be so debilitating x
Original post by Anonymous
I have OCD and I think Body Dysmorphia and one of the things I am obsessed about is my teeth. I can spend hours and hours every day checking them, cleaning them and worrying about them. I just found out I need a root canal and will then have an amalgam crown because I am an NHS patient and I am absolutely freaking out over this because I CANNOT HAVE A SILVER TOOTH. I have two amalgam fillings and can’t cope even looking at the them so I know I won’t be able to deal with an amalgam crown. A tooth-coloured one would cost me somewhere in the region of £350, which I can’t afford, especially as I am looking to start a University course in January and will be paying my own course fees (I do not qualify for a student loan). I don’t know what to do. Please help me. Has anyone successfully managed to get a tooth-coloured crown on the NHS and how did you manage this? Any advice would be welcome but please do not tell me just to deal with it or to get over it because that is not possible. I have a mental illness and it is ruining my life.
I am fixing my teeth. My parents paid for it.
I don't have BDD but I am ugly for real. When I look in the mirror I see a short and broad body. I don't see the same face. My face changes. It is ugly. I want to end and disappear I am too ugly for this world. I am also too stupid for the world and failed A levels twice and failed Btec and am now doing Access course.
I want to die so badly. I feel so ugly. I can't survive. People don't care how you feel they just want you to get the job done.
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