I don't know about you, but as a kid, I dreaded the dentist almost as much as the doctor.
Those gleaming instruments, the big light that always seemed to be in my eyes and the sense of confinement all added to the worry and terror over possible pain and foul tasting medicines or anesthetics.
There were no child-friendly waiting rooms full of toys, murals or books, and parents could be seen dragging their unwilling offspring into the waiting area and then shoving them toward the chair in the dental suite, all the while re-assuring them that they would be fine.
The first time I was permitted to see a dentist alone, I was ten, and all of my worst fears came to fruition when after confessing my dislike of anesthetic shots, the dentist proceeded to drill into a small cavity. ignoring my screams. I emerged in tears, one side of my face swollen, and marched into the waiting area in search of my mother. She took one look at me and demanded an explanation. After my recounting, she said, "Well, if you did not want the shot, you should have expected this."
Placing an ice pack on my face once home, she then relayed the information I had provided to her husband. Stepfather was equally tough but apparently decided to have a word with the Army dental clinic. Though I went twice more, that particular dentist was nowhere in sight.
That experience stayed with me, as did her response to my discomfort. It took an auto accident and chipped teeth to deliver me into the hands of my present dental office. I've been a client there for over twenty years and have never had a bad experience. My dentist, in practice for over forty years, has no doubt, seen the consequences of bad dentistry and no dentistry due to previous trauma. Though I've never discussed this incident with him directly, his staff, including my hygienist, have re-affirmed their commitment to trauma-free dentistry for anyone who sees them, child or adult. While I still dislike injections and needles, on the rare occasion I've required them, they have been dispatched with minimal stress and almost no pain. I go every three months and my mouth and teeth have never felt better.
It is nice to know that the Dark Ages of dentistry have been put to rest, at least by most of those with whom I associate. My only fear of the dentist is now his retirement.
Have any of you had similar experiences?
8 comments:
I think many of us have bad experiences with dentists from childhood. I know I've had a few. And I dreaded going to dentists for years. But later in life I discovered that modern medicine and more sensitive doctors made me change my mind! I haven't had a bad dental visit in years and I no longer mind going.
Oh man... I've had nightmare experiences with multiple dentists... and orthodontists. There was the time I went in for a wisdom tooth extraction. The guy had said that the tooth was not impacted, so removing it shouldn't be that hard. Turned into an hours long ordeal... mostly what I remember is sitting there with my eyes closed as he had his foot on the arm of the chair trying to pull the thing out. It was horrible.
Then there was my most recent trip... about 3 years ago, when they had to replace all of my old fillings. Problem was that I don't seem to react to Novocain like most people, so they couldn't get me numb. They ended up having to drill down through the tooth and inject the stuff directly into the root in order to get me numb. I've since read that this is a common problem for people with red hair - something genetic.
Anyhow, I really need to go back, but honestly, I'm sorta terrified.
I can relate to a mediaeval scene with my mother's dentist, a creaky ancient relic when I was 8. No anaesthetic. I was screaming and bleeding and escaped to the waiting room and my mother's arms. She didn't know any better and assured me dentists always meant terrible pain.
Dear goddess, a lifetime of avoidance and distrust until I found a brilliant Toronto dentist,who when he looked in my mouth, said "Irish teeth".
Things have changed there now but I still fell sickened by all the suffering I had for years.
XO
WWW
As another redhead, I feel your pain. While it usually works, sometimes they can't get me numb at then dentist. Or it takes multiple tries with different meds. Out of the dentist office, the worst was when I needed an emergency C-section and I wouldn't numb. They ended up putting me to sleep after they had just told me how dangerous that would we with my high blood pressure. However, it all turned out okay in the end.
My childhood dentist terrified me so much that he caused me to suffer needlessly throughout my school years with a broken front tooth that he ominously said would have to be ground off to be repaired. I was so afraid of him and the implied pain that I lived with the humiliation for ten years before going off to university and choosing a dentist who, shocked at what I told him, said it most certainly did not have to be ground off and capped it.
A decade later, a dentist dislocated my jaw by shoving a hard rubbery spacer into my mouth so that he could more easily do a root canal. It hurt so badly that I cried and hit the arms of the chair to make him stop and take the thing out of my mouth. He referred me to an endodontist out of town, who was the most wonderful man and dentist I could have hoped to encounter after such a trauma. He was a cute little Irishman who said that he spent his days correcting the mistakes of regular dentists. He was charming and soothing, assuring me that he was painless and that he would finish the root canal and make things all better. He did finish it painlessly and I was so grateful to him. I still suffered from with my jaw pain and was treated for TMJ and had a mouth guard-like appliance made to wear at night, which did not help at all. It wasn't until I mentioned my jaw pain to a chiropractor that I got relief. He held my face in his hands and told me my jaw was dislocated and then quickly moved his hands with a little jerk. I felt my jaw move and, joy of joys!, the pain was gone!
Any time I have to see a dentist the old fears come back and I tense up. I always tell him or her right away that I have had a lot of bad experiences that make me a fearful, tense patient. My Canadian dentist is okay. He hasn't hurt me much yet, but is a bit rough when picking at my teeth after the hygienist cleans them. He has redone one of my fillings, which was not pleasant but not traumatic either. I get tense just thinking about having dental work done.
Oh my god, the same thing happened to me as a kid! I'd actually had several fillings with the shots, but always cried so the dentist did a filling without one. It was torturous. Consequently, I didn't go to the dentist again until well into adulthood. My then-husband basically forced em to go see a dentist who specialized in dental phobes. He was incredibly sweet and patient and now I can go (even though I still don't really like it).
yes; I was chased (!) around the dental chair by the DENTIST who had the needle with the novacaine. Jesus. That
How ironic that I'm reading this now, the day after my root canal! Fortunately I've had pretty good experiences with dentistry, and like you, I'm thankful that the dark ages are past. Can you IMAGINE having to get dental care 100 years ago, or 200? Yikes.
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