Woman doesn't go to dentist for 10 years; makes horrifying discovery in her teeth.

People hate the dentist. The tools, the painful cleanings, the shaming if you don't floss properly (I swear I'm trying hard). Despite that, it's important to visit your dentist regularly.

On a popular Reddit thread in the Today I F*cked Up Subreddit, a woman doesn't go to the dentist for ten years and finds something awful in her teeth.

She writes:

I (43f) have a severe dental phobia. My husband has to take the kids to the dentist because I cannot be in the building. I brushed and flossed to try and minimize the need, but then this happened.

I bit into something crunchy about a decade ago, and a tooth snapped in half. It didn't cause any pain, so I left it. I brushed and flossed as usual but found a terrible taste. I bought an electric floss thing that used water and tried that. Foul-smelling food fell out of the tooth. I was mortified but found the solution and carried on my usual routine.

Cut to a decade later. It's nighttime. I brush my teeth, floss my teeth, and use the electric flosser. I do a quick visual check to make sure the hole is clear when I see something. I grab some plastic tweezers that I have, and I start to dig around. I think I have it, so I pull it out.

It was a hair. A disgusting, discolored hair wrapped up in my tooth with clumps of food stuck. I am so mortified that I stare at it in horror. I have no idea how this happened, and I hate myself.

The next day, I called the dentist and made an appointment. I'm having the tooth extracted in a week and can't wait.

The internet has tooth stories.

disruptioncoin says:

It reminded me of when I ignored a broken tooth until I got an abscess and experienced some of the worst pain of my life. I finally got the tooth extracted, and I was looking at the gaping hole left by it (using a dental mirror and another mirror) and could see something white.

I thought at first, is that gauze? puss? I poked at it with a dental pick, and it was hard. Did they leave some of the teeth in there? Nope! It was my jawbone. Got a weird feeling seeing part of my skeleton. I hope it never happens again, in any context.

nobrainsnoworries23 says:

Look for dentists that offer sedation dentistry. They can give you a pill BEFORE going into the office to help with anxiety.

diablodeldragoon says:

Tell them about your fears and ask them to prescribe Valium or something to help. I'm terrified of heights, but 5 mg of Valium has me looking out the window at all the wonderful scenery for the entire flight.

Scheduling a dental cleaning right now.