I hate going to the dentist. I always have, and I suspect I always will. When I was a kid, my parents used to take me to this really evil dentist. He supposedly specialized in children, but I think he hated kids. I remember this one time when I was about 5, I had to get some fillings done. I'd never done this before and I had no idea what to expect. But I knew it involved needles and drilling things and I wanted no part of that.
I had no choice though. So they brought me back into this room with pictures of Snoopy all over the walls. And a clown riding a unicycle down a tightrope that stretched across the ceiling. The clown kept going back and forth, and I guess it was supposed to be something fun to look at. But did I ever mention I'm terrified of clowns? I hated that stupid thing. It didn't calm me down at all.
But that wasn't the worst thing I had to look at it. The dental chairs were in one big room and you could see the dentist working on other kids. It wasn't my turn yet, so I sat there and listened to this kid next to me screaming his head off. And I watched the dentist actually lay on top of him to hold him down. And he kept telling the kid, "shut the hell up or I won't use novocaine at all!"
Needless to say, I was petrified of this man. And when he finished tormenting that kid, he came over to me. I was crying because I didn't want any part of this. And he was very annoyed and told me to be a man. I was only 5! And he said I could keep crying and make him stressed out and he might not do a good job. Or I could shut up and just keep still and let him work.
I've never forgotten how mean this guy was because it traumatized my idea of dentists for the rest of my life. And his assistant wasn't any better. Shoved this rubber thing in my mouth to keep me from biting down on the guys hand, and it gagged me. So I started wretching and trying to spit it out because I was going to throw up. And she grabbed it out of my mouth and tossed it on the floor. And told me that if I bit anyone, I'd be in big trouble. And she'd pick the dirty thing off the floor and shove it in my mouth again.
So I just laid there and let the guy do his job. I cried the whole time, but I made sure I didn't move or try to close my mouth. And even though he gave me the numbing shot, it didn't work, because I felt everything. And I tried to tell him it hurt and he said, "no it doesn't!" and kept going.
That was my first dental experience. And I had to see that guy three times before my mom finally believed me that he was evil. And then she took me to some other guy who looked like Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead. He would sing songs the entire time he was drilling, but at least he was nice. I still hated seeing him though.
Then I went for awhile not seeing a dentist at all. Then I got braces, and my orthodontist was the devil too. Every visit I had used to kill me. And he smelled like salami and actually used to scratch the inside of his nose and then stick his hand in my mouth. They didn't wear gloves back then. And then later on after I got my braces off, that guy got arrested and lost his license for fondling female patients. Nice huh? He never touched me, but that was because I was a guy. But I still knew he was a creepy freak because I could just tell. Good riddance to him.
My dental experiences have not been great ones. I'm a big chicken and I hate shots and just getting my teeth cleaned freaks me out because I can't handle the scraping sound inside my head. It's like nails on a chalkboard. Plus my teeth are sensitive so everything they do hurts me. I'm a wuss.
Not too long ago, my dentists office called me to tell me I needed a cleaning. I'd canceled my last appointment and never rescheduled. So they wanted me to come in. I told them I'd call them later but I never did. I figured I was fine. My teeth were clean enough. I take care of them. I brush and floss. Well, I don't floss every single day, but I brush twice a day! That's good right? And I use fluoride and mouthwash. I don't need a dentist.
Well the other night I was brushing my teeth and I realized that my very back molar on the top was broken. Perfect! When the hell did that happen? I'm not sure if a filling fell out or a piece broke off, but there is now this jagged piece of tooth and a hole. I can't even see it because it's on the back side of the tooth. But I can feel it with my tongue if I stick it up there. But damn it, I hate the fucking dentist! And the tooth doesn't hurt. Shouldn't it hurt if it's broken? Shouldn't I have noticed it breaking when it happened?
I have no idea. But I told myself I should have just gone in when they called me, and maybe they could have seen something before it broke? I don't know. It was my bad. But I still didn't want to call them and make an appointment because now I'm scared of what they'll have to do to this tooth. But the tooth gods must be trying to get on my ass, because the dentist called me again today! They want me to come in really bad. Which means they either know my tooth broke because they're all powerful psychic dentists. Or business is slow and they're desperately calling people to drag them in.
It's probably not the first one, but what a coincidence anyway. I was thinking of calling them, and then they called me. Cool. Except I didn't feel like committing to an appointment yet so I told them I'd call back. I'm chicken. I've never broken a tooth before. What will they do to me? Will I need a crown? A root canal? I don't want either of those things. I had a crown done before and they needed to load me up on Valium first just to get me into the chair.
Is anyone else out there scared of the dentist? Is it just me? I don't want to call them back but I know I need to. I don't want to lose my teeth! That would suck. Although this tooth seems really pointless way back there in the cavern of my mouth. I didn't even know it was back there, because if I did, I would have known it was broken before now!
*sigh*
I need to be a man and just go. But I don't wanna.
evil_twin posted on Apr 15, 2008
| views: 1796
Comments
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pickersplock said on Apr 15, 2008....
I'm not! My dentist is fast! And relatively painless, plus I always brush really well, so I never have cavities!But my children's dentist is a hoot! They love going there, because you can play video games and watch dvds while you're getting your teeth cleaned!He rocks! -
evil_twin said on Apr 15, 2008....
pickers--I need to see your children's dentist! Mine is okay I guess, but I just don't like any sort of dentist in general. And no matter how much I brush, I always have at least one cavity somewhere. Probably because I hate the dentist and don't go as often as I should! -
pickersplock said on Apr 15, 2008....
Every 6 months!!!!I wish my dentist would let me play video games while I'm getting my teeth cleaned! -
Twylarants said on Apr 15, 2008....
Me! Big scared, big, big, big.
And I'll tell you why, because I found out why when I finally found a great dentist.
Novocaine has adrenaline in it to make it work faster, and adrenaline makes me have a panic attack. So I was having panic attacks all those times I was in the dentist chair. It wasn't fear of pain, I don't feel pain to the degree that some people do, so I couldn't figure out why I was so frightened of the dentist.
I'm laying back in the chair with 2 people hovering over me, I'm not in control...and I have a panic attack! I'm claustrophobic and panicky, and I can't sit up! Well, duh.
Two doors down from my bookstore is a dentist. He started coming into my store, we talked... what a nice guy! Turns out he's the dentist for the NY Giants, Jets, and the Nets. And, he tells me, they're ALL big babies!
So I go to him to have an abscessed tooth pulled and he gives me Novocaine.
Well, my pressure shoots up, my heart starts pounding, hands sweating, I'm hyperventilating...and he says, "Oh, you can't tolerate novocaine? No problem.
Let it wear off and come back in tomorrow."
The next day he gives me a shot of something without adrenaline. It doesn't last as long so he had to work fast, which was fine with me...much shorter chair time. No pounding heart, no panic attack, shorter time in the chair, no pain.
I had 6 teeth pulled that way, 3 one day and 3 the next day. No problem.
Try the adrenalin free stuff, Kyle. And tell your dentist you need to sit up more often than other people do.
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botoni said on Apr 15, 2008....
Kyle.....We are definately on the same page with this particular situation. My first dentist was (I swear) actually a ferrier. That's the guy that makes shoes for horses in case you didnt know. I m desperately in need of getting store bought teeth just like granny had and yet I m delaying as long as I possibly can. I ve been hearing things about sedation dentistry that sound promising. Knock me on out and go to it is my theory. -
allswell said on Apr 15, 2008....
OMG!! You have had the dentist from Hell! Ok...remind me to never see a dentist in LA! lol....Yeah i would be terrified of them too after what you have been through! But don't feel alone...it freaks me out when i have my teeth cleaned...that sharp thing scraping at my tooth, it feels like they are going to pull my tooth out...and then i would just have to die! Like you i just try to take care of my teeth the best i can so hopefully i won't ever have to go to the dentist again! If you do go...good luck....hopefully it turns out to be something easy to fix!
Hugs~alls
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hinana said on Apr 15, 2008....
i havent been to the dentist in years.
ive prolly been since, but the only and last time i rmr going is in gr.1
i got to come in late, and my mouth was still partly frozen xD
i know ive been more then once, cuz ive tried more then one flavour of the flouride stuff.
personally, ive never wanted to go to the dentist after i realized that i was terrified of needles, and that what the dentist dos is put a needle in your mouth.
even if they dont, they COULD and so ive never wanted to go. and my mom never pushed it.
so fine by me =)
i dont like the dentist though..or really any place where they have the starchy white cover over the bed/chair thing...they make me anxious and then the bright lights get to me...even the place i get my eyebrows done does that to me..
well. gluck twinny =)
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Eilan said on Apr 15, 2008....
I saw a pediatric dentist when I was a child, and he was wonderful. I was never afraid of the dentist.
Then, when I got too old for a pediatric dentist and lost dental coverage when I married my ex, I stopped going for a few years. During that time, I developed a fear of the dentist. How dumb is that?
I started seeing my husband's dentist when one of my wisdom teeth broke and needed to be pulled. He's very gentle, good with my kids, too. But I can't stop being a chickenshit! Now I'm both scared of the dentist and ashamed that I haven't been for a while.
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the_infernal_optimist said on Apr 15, 2008....
I am not afraid of the dentist; I just don't go. It's a money issue at the moment, and it's been years, save for the occasional cleaning, maybe once every two years. They never find a cavity though (never had one) so I've been fortunate that way (and I'm anal about dental hygiene since I can't afford for something to be wrong).
My brother and I did have awful experiences with one dentist as kids, though it doesn't sound quite as horrible as yours! That guy needed to be in a different line of work, one that didn't deal with any sort of health care, because "care" is certainly not what he provided! :-p
I won't pretend I like the dentist; my teeth are out of line on the bottom because I never got braces and should have, so cleaning between them hurts, and my teeth are a little sensitive anyway. But I don't dread it nearly as much as I do the eye doctor. There's a place that makes me nervous!
~Infernal
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moonriver said on Apr 15, 2008....
As a kid, I used to be scared of sitting on that seat with the robot-arm-like contraptions, because our family dentist was of the old generation where you could smell burnt bone as he drilled into the cavities. When he pored into my dentition, he looked like an anthro professor inspecting a million-year skull that wasn't connected to a living body.
I overcame my fear in my mid 20's, when Sophie urged me to shift to her orthodontist friend, which had the gentlest hands and most people-friendly dental gear I've ever encountered.
My dentist now is also good. I'm up for an appointment early next week, and I'm actually looking forward to it. She has lovely eyes too ... Lol.
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bluegum said on Apr 15, 2008....
you have to get your mind on other things ,like when there both peering into my mouth i look at her eyes and think they are pretty,lips hmmm a pair of cupid bows and very kissable too ,oh no eyes flashing shes shoveing that damm sucking thingy thing down to my man things ,only see him twice a year and she still knows me.blue. -
CreativeWoman said on Apr 15, 2008....
I am petrified of the dentist. I had a bad dentist as about the same age as you. It scarred me for life. I don't go for regular visits, but do take good care of my teeth.
CW
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Zayda said on Apr 15, 2008....
I love, love going to the dentist. I wrote a blog about how much I really enjoy it. I just find it relaxing and refreshing.
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Fallyn said on Apr 15, 2008....
i like my dentist...and i haven mostly had ok experiences....but i have a really high pain threshold too.
my dentist i'm seeing now is one of my dad's best friends....so i'm sure that helps.
but i'm about ot have some seriously painful procedures done.
6 teeth pulled......three teeth replaced into the bone.
all i can say is thank god for modern dentistry.
the part that gets me EVERY time is the novacaine.
that shot into the gum is SOOOOOO FUCKING PAINFUL.
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kelly said on Apr 15, 2008....
Try to maintain some control in the whole affair. If you don't like a dentist don't go back. Keep on until you find a good one. It's worth it.Don't let them intimidate you. I once was experiencing horrific pain due to an abscess. In my desperation I went to the first dentist that I could find. While I was in the chair he took the handle of a dental mirror and said "does this hurt?" and proceeded to knock it against the sensitive tooth a few times before even waiting for my reply. Besides nearly passing out from the pain I was alarmed. Then I asked him what he thought. He replied "that toof has got to come out." No, I did not misspell what he said. I said thanks but no thanks and got the hell out of there.I had to endure more pain but I found some great people who actually saved the tooth. -
GracefullyGrowing said on Apr 15, 2008....
Dentists?<full body shudder>~Grace~ -
queenparanoia said on Apr 15, 2008....
i'm not scared... there much more worst in the worl dthan dentists.. =) have your teeth checked!!! -
diabolicdame said on Apr 16, 2008....
I HATE dentists!! They are evil evil sadistic people whose only aim in life s to give us pain!! I consider getting my cavities filled the WORST kind of torture!
Last year my dentist gave me SIX shots in the gum for anesthesia because they idn't seem to be having any effect on me, one of the syringes BROKE in my mouth.. and I still felt the whole pain of the cavity filing procedure.. but after that the shots kicked in and my mouth was lopsided was another two days!!!!!!!! Oh and also I developed fever after this for a week!
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Trinov said on Apr 16, 2008....
Hi, sounds like you had the dentist from that wierd cult movie with the cannabalistic plant?
I've had horrible experiences with dentists. As a kid my dentist/orthodentist was a nice guy who didn't want to be a dentist, and he tried to be careful, but my mother's idea of 'food' was chocolate and 'all day sucker' lollypops with an occasional steak--so I had lots of cavities.
In Israel I had some real nightmarish experiences with dentists. One was in Kiryat Shmoneh, which is a town that is periodically shelled from the hilly side that is in Lebanon. Of course the dentist picked by my kibbutz was in Kiryat Shmoneh. So I had to have some work done and in the middle of the drilling (which I hate) they started shelling and I wanted to get to a shelter. But the dentist did not stop drilling even as the shells were falling all around us. Booom Boom BOOOM. Really, I can't think of a worse afternoon.
Another horror story was this army dentist. He was career army and was a Captain, and I'm sure that he had decided that he was not good enough for civilian life. In the middle of pulling one of my wisdom teeth (mine grow back when they are pulled, I have the third edition growing now, I come from a wierd family) he told me that he "forgot what to do next". And the novicane was wearing off, and it was getting near Shabbat and he had to be getting back to his base (this was on a kibbutz that was still under semi-military rule on the Golan Heights). Finally he 'remembered' but he said that next time he'd take me to his base for any treatment, and I made sure that there was no 'next time'.
Then there was another kibbutz dentist who didn't file the edges down on a filling and my tongue was bleeding, so my husband (then my boyfriend) broke into the dental shop and operated the equipment and filed down the tooth. Then there was an American dentist who said that he never pulled teeth --and I had come to him without being able open or close my mouth for this second edition wisdom tooth had grown into my jaw overnight.
So I can share your fear of dentists. Now I use a toothpaste of salt and baking soda recommended by 'the sleeping prophet' Edgar Caysee and I don't get cavities (in my remaining teeth) and I intend to avoid dentists like the plague. -
lfbno7 said on Apr 16, 2008....
I never had a nasty sadistic dentist like you described. To me the worst thing about going to the dentist is that I always need to swallow and that disturbs the whole procedure. Like they are drilling a tooth or something, and you need to move your mouth to swallow, and you think that will knock the drill off course. Meanwhile they are spraying water in your mouth so why wouldn't you have to swallow? Aside from that, I don't really care that much about dentists. Just that most of them cost way too much. One guy charged me $2,000 for a crown. I paid it, taking the money out of life savings, and then I got a different dentist on a discount plan where a crown might cost about $600 instead. -
CayenneMan said on Apr 16, 2008....
I can't remember ever going to the dentist as a kid. But I'm sure I must have. As far as the clown thing goes, they really creap me out they always have. I have always feared going to the dentist so I never did. I developed a problem about 6 or 7 years ago that needed immediate attention. For 2 days I was gargling root beer soda around the clock. It seemed to be the only thing that would keep some of the pain in check. It got to the point that I knew I had to get help as soon as possible. It was late in the day and I was trying to find a dentist that was still open and would treat me. I must have gone thru 50 dentists in the phone book with no luck. Finally I found one who told me to come right in and he'd take a look. I was scared I kid you not, here I am a grown man scared to go to the dentist. His name was Mr.Buck yes Mr. Buck Tooth . . .no I'm kidding his name was David. He and his assistant took a look and told me I needed to have my wisdom tooth removed because it was coming in side ways and was drilling into a molar tooth. He said he could'nt repair it today but to come back tommorow. He did give me some pain pills that relieved the pain immediately heck I was ready to go dancing . I returned the next day and they did some yanking and drilling and all that good stuff and fixed my problem. The operation was pretty much pain free after he gave me a needle in my gums. Ouch. He said that my teeth were in very good condition other then the problem he repaired. He really acted like I should have had a mouth full of cavities for neglecting to go to a dentist for all those years.But my teeth were ok.
I must admit this dentist really helped me out he was one of the nicest people you could ever want to meet. A couple of years ago I drove past his office and he was no longer there. I tried to track him down on the internet with negative results .It's as If he left the face of the earth. Needless to say I'm still afraid of dentists.
So evil twin your not alone in your fears and you can keep those clowns away from me too .
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Mamie said on Apr 16, 2008....
bookmarking***me too, ET, I would rather stand in the middle of traffic on the GW bridge...does anyone have sleep dentistry? that is more my style...I will be back later to read...xo, M -
Mr_Box said on Apr 16, 2008....
Yeah I don't like the dentist either. I went to that same demonic dentist as a kid too, and he really was something awful. I put up such a fight with him that they gassed me with nitrous just to shut me up.I'm not actually scared of dentists anymore. I have a nice one. But it's still my least favorite place to go. And it is really expensive too. Even with insurance. One tooth cost me $3000 to fix.I was pissed about the whole situation too. This tooth never hurt me at all, but the guy said I needed a crown. So I let him do it. Then when he was putting the final crown on, he shoved it down, and my fucking tooth cracked.I heard it snap and I asked him WTF that was, and he said he didn't know. But I knew! It was my tooth! But he just sent me on my way.About a week later I had a horrible toothache. Excruciating. And when I went back to him, he admitted that he thought he cracked the tooth but he was hoping for the best. And then he sent me off to get a root canal for another $1500.I told him that he should do it for free, and he said he didn't do root canals. He wasn't skilled with that. And after he broke my tooth putting on a crown, I wasn't sure if I wanted him to do it anyway.So I had to pay for that too. I didn't go back to that guy again. My new dentist is better. But I still hate going. -
evil_twin said on Apr 16, 2008....
pickers--You're much better at doing this regularly than me!
twyla--I know what you're talking about! That shot scares me anyway, but a few times it's actually made me start shaking and get dizzy and my heart feels like it's going to explode. My dentist told me it was the epinephrine too, but he never offered to do without it. He just told me it'd pass and I feel better soon. But I used to just think it was me being scared too. Maybe I'll have to ask next time if they can use something else?
botoni--Your dentist made horseshoes?? yeah, I wouldn't trust that guy with my teeth either! If they knocked me out to work on me, I'd be happy. Valium wasn't enough!
alls--Yeah, I really had a bad experience when I was a kid. And even if my new guy is nice, he's still a dentist! I just don't like having my teeth worked on at all.
hinana--The needles are what get me too. I hate any sort of shots, but when they're in your mouth, they hurt ten times more.
Eilan--I can't stop being a chickenshit either. And when they keep calling me to remind me it's been over a year since I had my teeth cleaned, I feel guilty too!
Infernal--You're so lucky you've never had a cavity. I think that some people are just blessed with good teeth, and some of us aren't. I really do take care of mine, but it never seems like enough. Plus there are outside factors that make my teeth bad too. Certain medicines I take (and used to take) cause my mouth to be dry. And my dentist said that it makes your teeth decay faster. *sigh*
moon--The smell of burning bone still gets me every time. I've seen smoke coming out of my mouth when the guy drills! It smells like burning hair. Good luck with your appointment. Maybe I'll make one soon? Maybe....
bluegum--I think I'm too terrified to fantasize about the assistants lips. Especially since they wear masks and I can't see them! But distraction is a good idea.
CW--You understand! Early experiences really do scar you for life.
zayda--You're lucky that you love to go. I wish I did. But I guess it's less relaxing when you always have to have work done or the teeth cleaning process hurts, like it does for me :-(
fallyn--I agree that the shot is the worst part. I hate it! I've only ever had my wisdom teeth pulled, but they put me to sleep for that. That was the best dental experience ever because I don't remember it!
kelly--I was laughing about your story with the 'toof'! My friend said he went to a dentist like that and he said the exact same thing. "your toof needs to come out" And he said he refused to let a dentist who didn't know how to say 'tooth' work on his mouth. I wonder if it was the same guy??
grace--My thoughts exactly!
queen--There's not much worse than a dentist!
diabolic--Sometimes they have to give me extra shots too because they don't work. Once they gave me a shot directly inside my tooth and not the gums! I've never felt anything that awful before.
trinov--Your experiences sound horrible! Especially the dentist office with bombs going off. Yikes! And I've never heard of anyone's wisdom teeth growing back! How weird is that? I'm so glad mine never did that!
lfbno--I feel like I'm choking sometimes because I need to swallow too and I can't. I'm afraid they'll drill the wrong spot if I move at all. They are expensive too.
cayenne--I'm glad you found a good dentist, but it's too bad he's gone now. And someone else understands my hatred of clowns! you're lucky you've got good teeth though.
mamie--I need to look into sleep dentistry. I've heard of it, but I don't know who around here might do it.
Mr. Box--I wish that the evil childrens dentist would have gassed me too! Maybe I wouldn't remember him so well? That really sucks about your tooth too. See? That's the stuff I'm afraid of! I'm afraid they'll make things worse instead of better.
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uniquely-ironic said on Apr 16, 2008....
Have you ever considered going to a dentist that uses sedation? I mean they literally put you to sleep and you wake up when they're all done. Seems like with your aversion it would be a good option.
Hate to say this, but you may be in for a lot of work if the molar really is broken. I'd go to a specialist if you need a root canal and ask for sedation. If cleaning your teeth drives you nuts, this will be very stressful.
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kelly said on Apr 16, 2008....
"And he said he refused to let a dentist who didn't know how to say 'tooth' work on his mouth. I wonder if it was the same guy??"Hm, he wasn't visiting a dentist on Green St. in Pasadena was he? -
Zayda said on Apr 16, 2008....
I agree with U-I. Find a dentist that will sedate you given the strength of your aversion.
I've always been really lucky when it comes to my teeth. I had one cavity when I was three years old in a baby tooth, and then I didn't have another cavity for almost 25 years.
As to whether the tooth should hurt if it's broken, not unless the nerve underneath the tooth is exposed, which is probably why you didn't feel it when it broke. You may even have swallowed the part that broke off.
My son is losing his baby teeth. He had an upper tooth loose. We were having pizza for dinner the other night and I looked over and there was a gap where that loose tooth should have been. Sure enough, he swallowed it with a bite of pizza. -
the_infernal_optimist said on Apr 16, 2008....
I'll definitely agree about the outside factors and genetics too. My brother has awful teeth like my mom, and it wouldn't have mattered how well he cared for them. His teeth have always had really thin enamel and stuff like that. And my stepsister's seizure meds made her teeth more susceptible to damage/decay, so I've seen that happen too. It's not always anyone's fault, and I think I've been lucky.
~Infernal
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Silme_Mesmes said on Apr 16, 2008....
Hey, I've been in the dentist's today and last Wednesday! And 3 weeks before today... They didn't kill me:) I hate my dentist because I think he is a jackass, but he does quite well his work. (And his assisstant also a jackass:S) Now I'm not in my hometown because I'm studying in university and I had to go again to dentist's so I searched an another dentist, she is nice and does good job:) I hated dentists because of this jackass, but now I don't feel fear. She has given me two fillings today, no injection, a little bit of pain but it was really a little little bit:) And now I'm okay, she said I can have pain because of the holes were so deep, but I'm still fine:) So I think you have to go to your dentist's, it can be bad, but if you're late you would be able to loose your tooth... I lose two teeth:(
I wish you good luck.
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MissMimi said on Apr 16, 2008....
I'm not afraid to go to the dentist, but I hate it and avoid it because my teeth are so sensitive. Having them cleaned is torture. I can't stand feeling and hearing the tools they use.
The dentist I last went to was kind of a jerk. I had been going to him for about ten years, and in all that time, he never pronounced my first name correctly. I corrected him every blessed time, and he still got it wrong. That tells me that he either wasn't listening to me, or he just didn't care enough to remember. Oh, and he's also the one who, when pulling a wisdom tooth, broke the tooth in several pieces and I had to go to an oral surgeon to repair the mess the first dentist made.
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evil_twin said on Apr 16, 2008....
uniquely--I don't know of any dentists who use sedation, but I guess I could ask my dentist if he knows someone. He offers me Valium tablets that help a little but not enough. If I could actually be asleep, that'd be awesome. I'm fairly certain I'll need a crown, but maybe if it doesn't hurt I won't need a root canal? Fingers crossed.
kelly--I'm not sure where this dentist was. But my friend said he looked liked Ving Rhames.
zayda--I suppose you're right. If the nerve isn't exposed, that's probably why it doesn't hurt me. Which might be a good sign that they can fix it without a root canal I hope. I probably did swallow the piece of tooth or mistake it for something crunchy if I was eating chips or something. Blech.
Infernal--Everyone in my family seems to have not the best teeth. I was told that my enamel was soft and that's why I swish with fluoride rinse to make them stronger. But the medications do have a bad effect on your teeth too. It sucks! You fix one problem with the pills, and new problems come up because of them!
silme--I'm glad you found a decent dentist now that's not a jackass! I do need to call mine soon and make the appointment. I don't want to lose my tooth :-(
Mimi--I'm with you on the teeth cleaning thing! I hate it. I would be really mad if a dentist messed up an extraction and sent me to someone else with a half done tooth! Did you have to pay twice??
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Mamie said on Apr 16, 2008....
hey Kyle, I have been thinking about this and yes, I would rather have my eyeballs poked out with tree branches than go...but I do go every 6 months. It is gross! I can't stand the sound of the instruments either, it is like nails on a chalk board. Yes, make the appt!! -
Trisscar said on Apr 16, 2008....
I don't like them. I've only been to the dentist a handful of times but my BF's experience with them makes my whole jaw hurt.My Bf had an absessed tooth and since we don't have a dentist in town he had to go the village to get it pulled. They pulled and pulled and the dentist was couldn't figure out why after 2 hours and extensive shots to numb the pain wasn't working. He finally got a chip off the tooth and took a look at it... to discover IT WAS BONE...The whole time the dentist was trying to pull out the tooth he was actually pulling on my boyfriend's lower jaw.That wasn't a great day. -
wombat said on Apr 16, 2008....
I'm terrified of going to the dentist--but go I do, I've had some bad experiences, but I won't go into them here for fear of scaring you into not going! The thing I am afraid of is needles, but once that part's over, if I need a shot-----then I am fine. Especially if I get the treat of the lovely gas........! My advice is to make regular visits and do all the preventive maintenance you can so you won't end up in that chair getting major work done. It's worth it in the long run! -
JoyousLoving said on Apr 16, 2008....
I do not like the dentist. Period. ewwwww -
hotaka said on Apr 16, 2008....
Well, those were some dentist stories. I can't believe that first one and his assistant. I had the same dentist from the time I was five until two years ago, except for when I went to the dentist while living in Japan. My dentist at home finally retired and he was the coolest guy and I mean cool as in calm and casual. I never minded seeing him, even when I had a cracked tooth and they had to break half of it off and fill it in artificially. He asked me if I wanted to see it and gave me a mirror. So I watched in the mirror as he and his assistant broke the tooth apart and took out the bad piece. I remember thinking that it was a good thing I had anesthetic or this would really hurt.
I have a wisdom tooth story though that would make you never want to go near a dentist again. I think I wrote a post about it last year. Don't read it!
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evil_twin said on Apr 16, 2008....
mamie--I was really good for awhile about going every six months. I forced myself to go. But the last time I had the appointment, I just didn't feel like tormenting myself. So I canceled it. And I just haven't been able to bring myself to go back. I need to though.
Trisscar--That is a horrible story about your boyfriend. Yikes. That's why I hate dentists! Because I seem to hear so many horror stories of them screwing up or making things worse.
wombat--My dentist doesn't use gas :-( I asked him! He said people kept stealing his nitrous tanks so he stopped using it. But he does offer me Valium pills. But you're right that if I went regularly, I wouldn't have to have any major work done. I need to force myself.
joyous--Me neither!
hotaka--You are much braver than me. I don't want to see anything they're doing! I actually did read your wisdom tooth story last summer. But you know what? Getting my wisdom teeth out was the best dental experience I had! Only because they knocked me out and I was asleep the whole time and don't remember any of it. It was awesome. At least until afterwards and the numbness wore off....
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kelly said on Apr 16, 2008....
"kelly--I'm not sure where this dentist was. But my friend said he looked liked Ving Rhames."Jeez. That could be the guy, but it's been long enough ago now that I don't have a clear picture of him in my mind. That would be a wild coincidence. -
silverwhisper said on Apr 19, 2008....
i have to say, what an asshole that guy was!
i can understand why that would color your perceptions even now, kyle. i know where i live that sedation dentists are out there, so given where you live, there've gotta be tons!
ed -
evil_twin said on Apr 20, 2008....
kelly--That's so funny if it is him! It's a small world....
silver--You're right I'm sure about the sedation dentists. I just avoid all things dental related as much as possible, so I'm not sure where to find one. I think I'll ask my dentist for a referral since he doesn't offer that service. He can't blame me for wanting to find a different person if he doesn't offer that right?
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silverwhisper said on Apr 21, 2008....
i sure as hell wouldn't! and honestly, if he does, that's another reason to find someone else!
ed -
InsighedOut said on Apr 25, 2008....
i hate it. i get flashbacks whenever a dentist puts his fingers in my mouth. i can handle the tools and needles but when their hands go in i just get freaked out . once i had to have a tooth pulled and it was so traumatic and he asked me how it was afterwards (he actually did it very fast and clean) and I said i feel like i've jjst been raped and his eyes nearly popped out. and it took more than a month for the blleding and pain to stop.
i dont wanto go back to the dentist again. but i go to a nice one who udnersands about my childhod and he talks nicely and keeps me in the here and now whenever he sees i'm starting tp panic or dissociat.
lots of childa buse survivors have a terrible time with detttttnists i heard.
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