S
Stardust27
Junior member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2009
- Messages
- 2
- Location
- Colorado
I had a few bad experiences as a kid with dentists. When I was getting my baby teeth drilled, the Novocaine wore off and I was crying as the dentist held me down and told me to quit being a baby. Though I do get bonus points for biting her! 
Second dentist was similar. He didn't hold me down, but he wasn't conscientious about my comfort level at all. He turned up the nitrous when I start complaining, but continued and repeatedly told me "it'd be over in a minute." That was the longest minute ever!
Third dentist I went to when I was 16, he was just rough. I told him I was scared, my mom told him I was scared and I felt like I was being manhandled anyway. He seemed offended that I was scared of dentists. I told my mom I would NEVER return and I didn't.
I had always had bad teeth. I needed a molar filling at 5! It's rather genetic. My mother, grandmother and father all had DENTURES by their early 20's! I have made it to 27 with most of my teeth in my head so I think I take care of them fairly well!
But when I was 18, two of the top molars broke off at the gumline. When I was 19, the other side did the same. They didn't hurt, so I left them for 5 years because I was too scared of the dentist to do anything. The thought of it just gave me a panic attack (and I do have Panic Disorder). Then one side got badly infected and they had to extract those. Same thing happened to the other side a year later. I was freaked out so bad!!! I found a good dentist for the extractions I just mentioned, just on a hunch by calling 1-800-dentist in America. When I got there, I explained my problem and he was very sympathetic and understanding. He seemed angry on my behalf for my prior experiences. Part of what made me choose him is because he often went to third world nations and took care of people's teeth there which were FAR worse than mine! So if he could handle them, surely mine were a stroll in the park. He made those extractions pretty eventless for me though it wasn't fun. One was so badly infected, I had to spend a week on penicillin and vicodin before he'd take them out. I got scared once again when I found out he was no longer in practice! This was just last year. So, I went with his associate. On her website, she says she specializes in people with traumatic issues. She was very gentle and kind with me and I really took to her. She too left, but for business reasons! And now I am with the very last associate in that office and he is good too! I can't get over my luck, 3 good dentists! I hope I can hang onto this one!
Just yesterday I got to experience an oral surgeon. A wizzie was getting infected and needed out. I cried for 2 days before the appointment out of sheer terror. The horror stories over wisdom teeth and bad IV sedation experiences...
I almost backed out at last minute but knew I would just have to repeat this again in a month or two anyway because it has been getting infected off and on for 3 months. So I went through with it and I'm glad I did! My oral surgeon was great, very understanding and accommodating to my various issues and tried to make this as painless and comfortable as possible. It has been a little more than 24 hours and I am in minor discomfort, but that's all. Eating isn't fun, the hunger for real foods certainly isn't fun, but the painkillers are great!
I still need 3 fillings, a crown, a deep cleaning and because I drink nothing but coffee and tea, I need a whitening too. The hought of doing these things, no longer strikes a panic attack. I know andmy dentist knows what I will need for all the procedures to keep me comfortable. I know I won't have to fight him for tranquilizers and sedation or pain mediciation. I know I won't get told to toughen up. I trust him and that's major!
I'm so excited to have my dental health back in order. I really felt like the fate of my parents and grandparents would be mine too, but I don't think so! I won't pretend I'll have all my own teeth at 80 (or even 60) but I think I will be fine. I also know nothing has to hurt anymore! I've done oral sedation with sleeping pills last September to do 3 fillings and a cleaning and an IV sedation with the strong stuff for the wisdom tooth... no adverse effects at all and most of all, no pain! I REALLY thought I was going to be one of those people who had terrible experiences and I was not! Recovery has been pretty straightforward, too. The dentists all listened to me about my fears, my issues with medication sensitivity, gag reflex, etc., and totally accomodated me. It has made all the difference in the world.
It doesn't get much better than this.
I just want to tell everyone out there who is scared that good dentists exist and panic never helps! Find someone willing to listen to you and accomodate all your issues and let you be in control. That will take care of 80% of the potential problems I'm sure you have racing in your mind.
Second dentist was similar. He didn't hold me down, but he wasn't conscientious about my comfort level at all. He turned up the nitrous when I start complaining, but continued and repeatedly told me "it'd be over in a minute." That was the longest minute ever!
Third dentist I went to when I was 16, he was just rough. I told him I was scared, my mom told him I was scared and I felt like I was being manhandled anyway. He seemed offended that I was scared of dentists. I told my mom I would NEVER return and I didn't.
I had always had bad teeth. I needed a molar filling at 5! It's rather genetic. My mother, grandmother and father all had DENTURES by their early 20's! I have made it to 27 with most of my teeth in my head so I think I take care of them fairly well!
But when I was 18, two of the top molars broke off at the gumline. When I was 19, the other side did the same. They didn't hurt, so I left them for 5 years because I was too scared of the dentist to do anything. The thought of it just gave me a panic attack (and I do have Panic Disorder). Then one side got badly infected and they had to extract those. Same thing happened to the other side a year later. I was freaked out so bad!!! I found a good dentist for the extractions I just mentioned, just on a hunch by calling 1-800-dentist in America. When I got there, I explained my problem and he was very sympathetic and understanding. He seemed angry on my behalf for my prior experiences. Part of what made me choose him is because he often went to third world nations and took care of people's teeth there which were FAR worse than mine! So if he could handle them, surely mine were a stroll in the park. He made those extractions pretty eventless for me though it wasn't fun. One was so badly infected, I had to spend a week on penicillin and vicodin before he'd take them out. I got scared once again when I found out he was no longer in practice! This was just last year. So, I went with his associate. On her website, she says she specializes in people with traumatic issues. She was very gentle and kind with me and I really took to her. She too left, but for business reasons! And now I am with the very last associate in that office and he is good too! I can't get over my luck, 3 good dentists! I hope I can hang onto this one!
Just yesterday I got to experience an oral surgeon. A wizzie was getting infected and needed out. I cried for 2 days before the appointment out of sheer terror. The horror stories over wisdom teeth and bad IV sedation experiences...
I almost backed out at last minute but knew I would just have to repeat this again in a month or two anyway because it has been getting infected off and on for 3 months. So I went through with it and I'm glad I did! My oral surgeon was great, very understanding and accommodating to my various issues and tried to make this as painless and comfortable as possible. It has been a little more than 24 hours and I am in minor discomfort, but that's all. Eating isn't fun, the hunger for real foods certainly isn't fun, but the painkillers are great!
I still need 3 fillings, a crown, a deep cleaning and because I drink nothing but coffee and tea, I need a whitening too. The hought of doing these things, no longer strikes a panic attack. I know andmy dentist knows what I will need for all the procedures to keep me comfortable. I know I won't have to fight him for tranquilizers and sedation or pain mediciation. I know I won't get told to toughen up. I trust him and that's major!
I'm so excited to have my dental health back in order. I really felt like the fate of my parents and grandparents would be mine too, but I don't think so! I won't pretend I'll have all my own teeth at 80 (or even 60) but I think I will be fine. I also know nothing has to hurt anymore! I've done oral sedation with sleeping pills last September to do 3 fillings and a cleaning and an IV sedation with the strong stuff for the wisdom tooth... no adverse effects at all and most of all, no pain! I REALLY thought I was going to be one of those people who had terrible experiences and I was not! Recovery has been pretty straightforward, too. The dentists all listened to me about my fears, my issues with medication sensitivity, gag reflex, etc., and totally accomodated me. It has made all the difference in the world.
It doesn't get much better than this.
I just want to tell everyone out there who is scared that good dentists exist and panic never helps! Find someone willing to listen to you and accomodate all your issues and let you be in control. That will take care of 80% of the potential problems I'm sure you have racing in your mind.
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