Petrified of dentists but have no choice

Owain_Moneysaver

coldstreamalways wrote: »

I'm a lady dentist (shock horror) and taking teeth out is my favourite job.

I wish my dentist felt the same way. I've got teeth I've wanted out for 20 years but he keeps filling and building them back up again

If alligators get multiple sets of teeth regrowing why do humans only get two?

rosalie-lavender

McKneff wrote: »

To be honest, i really wouldnt recommend a lady dentist. I was put through agony last year when I had to have all my top teeth out.
She had to loosen all the teeth first before extraction which quadrupled the time I was in the chair being worked on. I really felt as if she was being brutal. i really just dont feel that they have the strength to do a smooth extraction.
The male dentist who i had seen for years took exactly 2/3 seconds to extract a tooth. Grab, twist, out. Simple as that. No after pain, no painkillers, brilliant.

I have a lady dentist and she is excellent. If lady dentists weren't up to the job of removing teeth they wouldn't qualify as dentists in the first place. It is down to my lovely dentist that my children don't have the same fear of dentists that I used to have. In fact my DD once had a tantrum because we were going to the dentist and she wasn't!

hethmar

Well done, the first step is the hardest, so now try not to build it up in your mind. You arent going to die when you go, you probably wont feel even a tiny bit of pain - so dont wind yourself up worrying. The pain of toothache is FAR FAR worse than anything the dentist will do.

sharnad

McKneff wrote: »

To be honest, i really wouldnt recommend a lady dentist. I was put through agony last year when I had to have all my top teeth out.
She had to loosen all the teeth first before extraction which quadrupled the time I was in the chair being worked on. I really felt as if she was being brutal. i really just dont feel that they have the strength to do a smooth extraction.
The male dentist who i had seen for years took exactly 2/3 seconds to extract a tooth. Grab, twist, out. Simple as that. No after pain, no painkillers, brilliant.

So it wasnt because she was a women you just saw one dentist who was better at teeth extraction than another

sharnad

coldstreamalways wrote: »

If the tooth wasn't diseased why did it need to be removed? I'm a lady dentist (shock horror) and taking teeth out is my favourite job. I have never spent 2-3 seconds on an extraction though.

Could have been a wisdom tooth

coldstreamalways

2-3 seconds, really? Even the quickest of wisdom teeth take a little longer than that. Still, let's not argue about a few seconds. OP well done, hopefully this appointment will help you realise we are here to help & most of us are used to very nervous patients.

juliedotcom

I echo what others have said. I too have a terrific fear of the dentist (infact, my teeth have previously been in such bad shape that I had to have day surgery at the local hospital with GA to remove 6 of them, which I am incredibly ashamed of!) and I would applaud you for realising you need to do something about this.

Make sure the dentist knows you are scared/nervous. They see hundreds of patients a month and you wont be the only person they've treated with a fear. If you have questions, or something that will make you feel less nervous, tell them. Let them know how you feel, what barriers have prevented you before, and what you want the outcome to be.

You sound like you have a good support behind you to help. Well done for taking the first step and good luck!

McKneff

sharnad wrote: »

So it wasnt because she was a women you just saw one dentist who was better at teeth extraction than another

At the time, when she was working on my teeth, she did it very differently to the original dentist who I had been with for nearly 40 years. she worked her way round every tooth, 6 or 8, cant remember, this even with the aenesthetic took ages, gouging up into the gum loosening teeth. So it was am impression, an impression that she gave me, because of my past experience. Hd
Had she explained to me what she was going to do, as toothsmith and the other lady vet or doctor explained to me on here, and I imagine using more modern methods and safter methods then it would have been a completly different matter. She hardly said a word, apart from hello and sit down.
She panicked on the last back tooth which broke into pieces and had to get another dentist into help her. Exit one very very upset patient. It hasnt affected me so much that I dont want to go again so Im quite happy to go back, anyway she left not long after. I had a medical problem which resulted in me having to have them out.

Gemmy_2

I'm really afraid of the dentist too

My denstist is through the NHS and specialised in people who are afraid.
Its still pretty scary going, but she is great at makes me feel at ease. For some things though the have to knock me out..

picnmix

I have to admit that I have a fear of dentistry also, on a number of occasions I have rang to cancel my appointment whilst sat outside in the car - on one occasion the receptionist was actually looking at me. I have had all sorts of work done, under GA at the local hospital, have paid a fortune for sedation at a complementary clinic, but now have found a lovely dentist who knows my level of fear and is great with me.

Well done for making the appointment and your boss sounds wonderful.