Obsessed about teeth

I can’t stop myself from taking photos of my teeth. I have had numerous fillings and I definitely have staining / some other fillings that need done / one extraction / one root canal. But they don’t look terrible. However I have a lot of decalcification spots by my gums. One dentist told me that if they all broke through I’d need like 20 fillings. I keep checking my mouth of cavities… stains… recession… white spots. Everything. It’s driving me insane. And it got to the point where I was scared to eat… or drink fizzy drinks (I drink carbonated water) in fear of erosion. 🥲 I used to scrub the shit out of my teeth so that’s doesn’t help. I also went through a medical issue and after I was taken off of a medication I was on - my teeth went to shit along with it even worse than before. Genetics at play too. But holy hell. Does anyone have obsessions over oral health / hygiene? I brush and floss daily, too. Other than an occasional depressy day or when my ADHD is ADHDing and executive dysfunction kicks in. Sigh. Almost 28 years old for reference and I feel like I have a monthly subscription to the dentist for how much work I’ve had.

User type: Therapist

Date posted: 25d

Hey, I just wanted to say—It sounds exhausting and overwhelming, and you're not alone in how you’re feeling. The constant checking, the fear around food or drinks, the hyper-focus on white spots or fillings—it’s so much, and it makes sense that it’s wearing you down. What you’re describing sounds a lot like a form of health anxiety or even obsessive-compulsive tendencies that are specifically focused on oral health. These patterns aren't a sign that you're vain or overreacting—they’re your brain trying (and over-trying) to protect you from something it sees as dangerous. There’s a really effective approach called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) that might help. It’s a gold-standard therapy for OCD and related anxiety. The basic idea is this: Exposure means gently facing the thing that causes anxiety (like drinking a fizzy water or skipping a photo-check of your teeth). Response prevention means resisting the usual safety behavior (like checking, Googling, or brushing hard to "fix" it). By doing this in small steps, your brain slowly learns that nothing bad actually happens when you don’t do the compulsion. Over time, it gets easier to live without the constant scanning and fear. ERP doesn’t stop you from caring about your teeth—it just helps you stop the cycle that’s stealing your peace of mind. The goal is just to give your mind a rest—so you can live your life, enjoy food, laugh without checking the mirror, and trust that you are doing enough. If you’re ever open to it, working with a therapist who specializes in OCD or health anxiety might make a huge difference. You deserve relief—and it is possible to find that middle ground where your teeth are taken care of and your brain is quiet. Hang in there!

KAW1007

Date posted: 25d

@Jason Bleecher Thank you so much! It’s so hard because I am very cavity prone and everything. I am trying to force myself to not check my teeth. 🙏🏻

Anonymous

Date posted: 25d

I’m 21 and in the exact same boat .. I even have a ton of chipped teeth at the gums . I check them obsessively and I just know I’m gonna need veneers bro .. always crying about my youth lost to mental illness

KAW1007

Date posted: 25d

@Anonymous Yes it’s so rough. I’ve had bad ocd since I was 8 years old. I have an extracted tooth that is in my smile line too and it’s embarrassing. Then constant white spots and cavities and everything. It’s so expensive too. You’re definitely not alone. The cost gives me anxiety too.

Gmoki

Date posted: 25d

Oh my goodness I totally understand you. I have adhd ocd and executive dysfunction as well, and I share this exact same compulsion as you. You’re not alone, and it’s good that you’ve become aware of it. What triggers the compulsion? Maybe that could be good first step !

KAW1007

Date posted: 25d

@Gmoki What triggers it is hormones a lot of the time. Around my period my gums get inflamed and my teeth hurt a lot. And then I start looking for things. I notice every little white spot and stain. And I do have a ton of white spots probably due to a soda habit as a child. But the one dentist freaked me out by saying what he did. Though my regular dentist said they’re not broken through yet. So we can just monitor them. I have to tell my OCD that if there’s an issue then my dentist will find it. I have an endodontist appointment too because my root canal is still bothering me so they’re doing a cone beam scan. So I have solace in the fact that it scans the whole mouth and will find any cavities that need taken care of.

karli.2204

Date posted: 25w

Things i struggle with as a hypochondriac with OCD

- can’t go to sleep without lipgloss on (my body will not let me physically gts until my lips are moisturized ) - can’t drink coke or eat too much junk food without my head telling me im going to get liver failure or stomach cancer from the unhealthy food - feeling like i’m going to have a heart attack (this one i developed from a physical form because they asked me if i had heart problems and i remembered my grandma died from a heart attack) - my head will eat with alive if i don’t scrub my skin hard enough when u shower because i cannot have dead skin - feeling forced to drink water (i quite literally feel like i’m dying off the slightest feeling of thirst) - diagnosing every single body sensation ( im convinced i have over 30+ diagnoses) - having a bad grade ( it hurts my chest literally) - being mean (i swear the energy comes back to me and haunts me for life) - finding a solution to literally everything (it hurts not to know the real) - fear of smoking (this is probably the stupidest thing ever but i’m afraid of catching an obsession from smoking then dying from it..) - having kids (just what if my body isn’t good enough and i end up risking me n the child’s life ? yk ?) - caramel frappes (i feel like the shittest person ever after drinking one and i feel like IM no longer healthy) - GREASE ( i cannot feel grease in any way while im eating because i will no longer eat the food) - any discomfort in my shoe (i will take it off from the tightness and walk barefoot if i have to) - bra (so since im convinced that there’s something wrong with me , wearing a bra that feels just a tiny bit tight, makes me forget how to breath and suddenly im dying) - my bed/room (my bed must be made and my room must be clean otherwise i cannot focus) - praying (although i don’t pray every night i feel like god thinks i’m a bad person or not worshiping him enough whenever i don’t pray or remember i didn’t) - the bible (i got trauma from it and i feel bad that i got trauma for it so im scared to read it but im scared more of the trauma it caused me) - the doctors (i don’t want any test done to me cus im afraid of something bad but i need reassurance for the sake of my sanity) - the united states of fcking america (i seriously hate living in this country because everything is a lie so i don’t feel safe here) - the food in the united states of fcking america (well mostly everything is processed and even healthy food are being pre waxed so they look “good” and it scares me so i think everything is not healthy) - tik tok (bro i cant with the diagnosis videos anymore) - what ever i do to one thing that has another thing must be done to the other thing or i cant live with myself - my nails ( im not mentally okay if my toe nails are long ..) - everyone except my bf/not bf yet (as a pre psychology student, i study and analyze everyone so i can see everyone’s red flag) - the kids at my school (the drama that has no end but no reason is my 13th reason…) - smells ( you don’t know how fast i can light a candle until you know me) - medication (it gives me more anxiety than my actual anxiety)

BigGyro09

Date posted: 24w

18+ only

Starting to think I have unresolved childhood trauma unfortunately. Health OCD is also driving my absolutely crazy but I'm too scared to go to my doctor. I worry about diabetes, illnesses, cancer, skin problems, etc. I just hope everything works out in the end. Right now I just can't do the things I love doing because I'm constantly worrying about everything. All of my worries are exacerbated and I just can't keep them away. They only come back.

mriley♥

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 13w

Fun question! 😊

Not sure if this is OCD or ADHD or both, but sometimes I get really stuck on a topic to the point that it's obsessive and somewhat debilitating but still fun. Does anyone else get caught up on random topics (in a slightly unhealthy way)? This part of my mental health issues is one I don't mind as it has contributed a lot of joy to me through different fandoms and groups in my life. Just curious what obsessions (positive) you guys have and if you consider it a blessing, a curse or a blerse lol

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