Pianimo
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2011
- Messages
- 536
- Location
- UK
Well, I haven't updated this in sometime and I don't whether anyone will actually still be reading it, but thought I'd update just in case!
All things dental have rather been pushed to the back of the priority list due to various other things going on, particularly with my job. I have been at the point of considering just stopping and doing something different - I don't want to as I do actually love my job, just not all the stress and responsibility that comes with it, and the way it eats into all my free time so I can go a week without ever really switching off from it.
Anyway, I didn't see my hygienist back in April as I cancelled due to illness, then she cancelled the next appointment, and then I cancelled another one due to work! I finally went last month. It was neither a good nor bad appointment really - it felt rushed but I just wanted it over with so I let her rush me and then it was over and I was out. I felt like my teeth were in bad shape, and some of the things she asked the nurse to note down seemed to back that up, but she said they were 'not bad at all'. Maybe she didn't realise I could understand what she was saying to the nurse, or maybe she just sees other people who's teeth were worse than mine! She did say there was some decay/weakness showing on the back teeth and I was to take care to clean well at the back.
During the appointment she said "You're doing well etc"; I didn't feel like she really meant it so much as she was trying to be nice, and I did not feel at relaxed or happy, but I think she is genuinely a nice person and I am not afraid of her and felt safe that she would stop if I needed to, so I just closed my eyes, dug my nails into my hands and waited for it to be over!
I was also overdue for a check up with my dentist but again, work and busyness have got in the way, though it was on the to do list! Then a couple of weeks ago a bit broke off my tooth, which I think is the tooth he did the RCT on, but I can't remember! I knew I needed to go in and have it looked at, but work has been crazy so I was going to wait until things calmed down a bit. I just didn't have the energy to deal with it tbh, even if I had the time - I don't really like D5 or feel comfortable with him and dread going to see him. Then today, more tooth broke off and the resulting hole is pretty large! I now definitely know I need to go, but I didn't know whether it counted as an emergency or not, or whether I could wait until Monday.
So, I called the practice as I am a Denplan member and thought there would be an emergency number to call for us, but there isn't! So I called Denplan and they said they could contact my dentist for me and see if he would do a call-out, but also recommended another number I could call for advice. I called that number and they said if I'm not in pain it should be safe to leave it until Monday. I feel worried about having such a big hole, and food getting in, and whether/how I'm supposed to brush over it etc, but I don't want to get a dentist out over the weekend if it's not actually urgent, not mention I have the worry of not really wanting to see D5 but also not wanting to have to see a stranger (whether from the practice or somewhere else). So I guess I will just have to wait it out and hope for the best.
Once this is sorted, I am considering a couple of options. Firstly whether to try a female dentist at the practice and see if I can find someone I feel more comfortable with. The whole point of seeing one of the partners was that I wouldn't have to go through the process of getting comfortable with someone and then having to deal with them leaving and trying to get used to someone new, but if I'm going to be staying with someone but not actually feel happy or comfortable with them then it doesn't seem worth it. Secondly, a colleague recommended a local practice where she's had a really good experience. They have recently changed hands and one of the new dentists offers sedation (previously only one practice in my town did and I didn't like the sound of them from their website). They have a few bad reviews on NHS choices - some from before the new dentists came but a couple since then - which makes me wary, though my colleague is very happy there. It would be nice to have a dentist closer to home, but it's a small practice (just a couple of dentists) so if I liked a dentist and he moved on, I wouldn't have much choice in who to see instead.
Anyway, that's about it. Hello to anyone reading, whether new or old, and I hope my 'old' friends are doing ok. Feel free anyone to read / comment/ ignore, whatever you like! And I will try to leave it less than 6 months next time...
All things dental have rather been pushed to the back of the priority list due to various other things going on, particularly with my job. I have been at the point of considering just stopping and doing something different - I don't want to as I do actually love my job, just not all the stress and responsibility that comes with it, and the way it eats into all my free time so I can go a week without ever really switching off from it.
Anyway, I didn't see my hygienist back in April as I cancelled due to illness, then she cancelled the next appointment, and then I cancelled another one due to work! I finally went last month. It was neither a good nor bad appointment really - it felt rushed but I just wanted it over with so I let her rush me and then it was over and I was out. I felt like my teeth were in bad shape, and some of the things she asked the nurse to note down seemed to back that up, but she said they were 'not bad at all'. Maybe she didn't realise I could understand what she was saying to the nurse, or maybe she just sees other people who's teeth were worse than mine! She did say there was some decay/weakness showing on the back teeth and I was to take care to clean well at the back.
During the appointment she said "You're doing well etc"; I didn't feel like she really meant it so much as she was trying to be nice, and I did not feel at relaxed or happy, but I think she is genuinely a nice person and I am not afraid of her and felt safe that she would stop if I needed to, so I just closed my eyes, dug my nails into my hands and waited for it to be over!
I was also overdue for a check up with my dentist but again, work and busyness have got in the way, though it was on the to do list! Then a couple of weeks ago a bit broke off my tooth, which I think is the tooth he did the RCT on, but I can't remember! I knew I needed to go in and have it looked at, but work has been crazy so I was going to wait until things calmed down a bit. I just didn't have the energy to deal with it tbh, even if I had the time - I don't really like D5 or feel comfortable with him and dread going to see him. Then today, more tooth broke off and the resulting hole is pretty large! I now definitely know I need to go, but I didn't know whether it counted as an emergency or not, or whether I could wait until Monday.
So, I called the practice as I am a Denplan member and thought there would be an emergency number to call for us, but there isn't! So I called Denplan and they said they could contact my dentist for me and see if he would do a call-out, but also recommended another number I could call for advice. I called that number and they said if I'm not in pain it should be safe to leave it until Monday. I feel worried about having such a big hole, and food getting in, and whether/how I'm supposed to brush over it etc, but I don't want to get a dentist out over the weekend if it's not actually urgent, not mention I have the worry of not really wanting to see D5 but also not wanting to have to see a stranger (whether from the practice or somewhere else). So I guess I will just have to wait it out and hope for the best.
Once this is sorted, I am considering a couple of options. Firstly whether to try a female dentist at the practice and see if I can find someone I feel more comfortable with. The whole point of seeing one of the partners was that I wouldn't have to go through the process of getting comfortable with someone and then having to deal with them leaving and trying to get used to someone new, but if I'm going to be staying with someone but not actually feel happy or comfortable with them then it doesn't seem worth it. Secondly, a colleague recommended a local practice where she's had a really good experience. They have recently changed hands and one of the new dentists offers sedation (previously only one practice in my town did and I didn't like the sound of them from their website). They have a few bad reviews on NHS choices - some from before the new dentists came but a couple since then - which makes me wary, though my colleague is very happy there. It would be nice to have a dentist closer to home, but it's a small practice (just a couple of dentists) so if I liked a dentist and he moved on, I wouldn't have much choice in who to see instead.
Anyway, that's about it. Hello to anyone reading, whether new or old, and I hope my 'old' friends are doing ok. Feel free anyone to read / comment/ ignore, whatever you like! And I will try to leave it less than 6 months next time...