Please can someone help me. I have gone over this e-mail in my mind hundreds of times and just haven’t had the courage to write it. My hands are shaking typing this.
I am a 43 year old mother of a three year old I am a single parent living off of benefits.
I was a smoker till recently and have lost three stone and am looking after myself because of my son, I am an older mum so i want to be healthy for him.

I am absolutely terrified of the dentist so much so that I have had a toothache for two years. Lately its got so much worse. I take painkillers for a back and shoulder problem, but the pain in my back pales into insignificance compared to the pain in my tooth.

When I was a child my School was just across the road from New Cross Dentist College. Myself and other Children attended on a regular basis, I remember being held down in a chair terrified, whilst one man with a Bunsen burner heated up an instrument to give me a root filling I was about 7-8 at the time, after that I had to sit in a chair numerous times with a gumsheild on having fluoride treatment. I still had baby teeth when i was eighteen, but by that time I had stopped going to the dentist.

My teeth are in a terrible state i am in pain from three of them one is really bad. I hate meeting new people because of my teeth. Ive got no confidence at all and I’m terrified that my son will be bullied at school. I’m sure people treat me differently. My little boys father, who I am no longer with said he would not kiss me because of my teeth.

I am on anti depressants, and have even bought anti biotics online rather than go to the dentist. I know i have ruined my teeth, with smoking and drinking coffee and not visiting the dentist. But I cant live like this any more. I just want to look normal so I can be a proper mum to my son.

I cant sleep I lie awake at night thinking about it, it’s making me ill and I’m scared I’m going to end up with septicaemia. Please can you help me or do you know someone that can.

Yours sincerely