Okay, 54, retiring next year. Thought about my teeth and decided to get them fixed. Put it off, 54 year old wimp, scared at 7 by hairy armed brute who hurt me and got kicked in the nadgers. I got a hiding from the old man which entrenched the idea of dentist bad man, hairy arm hurt. Several years ago, needed Dentist, visited young female Dentist, felt good until she reached for my mouth, she had hairy arms and scared the bejesus out of me. One filling, never went back!
Woke up 2:00 PM Monday before Cup Day in agony, 2 weeks after putting off trip to Dentist to get teeth fixed before retirement. Rang Dentist at 9:00, you are so lucky we have a cancellation. Three hours later, in chair having tooth out. Tooth infected, dentist pulled it anyway. Got home, felt like crap. Went to bed, woke up three hours later feeling like crap, started spewing, couldn't stop. Couldn't get warm. Went a bit funny, Missuss is a nurse suggested she take me Cas. Spent several hours in Cas, morphine, never had it before, mmmhhhhhh, drip and then home. Dehydrated from spewing up all the blood that trickled down my throat and the fact the infection went a little rampant on extraction of tooth said the doctor.
Two days later, at the doctors, pain that I have never felt before, dry socket, what pain relief do you want? Can't believe it, more morphine, mmmpphh, ohh, spew, uhm, tripping, staring at the clock never more aware of the time a minute takes to turn over. Ended up back at the Dentist, packed the dry socket with something that just filled my mouth with oil of cloves and killed my taste buds for the next 6 days. Back to the Dentist, cannot save the tooth I broke 20 years ago that has never given me any problems, need to fill that tooth, at least I think I can save it, what tooth is that, this one shoving a steel probe to nowhere where I thought he was going shove it.
Climbing off the ceiling all I see is the Hairy Arms. No I did not do it again and kick him in the nadgers. I kept my self esteem and explained my thing about Dentists.
The question is, I really do not feel comfortable going back to this Dentist because of the fear factor, but this is the only Dentist available within a 65km radius, and I do not what the others are like elsewhere, so do I go back?
I have to admit, the extraction did not hurt, the injections did not hurt, the Dentist was gentle and cared about pain during the procedure telling me to that if it started to hurt to stop him. Am I just being 54 year old male wuss who is still scared of the dentist of the past or have I just had a bad experience?
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Never growing old, just getting dusty around the edges.
I had a terrible experience as a 7 year old as well Boothie, never seen a dentist before and this butcher-person came around the schools. Known as a "School Dentist" my parents willingly signed consent as there just wasnt a dentist for at least 100 miles. He took 6 teeth out, and was nasty when I cried.
My remaining teeth have grown crooked because of the loss of those teeth, and I didnt go near a dentist again till I was 21, told him to give me a general anaesthetic and take them all out, that way I'd never need dental treatment again. Well he wouldnt do it, persuaded me to give him a chance, and filled my rotting teeth moderately painlessly.
Since then I have had regular dental care, as I moved about the country there have been a variety of dentists, some better/worse than others.
The best thing I ever did was to get 3 crowns on my ugly front teeth before retirement while I could still afford it!
Yes you do need to get your teeth fixed, dont let them get to the stage of the infected one that gave you so much trouble even after being extracted. You might get your doctor to prescribe some sort of relaxing pill to take before your dentist appointment?
I too had the bad experience - dentists knee of my chest to hold me there....those damn cable operated drills....and no anaesthetic unless it was an extraction.....absolutely hated it although scared was probably closer to the truth. Put up with only going to the dentist if I had toothache till I started to run out of teeth - the look ain't good! Got jack of it just before I retired at 60 and said pull the lot - 17 of them in one go. Decided I wasn't going to be a chicken and have a general anaesthetic...just a couple of locals at the end of each jaw. Pulling didn't hurt at all, though the sound of the roots and blood vessels shearing really got to me and after about 8 teeth I kind of went cold and then woke up with the dentist holding his finger on the big vein in my neck with a slightly concerned look on his face. He'd continued to pull them after I'd flaked and told me it was not unusual when multiple teeth are pulled at the one time. Soon as the last tooth comes out they shove the pre-made dentures onto the gums, supposed to stop the bleeding that way. Then sat me in the waiting room for 10 mins to make sure I was OK then I drove home. Took me about 6 months before I really got used to my new teeth and now I never notice them. Best thing for a chicken like me is no more dentists....ever. With our kids we took extra care with brushing and flouride tablets - out of seven children, only one had fillings so it can be prevented.
I have been back, twice. The dentist has been really good. There was the hairy arm thing happening, but then the Dentist, middle eastern extraction, never experienced by myself before, explained what he was going to do, how and where and when the pain was going occur. It then started to become easier. It hurt when he said about the topical anasethetic that he gives to children that he thought would help me!
The next visit is going to be the worst. Another extraction!
I don't think I have done bad, thirty plus years between visits , three fillings and two extractions.
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Never growing old, just getting dusty around the edges.