"I love my dentist" (was: "I hate dentists")

[freakout]

Re: "I hate dentists"

It's kind funny, when I had my first appointment scheduled with my dentist, my mom told me "and he's very cute" I guess she thought that would reassure me about seeing him. All that I could see when I met him was this horrific individual who was going to pull all of my top teeth (or what remained of them) out of my mouth. lol.

 

[kitkat]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I've noticed dentist's really gotta work to break that stereotype as being "the dentist " down to a regular person. That's how I saw mine when I first met her but then that perspective faded away and I see her more as the individual who just happens to be working on my teeth. I guess the only thing that can break that stereotype is trust. It takes time for them to evolve from "the dentist" to "my dentist" .

 

[freakout]

Re: "I hate dentists"

Yes I agree My first several visits, I feared "the dentist", but then my fear was not of "my dentist", but of the dental procedures. I still get nervous when I hear his voice when I get there, or worse if he is in the lobby area when I arrive at the office. My stomach gets all knotted up, but I know that my fear is the dental procedures and not the dentist, he's just the person who carries the procedures out

 

[kitkat]

Re: "I hate dentists"

Yes I agree  My first several visits, I feared "the dentist", but then my fear was not of "my dentist", but of the dental procedures.  I still get nervous when I hear his voice when I get there, or worse if he is in the lobby area when I arrive at the office.  My stomach gets all knotted up, but I know that my fear is the dental procedures and not the dentist, he's just the person who carries the procedures out

Yeah my fears used to be the person in combination with the procedures but now I'm quite at ease with her but the fear of the procedures and whole environment remains. It confuses me as to why I still tense up and get shaky seeing her when she walks out of her office or a back room and comes into the front desk area as I no longer fear her, but like you said, she is probably just serving as a reminder of the procedure because she's the one that carries it out. I noticed the shift between just fearing the procedures and not her because I was able to start carrying out conversations with her, as long as the chair wasn't back (then I'm pretty much speechless) and I was able to start looking at her in treatment where before I would always turn my head and look away, but now I prefer to keep eye contact .

 

[harper]

Re: "I hate dentists"

Hes in a far far away land. I get to see him this week.
I'm begining to wonder if I'm the only person on planet earth who is actually EAGER to see my dentist.
I'm not warped,really.
Hes just so darn good looking AND he does a good job.

I actually like seing mine the the man himself that is the actual surgery still scares me.

 

[brit]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I think we should change this thread title to 'I love my dentist' .
There's at least 4 of us who have admitted to this at some point in our lives. Alas not recently for me though. Last two dentists have been female.

My 1972 sadist   was darn goodlooking actually - maybe that's subconsciously why I foolishly went back for the second appointment lol. Or was it because I had no choice because I was only 10?

It definitely helps if you can see a picture on the internet before going to see a new dentist though, of either sex.

 

[garfield]

Re: "I hate dentists"

My stock reply is "That's alright, I hate patients", seems to work fine for me.

I dont hate dentist, they just scare me and most arent very patient with me.

 

[michelle34]

Re: "I hate dentists"

Hell, he could drill a hole in my forehead I trust him THAT much.Blinded by love or what. He always stares at my mouth, I figure 1 of 3 things is happening,he likes my lips or he has an oral fetish,or hes thinking about how much money hes made from it. he has lucious kissable lips mmmmm Am I naughty or what. Now where were those pop corn seeds.......

Now I have to wonder if dentists dont flirt just to get you to come back

 

[michelle34]

Re: "I hate dentists"

Now all of the the dentist reading this forum are going to be wondering how many patients have a crush on them.LOL. Theyll be watching for a prevert patient gazing longinly into their eyes.ROFLMAO Wondering if they are picturing them naked LOL... This is way too much fun.

 

[brit]

Re: "I hate dentists"

Does he flirt with you then? I thought this was a one-way unrequited 'secret' thing.

As I said before - we need a new thread - 'I love my dentist'....even if it is strictly for the 'not really dentally anxious anymore, so long as it doesn't hurt' types - which is where I'd place myself....where I've been for most of my life actually. *

 

[michelle34]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I get to see him tomorrow I cant wait. Was the flirting question directed to me.?? Hes VERY friendly.
Frig, the dentists here must think I'm nuts. I love it when I catch him staring.

 

[brit]

Re: "I hate dentists"

Was the flirting question directed to me.?? Hes VERY friendly.
Frig, the dentists here must think I'm nuts. I love it when I catch him staring.

Yes it was directed at you.
Obviously safest kept at the distraction technique/fantasy level. There is such a thing as medical ethics.
What on earth's wrong with your teeth that you need to go back so soon? Hope you enjoy your visit anyway. I think you're definitely cured so long as you can see him.

 

[letsconnect]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I'd like to remind everyone that some of the remarks on this thread are meant in a jocular way .

It's very normal to get a warm and fuzzy feeling about someone who has gone out of their way to really help you, but that doesn't mean that all the posters on this thread have sexual feelings for their dentists (I'm excluding michelle, of course ).

Cheers, and please keep it clean .

 

[michelle34]

Re: "I hate dentists"

HEY
I just saw him for a wee filling.No biggie. He has such a nice bum. I'm only looking,sheeeeesh you guys.

 

[harper]

Re: "I hate dentists"

That sounds like me lol  I bet they get that a lot in their profession.  Poor dentists...nobody ever WANTS to see them.  I once heard somewhere that Dentists have the highest suicide rate out of any profession which is quite plausible considering that none of their clients come to see them happily. Or most of them don't anyway.  It's really one of the few professions that I can think of where the clients dread seeing you or are even possibly completely terrified of you.  

That's one of my biggest fears too!  That's also what gave me away   Except I started to shake like a leaf before the drilling came and did fine through the injection.  I think I was suppressing through the injection though and then my lips went numb and I lost control of them and they started quivering really bad and trying to be casual about it she was like "your lip's fluttering quite a bit here, are you nervous?" and at that point some independent part of me, I literally had no control over my speaking abilities just said "Yes!"   Even I surprised myself with that one!!! lol It's crazy the way nerves can bring the truth out!  Adrenaline can be dangerous stuff, you just start speaking your mind uncontrollably LOL At that point though I was quite relieved that I was able to finally tell her straight out and was recieved well.  The tension seems to ease out faster knowing that they are aware cause you don't have the added stress of holding back as much and trying to "seem fine."    

hi kitkat
on my first visit i was so nervous i just said god knows why anyone would want to be a dentist! poor man

 

[brit]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I'd like to remind everyone that some of the remarks on this thread are meant in a jocular way  .

It's very normal to get a warm and fuzzy feeling about someone who has gone out of their way to really help you, but that doesn't mean that all the posters on this thread have "sexual" feelings for their dentists (I'm excluding michelle, of course  ).

Cheers, and please keep it clean  .

Yes maybe a 'warm and fuzzy feeling' is a better way of putting it, Lets.
I actually think it's a combination of gratitude and relief, that you've at last found someone you really don't mind seeing. They don't make you particularly nervous by their manner or lack of it,..treatment is virtually/totally painless, so eventually you can feel relaxed about going...

I see Anna has recently done a nice post to reassure someone about implants which uses the   smiley, so it's definitely the trademark of the recovering/recovered/'maybe only slightly anxious'  patient. You know what they say about converts!

 

[Geraint]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I used to hate dentist's, but I really trust and like my current dentist. We have a really good dentist patient relationship - she fully understands my concerns and always speaks to me and reassures me and let's me listen to a cd walkman whilst she is drilling my tooth. I find her to be totally approachable and easy to speak to. She is really sympathetic and understanding.

 

[kitkat]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I didn't like mine at all the first time I met her for a consultation. I don't know why but I just got bad vibes from her, she seemed sorta cold and distant and not all that compassionate...I guess that just goes to show that you can't really judge a book by it's cover. She did the cleaning which was ok but I was totally terrified to have a filling done by her but strangely enough I went and had it done anyway and she turned out to be the total opposite . I think once she realized how scared I really was she changed her approach with me but she acted like a totally different person after that she just became this really warm, compassionate, understanding person...It's odd really. Mine sorta seems to be a mind reader too, that or she's just really perceptive as she seems to always catch the slightest flinch, jump, or quiver I make and responds to it. She always seems to reassure one of my concerns before I even have the chance to voice it which is good cause most times I can't lol. I think one of my biggest concerns is loss of control and before I even realized that that was my problem with dental work one of the first things she said before even starting a procedure was "You're the one who is in control here, if you want me to stop, I'll stop." After putting that statement to the test she successfully won my trust!

 

[flutterby]

Re: "I hate dentists"

I hate dentists. What do they expect when they go into a "profession" where they get to use painful devices, drills and sharp instruments into someone's mouth? When I was 17 my mom dragged me to a dentist (and now has dental insurance so she wants me to go at least once to the new one) and advised against me telling the dentist "I hate dentist" and forced me to act civilized in their office. IMO if a dentist doesn't like patients saying "I hate the dentist" then thats their problem.

 

[harper]

Re: "I hate dentists"

hi flutterby
that seems a bit unfair
my current dentist has never hurt me and i trust him totally that he never will hes a superstar,works very hard and studied for 10 years.
if anyone could say they hate dentists its me and probably most of the people on here but i dont. my first one when i was 12 was a butcher and scared me for life i still remember him 22yrs later but i dont hate dentists ,i dont like going but mine is a person with feelings after all and a very nice one as it goes but then im biased
i dont hate dentists i dont like the waiting and im still getting used to the new people there but i LIKE my dentist hes a lovely,kind person who wouldnt hurt me .

IMO if a dentist doesn't like patients saying " I hate the dentist" then thats their problem.

if i was a dentist and my patients said the above it wouldnt be my problem it would be theirs because id tell them to go somewhere else. rant over