I can't believe it has been 11 months since my last visit! I promised myself I would keep this thread updated in the hopes that perhaps others in a similar situation would find some sort of strength of sorts by reading about the work I've had done but life has kind of got in the way so I apologise!
Going back to my last post where I mentioned about having a root canal done, when I went the following week the first root canal took so little time that my dentist asked if I would like to have the root canal done in my back tooth as well and I said 'Yes please!'. I had to have antibiotics for the back molar as a little infection had taken hold, I still have a temporary filling on that tooth but it has been absolutely fine, it's set to be crowned the next time I go back unless I have any issues with it. The other tooth that had the root canal was absolutely fine and I went back a week later to have my crown fitted, I expected it to feel really alien and weird but after a day I did not notice that I even had a crown in place.
I had totally built up such a terrifying image of what a root canal would be like and in all honesty the worst bit for me was the disinfectant stuff they used, I had no pain and in all fairness to my dentist she made quick work of the two root canals and I was out of the chair in just under an hour which I was totally shocked by. Luckily for me it seems I have hit the jackpot with this dentist as she is so lovely and patient, constantly checking that I am okay and giving me breaks every now and then if I am having a lot of work done.
Basically, I have gone from literally shaking and needing diazepam on my first visit to walking in and actually not having a care in the world about being in the chair because it does not frighten me anymore! I never, ever, ever thought I would be in this position and whilst I am horrified at how badly I let my teeth get and how much I lost, I am MORE angry at the horrible dentist who terrified me in the first place and I really wish I had made a complaint about him because I dread to think of anyone else suffering at his hands.
I cannot even remember his name but he was a fairly young guy when I saw him about 13 years ago, I would say he's only in his late 30's now so he is going to be working for a very long time and I could kick my 17yo self for not getting his name but it's far too late now. Part of the issue I think was that when the practice changed hands as my old dentist retired, the new owners decided to allow NHS (National Health Service which is like a socialised medical system for people not from the UK) that were on the old dentist's books but they would not accept any new NHS patients and would only take on people privately.
I got the impression that the NHS patients weren't highly thought of and the practice saw us as taking up space on their books which could be used for private patients to come in and pay through the nose for work. My current dentist is very posh to say the least, they do a lot of cosmetic dentistry and offer botox and fillers BUT never have I felt that I was being rushed in and then rushed out or treated badly because I wasn't in a position to pay and that's from the dentists right down to the reception staff who all know my name now and greet me like a pal as I walk in!
Just in case anyone is reading this from Wales the practice is called Chapel Street Dental in Mumbles and if you have a fear I would 100 percent recommend this place as they have literally changed my life! Merry Xmas to one and all, I promise I will keep this updated next year, it's my NY resolution!
