Went to the dentist the other day...

[sho'nuff]

I had to have one of my molars pulled out.

Although I dearly trust my dentist of old, who's been serving me for over 10 years and one of the most skilled, honest, and comprehensive dentists i know,

even under heavy local anesthetic, I was gripped with fear and 'pain' when the dentist used a sort of heavy wrench to grip the molar and pull, tug, twist, turn, and yank the baby out of its socket in 3 separate pieces.
Hearing the loud "crack" at the end almost made me scream out loud.

What is your biggest fear at the dentist?

 

[JetBlast]

Having something like what you had done is the worst.

Also, having the anesthesia injected directly into your mouth with a needle sucks.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by JetBlast

Having something like what you had done is the worst.

Also, having the anesthesia injected directly into your mouth with a needle sucks.

oh yeah i hate the anesthesia shots.

my dentist gives me 3 separate ones:

first one is a surface numbing, very tart, nasty gel which he applies with a qtip

second one is a needle prick of a numbing medication (to prepare for the actual shot) which i hate the most, this one hurts the most.

the actual shot (long syringe) is the third application, but i dont really feel it due to the second shot. but still seeing that needle go in and the feeling of the pressure of fluid flowing in just gives me nasty feeling.

 

[Thomas]

I hate the needle sticks but breathe through it and all's well in a few minutes.

I had my first (and thus far only) root canal (under a crown) last Feb and I was scared to death. The endodontist took a look, said, yeah, it's gotta be drilled out, and then tried to pry the crown off - no anesthesia. Already tender underneath and I'm flipping out. It didn't budge so he started with the anesthetic. Must have done 8 shots, some between the teeth and I was starting to freak when I realized - I couldn't feel a thing at all. He used some good stuff!!!

The root canal was over in 45 minutes. I took advil for the rest of the day, and the next day I forgot all about it.

 

[Milhouse]

I got lucky with the genetic lottery when it comes to teeth. The only problem I had were my wisdom teeth, which needed to be extracted. Otherwise, not even a cavity. My teeth are really strong and durable.

The removal of my wisdom teeth was pretty interesting. I went to an OMFS for the procedure, and he gave me general anesthesia, and then when I was under, he shot my mouth full of local as well. Really, for a surgery, I found it to be pretty stress free and pleasant.

 

[Mr T]

I don't trust dentists. They are the used car salesmen of the medical profession.

 

[West24]

when i was really young i banged my front tooth and it turned brown, grew a very long root and wouldnt fall out. when i was a little bit older and we realised it wasnt coming out, the dentist dcided he would just yank my two front teeth out together. he didnt tell me what he was doing. all i remember are pliars and hear a crunching sound. he just ripped my two front teeth straight out of my mouth. thinking about it makes me cringe.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by West24

when i was really young i banged my front tooth and it turned brown, grew a very long root and wouldnt fall out. when i was a little bit older and we realised it wasnt coming out, the dentist dcided he would just yank my two front teeth out together. he didnt tell me what he was doing. all i remember are pliars and hear a crunching sound. he just ripped my two front teeth straight out of my mouth. thinking about it makes me cringe.

Lol oh gees
I hope he put implants in place.

 

[West24]

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

Lol oh gees
I hope he put implants in place.

lol no they were still baby teeth.

 

[BYucko]

I spent $1.2k or so at the dentist this past month getting a year's worth of cavities done. A needle is so normal to me now, I don't whine like you little girlies

 

[Stazy]

I don't mind going to the dentist. The chairs are comfy.

 

[Homme]

Originally Posted by West24

He just ripped my two front teeth straight out of my mouth. thinking about it makes me cringe.

You're a boxer aren't you? Leon, is that you ?

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by Mr T

I don't trust dentists. They are the used car salesmen of the medical profession.

I hate to admit it, but I agree. The advances in toothpaste and tooth cleaning/care that have occurred in the past 10 years should have wiped out cavities altogether, but every single time I go to my dentist, she finds another cavity. Sometimes more than one, and I don't eat sweets, drink only sugar free soda, etc. etc. I always leave there with a bad taste in my mouth, and it ain't the gritty tooth scrub stuff..

 

[orthofrancis]

All of my siblings and I had a few cavities growing up, brushed 2x a day, blah, blah, balh. But we had our own well, like many people do in the suburbs.
My nephews and neices all gre up with city water that was fluoridated. Not a single cavity between them.

As far as fillings go, the new ceramic based fillings "stick" to the teeth much better than the old metal ones. Dentists now have a much lower threshold for filling cavities, since they can fix the tooth much earlier now. Before they had to let the cavity become big enough so that a metal filling would stick.

I had an old metal filling in a tooth from when I was 12 (I'm 42), and the tooth finally cracked.
The anesthetics are so good now that I fell asleep while the endodontist did the root canal.

 

[globetrotter]

I had my wisdom teeth pulled at 18 in the army. the first pair were pulled by a young man doctor. he basically reached in with some tool and pulled them out, no problem. I was out at the bar that night enjoying myself, and I got 3 days off from basic training, to recuperate.

a months later I go in the get the other pair removed. the dentist I got was a little old lady. I can stull see her climbing up on the arms of the chair to get traction, and basically pumping her elbow back and forth to generate enough power to get the teeth out. I was sick for a week after that, but only got the same 3 days off.