Are you scared?

I was discussing this only yesterday.

My original NHS dentist was called Mr (Dr?) Dagger and had an assegai on the wall of his waiting room. All drilling was with the slow, string-driven device and performed without anaesthetic.

Yes, I did not look forward to visits.

I have lost much of that "fear" but a recent trip to the hygienist proved startlingly vigorous and physical.

quote:

but a recent trip to the hygienist proved startlingly vigorous and physical

I don't think that was a "dental" hygienist Adam.

The dentist I find frightening enough; the bill curdles the blood.

Apparently people have different gag reflexes when they're at the dentist. I tend to gag if the dental instrument touches the back of my tongue, which doesn't happen much and if it does, only momentarily.

According to my dentist, some patients gag as soon as there's any contact with their lips. So they spend almost the whole time in the chair gagging. I don't blame them for having an aversion to dentists.

Steve

I've never understood the fear of dentists - except for the sound of the drill while you're waiting.

Mind you, I can't afford to be scared of them. I have supernumery teeth due to my Nance-Horan syndrome, and have been in and out of dentists' frequently all my life.

I've had 28 permanent teeth removed (19 in 1985, 7 in 1987 and 1 in 1989 - all under general anaesthetic at the hospital!!), around 30 fillings over the course of my life (mainly due to the remaining teeth (a full set minus one) being odd shapes), around 5 abscesses, and a root canal. Oh - and fixed and removable braces.

The worst pain was after the 3rd big op at the hospital; they had to cut right into the gum to remove this one TINY tooth and it took ages to heal.

Because I hate needles (and because the tooth was almost entirely dead) I had the root canal without anaesthetic! Didn't feel a thing, luckily.

I now have my final tooth coming through to fill my front lower left area - only 23ish years late. Another one is on the verge of appearing under my tongue on the right-hand side - that'll hurt when they remove it...

BTW - if anyone wants a good laugh, check out "The dentist" on DVD - it's appalling, but funny...

Wow, too much information there for comfort, domfjbrown. I've had root canal work and apisectimies, and i don't like being reminded.

A School dentist in 1971 who decided to remove a bunch of molars giving me the appearance of an overstuffed hampster and a diet of soup for weeks, along with a naval dentist who forgot to use the anasthetic when drilling my eye teeth in 1977 put paid to any trust I had in Fang Farriers.

I now only go when needs must – which I try to make as infrequent an activity as possible.

Have a read of Ogden Nash's "This is going to hurt just a little bit" I haven’t read it in years, but it may have a relevance to this thread.

Brad

And don't ask me where I spent two hours of my 40th birthday

Brad

quote:

Originally posted by Deane F:
The dentist I find frightening enough; the bill curdles the blood.

I, too, would be scared to allow a duck to operate.

I'm old enough to share Adam's memory of low speed drills & drilling & filling in the days before they gave local anaesthetics.
Also, in Scotland, I used to be taken there by my mother who would always impress on me that she didn't want to be embarrassed by me when I was there. What she meant was don't make a fuss even though you might be in agony!!!
Never mind, the special reward for compliance was a visit to the sweet shop on the way home. Never did understand that bit

My dentist is gorgeous.

You know you're getting old when you fancy both your accountant and your dentist.

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:

quote:

Originally posted by Deane F:
The dentist I find frightening enough; the bill curdles the blood.

I, too, would be scared to allow a duck to operate.

(Very droll.)

Anyway, you should have seen the nurse.

Hi,

my dentist is one of my best friends. The only thing I'm scared of is the bill!

Marathon Man anyone?

quote:

Originally posted by MichaelC:
Marathon Man anyone?

Snickers Man I think.

My current dentist is rather petite and as she works her breasts often brush against the top of my head. Every six months, regular as clockwork I am.

Willy.

Dentists! I used to have a lovely dentist, who I had been to all my live, and who hardly ever did any drilling. He retired, and I have only been to a dentist once since 1992. I had one tooth out, and that is how it will be given the costs! I have two that are chipped, but not going rotten apparently. I broke the one that came out on toasted granary bread - a big no no, apparently, and it took three years to get painful. I reckon that I'll still have some teeth left long after the few remaining marbles depart. Good luck to them if they can get punters to pay, but not me, not now, or anytime soon.

Fredrik

Yes I am.

That said, I've dropped out of a dental school.
I could not go through with it and thought to myself, 'the life got to be better than being a dentist'.

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:

quote:

Every six months, regular as clockwork I am Willy.

Hey man, you're messing with my punctuation.


Willy.

It's odd how close a relationship one can have with one's dentist. It must be an S&M thing. If your car mechanic got that close you'd expect a free oil change. I suppose if they threatened you with a spanner they'd expect a bigger bill! (or should that be a bigger Willy?)

Dentists rack up high suicide rate.