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I have to speak up for the dentists here - but also raise the bar for what people should be demanding.

My dad was a dentist. As well as doing amazing restorative work, he was really focused on reducing patient anxiety. Not just through his demeanour and exceptionally gentle treatment, but through the whole patient experience and design of his practice. It was open plan. You could see people being treated as you waited. No screams, no mysterious door to room 101. Just people lying down, being looked after by professionals. (There were screens by the way to provide enough privacy, but no doors or floor to ceiling walls.)

There are a small number of cases where there is inevitably some discomfort for a patient, but a good dentist should be able to absolutely minimise this. So that even someone very sensitive will be fine. No hygienist should ever hurt a patient. A combination of good technique, relative analgesia (laughing gas) and local anaesthetic should mean there is no acute pain ever. Sure it feels weird if someone is poking around in your gums, but it shouldn’t ever be agonising.

So if your dentist hurts you or makes you anxious, go find a better dentist. My dad never turned a patient away because they were too ‘difficult’.

One funny little aside: he was based in Worcester, England, not far from where the main SAS training base is located. He had a lot of SAS patients - and they never ever took any pain relief, even if they were having broken teeth fixed (owww). They always wanted to be sharp and ready to deploy!

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Not much I can comment here - I have my teeth cleaned twice a year and use the time to nap while the nice lady does the job and just had 4 sessions to replace 2 fillings and usually they have to wake me up as I regularly fall asleep in the dentist chair ( last session I even declined the anesthetic ).

Only time I experienced real tooth pain was after a dental appointment, then a long haul flight to Seoul, they had left some air bubble inside the tooth and it expanded due to the pressure - never been so happy as when that lady dentist in Seoul punctured it and the pressure escaped ... ?

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My mother would take me to the dentist when I was a kid and she always told the dentist "no Novocain" I don't want him on pain killers.  So up until I was 17 or 18 every drilling and filling I had was brutally agonizing.  The dentist and I both hated it but mom ruled the visits.  When I asked her why she did that, she said "drugs are bad and you can handle it".  Once out of parental control, I didn't go back to a dentist for around 20 years.  When I finally did go back, I told the hygienist and the dentist to drug me up, I didn't want to feel any pain, and they did a pretty good job.  That dentist told me I should have all my fillings replaced since metal fillings didn't last forever and mercury wasn't something recommended to be in my mouth anymore - go figure.  So after being convinced he could do it all pain free, I agreed.  I needed 3 sessions of 4 fillings per trip and the first 2 went just fine.  On session 3, he stuck the needle somewhere he shouldn't have and the pain was literally like sticking my tongue in an electrical socket.  We got through it but I haven't been back since.  The tip of my tongue is still numb.  Long story short, "phobia"?  I don't think so.

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The alternate of real dental procedures that require local anesthesia, recovery time, not to mention a less than pleasing smile & bad breathe (preceding the visit) are more concerning than 10 minutes of scraping plaque.  I've gone to the dentist 3x a year since a child.  I usually enjoy going.  My office is full of cute Russian women.  Maybe that helps?

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I've had the same dentist for 34 years and I don't think there is a tooth in my mouth that hasn't been worked on. I suppose the only thing worse than dental work and paying the bill is not having teeth or having tooth pain. 

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On 2/4/2021 at 9:15 PM, WarriorPrincess said:

Fuzz this is not DAA:forkyou:

What is DAA may I ask?

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No fear of dentists here.I have had 2 root canals done by 2 different dentists and everytime when I was waiting for the torture to begin it was done.Also I needed my impacted wisdom teeth removed.No problem at all

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My current dentist always works with gas AND novocaine.  The gas makes you not care before the novocaine does it's job.  Belt and suspenders. ? 

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Being one of the very few dames here I am not showing dental porn? sorry. But my fear nutbar-ness of the dentist is so bad I need nose gas just for cleaning.

But currently my sadness is dental as we speak. Gum surgery let’s me drink all I want to sterilize the stitch sites but alas

no friggin’ cigars.

?

CB

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I'm a student of DIY dentistry.

 

One Christmas period I had a cavity which rotted out to the nerve. I was in. So. Much. Pain 

I didn't sleep properly for days, I couldn't eat properly and it eventually sent me half insane.

Luckily, on Christmas Eve, as Is tradition in our house, my brother and I swapped gifts. He got me a full case of Guinness original.

After drinking 10 cans in one sitting, away to the bathroom I went. I grabbed that tooth (one of those about halfway on the side of your face) and pulled that sucker out with my bare fingers root and all. Well, not all, I ended up with a jagged fragment in my gum line too small to get a grip on.

But, apart from the initial agony and blood, the relief I felt afterwards was immense.

So, word to the wise, look after your choppers or end up pissed out your face covered in blood...

 

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On 2/6/2021 at 5:14 PM, Squarehead said:

No fear of dentists here.I have had 2 root canals done by 2 different dentists and everytime when I was waiting for the torture to begin it was done.Also I needed my impacted wisdom teeth removed.No problem at all

I had a root canal on the upper far rear molar. The endodontist said the tooth was dead. The procedure didn't hurt one bit. 6 hours later.........not so good. 

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I used to hate the dentist as a kid. He was a rough dentist and I only remember putting novacaine the numbing gel on me. No shots. There was two chairs in the room with a kid in each one that he alternated between. This was 30 years or so ago. The rest of the kids waiting were seated in kids chairs along the wall watching the two kids cry and get worked on. Not the best technique for keeping us calm for sure. I still remember staring at the cat clock with moving eyes and tail. 
Finally went to another dentist and night and day difference. Technique is way better and his personality and calm demeanor go along way. He explains what he’s going to do and puts you at ease. I used to hate it. But now I actually semi enjoy getting my teeth cleaned. It also helps that his hygienists are all women in their 20-30’s. ??‍♂️

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18 hours ago, joeypots said:

I had a root canal on the upper far rear molar. The endodontist said the tooth was dead. The procedure didn't hurt one bit. 6 hours later.........not so good. 

Sorry to hear that.I didn't have any issues in both cases

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