How a Nurse Named Susan Conquered Her Secret Fears and Saved Her Smile

Here's the story of one person's journey back to health...

Susan came to us in trouble. She hadn’t been to a dentist for over 10 years and she felt both fearful and embarrassed.

As a Registered Nurse, Susan was one of those everyday heroes... She was a down to earth, organized, and responsible person.... Very warm and genuine... But she was often so busy taking care of others, she wouldn't take enough time for herself. And when it came to dentists, she felt like a helpless child.

Here she was, a respected healthcare professional (with a heart of gold)... yet she was racked by insecurity and lacked confidence in herself. She dressed down to hide from attention. And when she first entered our office she nervously looked about like a spooked cat, ready to bolt.

Susan loved people and that's why she chose nursing. She worked hard and had risen up the ranks at her hospital. She also loved having fun... but it had been so long she had almost forgotten what fun looked like.

Once we began talking, I couldn't help but notice this lonely look in her eyes... She seemed saddened by her situation and perhaps a little frustrated with herself.

You see, Susan had a dark secret…

Something she had been hiding from everyone for years. A secret that was now ruining her life.

Susan felt ashamed of her dental condition. She had lost many of her back teeth, some of the remaining ones were broken, and was she very concerned about her health.

She cringed in embarassment over her missing teeth. The possibility of losing any more made her feel panicky, and she dreaded the thought of suffering through another dental crisis…

Susan was also worried (rightfully so) that her overall health was suffering.

She wasn't timid. Susan was a bold and courageous person in every other way, but felt completely paralyzed at the thought of going to a dentist.

Years ago, after a few bad dental experiences, Susan slipped into the habit of becoming a dental avoider. It seemed innocent enough at the time.

Now, after years of avoidance and procrastination, Susan had paid a heavy price and had become highly anxious about seeking a dentist... And it was eating her up inside.

This fear of dentists was the hidden secret she had kept from everyone all these years. She felt ashamed of even admitting it.

She dreaded the idea...

of going to a dentist, and was terribly embarrassed of the condition of her teeth and smile.

In her mind, she had built all this up into an insurmountable barrier.

That's what anxiety does to you... Your imagination plays out disaster scenarios in an endless loop, and you can't visualize any solutions to your situation.

You feel stuck... trapped and alone, so deep in a hole you can’t see a way out.

What you need is a helping hand to guide you... Someone who understands your predicament and can help you move forward with construcive action without laying blame or slathering on more guilt.

That's how Susan found us...

In her heart, Susan knew…

she was battling imaginary demons.

You see, Susan's enemy wasn't the dentist... Her ANXIETY was the real enemy. That's what had been holding her captive for so long.

Self-preservation is a powerful force. It can lead you to believe and engage in all sorts of crazy stuff:
•  Justify emotionally-based choices with faulty logic
   (if it doesn’t hurt, don’t fix it).
•  Engage in emotional reasoning (feeling fear is proof
    it must be truly dangerous).
•  Make convenient excuses (I’m too busy).
•  Place blame on an easy target (dentists).
•  Perpetually play out the victim role within some long-held drama story (whereby the story itself becomes the barrier to resolution and progress).

Fortunately, Susan harbored no self-delusions. Much to her credit, she recognized her own anxiety as the main source of her struggles.

She knew avoiding the dentist was only causing more harm and suffering... but fear still held her trapped in an icy grip.

Believe it or not... fear is useful.

Fear is hard-wired into your primitive brain to protect you from threats. By avoiding dangerous places you can stay out of harm's way.

But in modern times, those threats are often more imagined than real... Our lives are filled with temptations to indulge in frivilous things. And the temptation to avoid the things we find unpleasant is overwhelming.

That’s why avoidance is such a convenient strategy… Doing nothing is so easy.

Easy... but not without consequences.

Sometimes you can get away with doing nothing. Gambling like that can work in the short-term... Life’s problems occasionally do work themselves out if you wait a while.

Here’s a key point: Dental problems are progressive in nature. Tempting as procrastination may be, eventually you can pay a heavy price for not taking action.

Susan wasn't reckless...

She did her best to take care of herself... brushing, flossing and such. But you can only do so much by yourself.

She wasn’t the type to procrastinate or avoid. But when it came to seeking dental care, her anxiety got the better of her.

Over time, her small problems (cavities) turned into bigger ones. And some of those turned into disasters.

Eventually, her situation became overwhelming. After many years of avoiding dentists, the consequences had caught up with her. Now circumstances were making her life miserable.

Susan had become so ashamed of her teeth she wouldn’t smile anymore. She didn’t want be judged poorly or thought less of.

At this point, she didn’t even want to go out with friends. She shut herself off from others to avoid further embarrassment.  

The avoidance of one thing (dentists) had gradually led to the loss of friendships and this lonely way of living.

Susan was hurting.

She needed HOPE…

She needed guidance from someone who could empathize with her situation, explain options and recommend a suitable course of action… Someone who could help gently lift her from this miserable place and back onto a healthy path.

The good news is Susan took initiative.

She was tired of paying the price of inaction... In researching her options, she came across our website (just as you have done). And something about our message resonated deeply.

Susan had a sense we truly understood her situation…With trembling fingers, she called our hotline.

The first step was just to let her know that it was okay to feel the way she did.  And to offer support in helping her move forward… She already felt bad enough and didn’t need any guilt-ridden lectures.

On her first visit, Susan struggled to make eye contact. She was despondent about her smile and didn’t know what to do.

She wanted to smile again… She wanted to win back her self-confidence… She wanted to be healthy and avoid further breakdown of her teeth and gums.

Those ready-to-bolt jitters soon gave way to a bout of tears as Susan shared her story of suffering. 

The time came to examine her teeth... This was the moment she had been dreading for so long. She expected terrible news.

Once her challenges were identified (which weren’t nearly as bad as she had imagined), and the path forward was illuminated, Susan felt tremendous relief.

She cried tears of joy…

when she realized she didn’t have to live like this anymore. She was ecstatic when she discovered she had options to gain back what she had lost.

Within days, Susan was taking small steps forward and she felt thrilled about the improvements. Forward progress felt exhilarating after so many years of sliding backwards.

Susan’s fear of dentists soon melted away. Trips to the dental office became easier with each visit… Before long, she got back her health, her smile, and her sense of well-being.

Susan began to glow as she was finally able to smile without reservation.

That sparkle returned to her eyes... A zest for life with a little mischievous twinkle added to the mix.

She looked fabulous.

You see, dentistry is more than restoring health – it’s about rescuing smiles. Once that heavy burden of anxiety and embarrassment is lifted, your life can be totally transformed.

You feel free… Your mojo is back.

With renewed confidence and self-esteem, your passion for life flows again. You’re no longer held captive by anxiety or fear. You begin launching yourself over life's hurdles, and others are drawn to your energy and vitality.

The amazing part for Susan was when she began receiving compliments for her smile.

She had never dreamed that could happen. She had long looked upon her smile as a crippling liability and a source of embarrassment... Having that same smile transformed into a dazzling asset brought more happy tears to her eyes.

You see, Susan was living in a negative state for so long, she just was just hoping to make it back to neutral.  She wanted to feel normal again – to be free of suffering.

She didn’t realize there would be so many extra benefits from turning her health and smile around.

Here’s what she experienced:
•    Stability of health and freedom from pain
•    Tranquility and peace of mind
•    Admiration for her now-attractive smile
•    Huge boost to her self-confidence and esteem
•    Easy acceptance from others
•    Enormous surge of youthful energy
•    Sense of order and control over her life
•    Pride for overcoming her fear
•    Allure (sense of being attractive to opposite sex)
•    Excitement over the possibilities for romance
•    Hope for a better dental future

In the end, Susan was so happy with the results she was almost MAD at herself for having avoided things for so long.

That’s the “MAGIC” of dentistry. 

Was Susan a changed person? In many ways she was more her true self. The burden finally lifted from her shoulders, she was free to look and feel her best and enjoy all life has to offer.

These days, Susan has become one of our loyal advocates. She sings our praises to friends and coworkers and that’s a tremendous compliment.

If you find yourself struggling with anxiety or embarrassment regarding dental care, we can help.

You don’t have to avoid things any longer.