Dentist. Like to go or hate to go?

[Muse]

Hate is not *nearly* strong enough a word. Hate is several orders of magnitude lower than whatever word it is I'm looking for.

I haven't been to a dentist in 7 years -- on that trip, he said that I would need to have my wisdom teeth extracted within 6 months or so. I still haven't. I've *never*, ever, not once, been to any facility specializing in oral care, that has been even remotely friendly. I can't blame them -- they need to have a personality that is completely opposite mine. I hate them, but they'd damn well better be the friendliest people on earth. Note that I'm not talking about being talkative. There's a HUGE FUCKING DIFFERENCE between being friendly and being talkative. :|

Also, I'd rather be thrown into an isolation cell with a group of murderers, immediately after they were informed that I'd raped their mothers. Seriously. Rape, beating, being tortured within an inch of my life would be better.

You need to meet my dentist. He's in Berkeley, CA. He really really really is friendly. No phony, and he's been at it for decades and is very good at his job. You'd like him.

He recommended I have my wisdom teeth removed and explained why and I did, two at a time. He didn't do it, he recommended a specialist in the same building. It was no big deal either time. A mild case of flu would have been worse. It was "eh."

 

[TXHokie]

My dentist is nice and crack funny jokes, but I just don't find it funny when I'm in dentist office. That smell and the sound of that drill just does not do it for me. It's a necessary evil thing but why else would you pay big bucks for people to inflict pain on you. No reason to like going there at all.

 

[boomhower]

I hate going but I have a great dentist who really takes care of me, and charges a premium for it as well.

 

[Muse]

My dentist is nice and crack funny jokes, but I just don't find it funny when I'm in dentist office. That smell and the sound of that drill just does not do it for me. It's a necessary evil thing but why else would you pay big bucks for people to inflict pain on you. No reason to like going there at all.

If you take good care of your teeth you should not need fillings often. It varies. My dentist, who is over 50, has never had a filling. Good genes.

 

[JEDIYoda]

As long as the dentists uses no anesthesia or local anesthesia I am happy!!

I Love dentists!!!

 

[ChaoZ]

You need to meet my dentist. He's in Berkeley, CA. He really really really is friendly. No phony, and he's been at it for decades and is very good at his job. You'd like him.

He recommended I have my wisdom teeth removed and explained why and I did, two at a time. He didn't do it, he recommended a specialist in the same building. It was no big deal either time. A mild case of flu would have been worse. It was "eh."

Name? I'm kind of close to Berkeley. I'll probably go see one once I get a job; haven't been in like 5 years. I'll only do it if I can get some anesthesia.

 

[TXHokie]

If you take good care of your teeth you should not need fillings often. It varies. My dentist, who is over 50, has never had a filling. Good genes.

I don't have cavities but had to replace two crowns that was put in many years ago. I have a bad bite which cause my jaws to grind down back teeth and have worn them down over the years. Like I said, necessary evil - that's gonna be near $1k for all the work even with good insurance but that's one job I wouldn't want to do either. Can't wait til I get shot up with more Novocaine...woo.

 

[TridenT]

Depends. I had to get like ten teeth pulled at the dentist over a few visits... and lots of other dental work. (sad) Getting my teeth cleaned? Easyyyyy shit. No problems. I'm like, "Yaaaahhh... gettin' all dat shit outta my mouth! Shweeet."

 

[GeekDrew]

So you'd rather endure "Rape, beating, being tortured within an inch of my life" than being around someone who's not friendly?

Nah, there's a LOT more to it than that. I'm around people that aren't friendly all the time. Doesn't bother me. The difference is that I don't have to trust them for anything. A dentist, you do have to trust. I don't want anyone near my mouth with anything sharp/pointy (or that is motorized), unless they exhibit the likeness of a saint or something.

The three top things that made me pissed off at dentistry in general:

When I was young (like, I remember I rode home in a car seat from the dentist's office -- I don't have many memories of my childhood, but this is vivid), I had to have something done (can't remember what) and it was excruciatingly painful, and my mouth bled for hours and hours and hours, and nobody would believe me that it hurt. I remember hitting the dentist in the face as hard as I could to get him to stop. I still harbor a grudge against my mom for not believing me that it hurt, and against the dentist for not doing anything about it (pain killers, whatever).

And I had braces for years. I didn't mind them so much... yes, they hurt nearly the entire time I had them, but it's a dull pain, and I was expecting it. But one of the visits when he was going to adjust them, he noticed that I had a loose "baby tooth"... so he reached in and just yanked it out with his fingers. I screamed. I can't tolerate sudden pain, at all. Or blood. And there was a lot of it. I didn't react violently toward him, but that's probably because I was too busy crying.

Finally, the dentist that I went to for years (late childhood - teenage years). He nearly *screams* at his patients if their hygiene isn't perfect. And he'll instruct his office staff, or family members that still see him, to try to guilt trip you into seeing him. Or use scare tactics. In other news, he's also a landlord, and the agency that I work for rents part of one of his buildings. The rent is going up... and up... and up.... and the quality is deteriorating. He's trying to milk as much money out of us as he possibly can, because it's not easy for us to move offices. His buildings all suck. He's generally a guy that deserves the wrath of Satan to descend upon him.

 

[bignateyk]

I hate it. Not because I hate going, but because my mouth always hurts like hell for about 2 weeks afterward.

I've never had a cavity. All that scraping and gouging make my teeth hurt. The other thing that pisses me off is they insist on x-raying you about 30 times every time you go. You'd probably end up with brain cancer if you actually went every 6 months like they want you to.

I go about once every 5 years.

 

[eits]

i had a bad experience... so i didn't go for like 6 years...

i finally acknowledged that i needed to go after realizing i had a toothache after having some ice cream hit my decaying wisdom tooth.

i found a great dentist and was treated extremely well, the hygienist was really cute, and the staff was very friendly. my teeth were cleaned and everything and i got to see the condition of my own teeth through a camera on a tv they had in front of me (i was watching the barcelona vs intermilan game). it opened my eyes to how poorly i took care of my teeth. being in a profession where we profess taking care of things that decay, i felt like a hypocrite for not trying to find a better dentist than the one i had before and get back on track with my teeth.

i hear so many stories of people who had bad experiences with their chiropractors and will never go back to one and that's exactly how i felt about the dentist... and i was stubborn about it, just like other people i talk to who had a bad experience. i just wish i took a dose of my own medicine sooner so that i didn't have as many cavities as i do. i have to get both my wisdom teeth pulled (i was only born with two) and i have several cavities that need fillings.

i used to hate going and would never want to go back to one ever again, but i was dumb and realized how not all dentists are horrible and cause pain. now, after going to this dentist, i really don't mind going at all.

i think i should save this for a testimonial for her practice

 

[eits]

I hate it. Not because I hate going, but because my mouth always hurts like hell for about 2 weeks afterward.

I've never had a cavity. All that scraping and gouging make my teeth hurt. The other thing that pisses me off is they insist on x-raying you about 30 times every time you go. You'd probably end up with brain cancer if you actually went every 6 months like they want you to.

I go about once every 5 years.

nah, many are digital now, which greatly decreases dose of radiation (about 85% or so decrease). it's really no danger. imo, the lead apron is a little overkill, but whatever.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

I just liked that funny gas they gave me before they knocked me out and pulled teeth.