Mint allergy, patronising dentists that dont pay attention to allergies.

[Myv]

Let's start this with I have an allergy to mint, which in turn had caused bad dental health. I have over the last few years managed to drag myself to a dentist when I couldn't put up with the pain anymore, but only one dentist ever accepted and didn't challenge it when I told him I had a mint allergy, so he actually sorted out all of my teeth as much as possible, unfortunately I moved house and he is no longer practicing anyway.
So I think through years of neglect, the damage is done with my teeth and its just trying to make them last as long as possible.
So I have had pain since.
Went to one dentist, she questioned my allergy, and I'm just like "well you know people can be allergic to peanuts, well its like that with me, just mint instead of peanuts" she then broke a filling when she insisted I have an extraction even though a root canal was possible
... but insisted on the extraction because root canal treatment would take longer to clear up during covid, I was in pain so felt bullied into making that decision so went with it. Needless to say I did not go back.
Roll on a year later I go to another dentist, explain before I go that I need a dentist who understands fear, who understands I am embarrassed by my teeth, who understands I have an allergy to mint, I am assured the dentist will be able to see me with these qualities.
Roll on seeing her - speaks to me in a patronising manner about my teeth, tells me I need to brush twice a day with toothpaste, and then mouthwash for my gums, but fails to tell me when I can find this stuff that I can safely say won't give me anaphylaxis.
Then puts mint flavoured numbing gel on my tooth before proceeding to work on me, needless to say when I got home my throat and chest started to tighten, and my mouth was red raw, I was home alone, (kind of) thankfully my partner suffers from anaphylaxis from bee stings so we have epipens in the house.
To top it off I got harassed by phone calls from the dentist asking me to make another appointment, wasn't going to happen so I just blocked the number in the end.
So now I have a tooth that needs urgent attention, a tooth with a temporary filling that's almost completely gone and I'm 100× more nervous now than I have ever been before. Surely they ask if you have any allergies when you register for a reason so they can avoid causing any allergic reaction?
I'm at my wits end when it comes to dentists. Really struggling.

 

[dentalnelly]

I have a mint allergy too, makes my gums peel like they've been given a chemical peel. Also allergic to penicillin which is the basis of choice for dental antibiotics.

It's hard to acknowledge but it's truly about the dentist/office. My dentist always remembers me and my foibles because I went to the same uni as his son. And my surgery sends out a health survey every year to make sure they capture any updated information.

I'm sorry you're suffering but you're not alone. Have you tried any other offices since?

 

[letsconnect]

Mint allergy and/or an extreme hatred of mint seems to be common! For anyone who's interested, there are actually toothpaste manufacturers who have addressed this concern, for example Oranurse unflavoured toothpaste (available for example from Amazon). Lots more info here:

Problems with Brushing Teeth and Toothpaste Phobia

Do you find brushing your teeth difficult? You may hate the taste of toothpaste, find it hard to motivate yourself, or experience gagging. Get tips here!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

@Myv I'm sorry your last dentist totally ignored your concerns, and that none of your past dentists made any recommendations for mint-free products. Glad to hear you medication at home to deal with the allergic reaction - that must have been really scary!