Saturday, August 27, 2016

Dentist and Fear Go Hand in Hand!

Yesterday was my big day with the dentist. Let me just say here that I absolutely loathe going to the dentist. When I was 14 (this was a while back, don't you know) I had a cavity in a molar that abscessed. Nowadays, I would have been prescribed an antibiotic and some pain meds and no work would have been attempted until the infection was gone .....

My mother loaded me into the car and took me to another city, where, according to her was a really good dentist. How she knew this is a mystery, but I was young and innocent and knew better than to question her wisdom. I had been awake all night with the pain.

Leaving me there in the hands of this laughing man, she went shopping! I have learned to question professional people who seem too happy. He was round and jolly, with glasses perched upon his nose. He took a look at my tooth and clasped his hands together, giggling in anticipation, as he told me my troubles would soon be gone.

No sooner had my bottom made contact with the seat when he released the mechanism to put the back down with a little bounce, then I was told to open wide and he jammed a bite block in place. I was terrified and wanted a chance to talk my way out of this situation. Before I could escape a belt was placed across my chest and latched close. Supposedly to help me hold still.

The man was talking and laughing the entire time. Asking me questions and answering them for me, he pulled my head to his sizable belly and held it there while he tried to administer the local anesthesia. I could see everything in the reflection of his glasses. The novocaine had little effect on the infected tissue surrounding the sick tooth. This did not stop him from deciding to take the tooth out!

I wet my pants. Wetting one's pants in public is just as traumatic for a 14 year old girl as having her tooth pulled with very little anesthesia. My mother made light of my experience and was enchanted with how "jolly" the sadistic dentist was.

"Jolly" is not what I look for in a dentist. I lean more towards empathy and the liberal use of pain meds. This is a new dentist I am seeing and he was wonderful. I was in that chair for over two hours! He kept assuring me that I was a really good patient and I can honestly say that other than the injection in the roof of my mouth, I didn't feel the other injections!

He extracted a wisdom tooth and a molar so carefully, I hardly felt the pressure. I took a Vicodin before leaving home and only local anesthesia was used. My jaw is sore and my face is a little swollen, but I have finally found the dentist of my dreams!!

This does not mean that HeWho is off the hook here. I still need special care and lots of it! I spent last night in my recliner with Wall-E tucked in next to me.

8 comments:

Joanne Noragon said...

The family dentist scared the bejammers out of me when I was about your age and had a cavity between my two front teeth filled. When the filling fell out, I had a hole for five or ten years, until my new dentist convinced me he could replace it painlessly. He wasn't my new dentist for nothing. When you find a good one, keep him (or her).

Linda O'Connell said...

When I was a teen, a neighborhood dentist pulled my abscesses tooth, then asked if I needed any female procedures. He did abortions in the back room. He bombed a woman's car and was on America's most wanted. Died in prison. Glad you found a good man.

Linda O'Connell said...
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Linda O'Connell said...
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Linda O'Connell said...
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Val said...

Well. After THOSE stories, my rocketing blood pressure and palpitating heart don't sound serious at all.

I have a sensitivity to something in the lidocaine. So not only does the thought of going to the dentist make my heart race, but the actual stuff the dentist gives me makes it go faster! I have to explain the whole deal, and they think I'm just anxious, but it happens with the lidocaine doctors use to numb the skin for cutting and stitching, too.

My dentist gives me mepivacaine instead, but the best part is...HE GIVES ME NITROUS OXIDE FIRST!!!

luksky said...

As a fellow dentophobic, that was the creepiest, scariest, dentist story I've ever heard!

Marco said...

I agree with your; dentist and fear certainly go hand in hand. I need to have a tooth extracted, and I’m dreading going. I'm completely terrified. Your story about your 14 year old dental experience is hilarious. I’m sorry to laugh, but I literally can't stop myself. Honesty though, I might wet my pants during my extraction visit.