I hate the dentist. Not any particular dentist, just the whole dental experience in general.
I know I am not alone in this fear…and I wonder why it is. I mean, I know why I’m afraid. I had a very bad experience with a dentist when I was nine, which included a loose tooth, an unexpected needle, me punching the dentist and him yelling at me…and my grandmother yelling back in at least two different languages, but I think there might have been a third. It was a long time ago and I can’t be sure.
Because of my terror of all things dental, I was VERY CAREFUL in choosing my daughter’s dentist. I didn’t want her to suffer, but mostly, I didn’t want her to develop a fear that would keep her from taking good care of her teeth. I picked a very popular pediatric dentist–a woman–whose office was full of toys and happy music and the kids who went there never left in tears. In fact, they mostly lingered in the waiting room, wanting to play a little bit longer with a certain game or action figure. Fun place.
I never had braces, but I did have to get a crown thanks to a small piece of bone in a fast food restaurant’s chicken sandwich. (Yeah, ew.) Anyway, as I was going through the procedure of having the cracked tooth replaced, I announced to the dentist–with complete and total honesty–that I would rather be giving birth.
Keep in mind, of course, that when I gave birth, there were serious drugs involved. And scalpels. But I still went though 12 hours of labor, okay? I know pain. I hate pain.
I have a very low pain threshold. It gets even lower when it comes to my teeth. Which is why the last two weeks, I’ve been a wreck.
There isn’t anything seriously wrong with my teeth…they just needed a good cleaning. I brush about five times a day and I floss (albeit, incorrectly, which I just learned) about every other day, depending on what I’ve eaten. This is clearly not enough and I knew I was in trouble. Another reason I’ve avoided the dentist is that because of a very mild heart condition I have, I’ve had to take 4000 mg of antibiotics prior to doing any dental work–including just a routine cleaning. That meant that in order for me to get my teeth cleaned, I had to endure 2-3 days of nausea. Um, no thanks.
Anyway…I had to buck up and see a dentist a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, the American Heart Association has withdrawn the antibiotic thing, so I was able to get my teeth cleaned and x-rayed in one relatively quick trip. But the dentist found two cavities (one deep enough that it might need a root canal, but so far, so good!) and insisted I schedule not only a time to fill both of those, but also a deep cleaning for early periodontal disease.
I did that yesterday…and can I just say…OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
My corner of my mouth is cut open a bit from being tugged and pulled. My teeth ache a little and because of the massive doses of Motrin I had to take, coupled with the pain numbing drugs and Xanax for anxiety…well, it wasn’t so easy to get out of bed yesterday and Jazzercise. (Though I managed it!) I have to go back next week for my second appointment and then I have to go back every three months. Yikes! At least the people at the office are really nice and I haven’t had the urge to hit the dentist…yet.
So, am I the only one here who has massive fear of dental work? Why is it that so many people are scared of the dentist?
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
Subscribe to Posts 
Comment
I don’t hate the dentist as much as the doctor. Don’t know why, just never did. But I pretty much hate going to either LOL.
Good luck, and major hugs, Julie!
Comment
Funny i went to the dentist yesterday and had some x rays and my teeth cleaned. I have a huge gag reflex so it’s not fun but thankfully i didn’t embarass myself yesterday. I went for years without seeing the dentist part from fear part for money. I am slowly getting all the work done i need though now using a interest free payment program and happy to be able to get it all done. PLUS i found a dentist who is awesome so that makes it soooooo much better to go too.
Lisa B
Comment
Morning Julie! I am right there with you! I would rather give birth again then go to the dentist! When I go I just want them to knock me out and do what they gotta do. I dont like pain at all! So yeah I avoid it as much as possible, lol! As for my kids I found a pediatric dentist who is awesome! She is even great with my Autistic son who has issues with the dentist. Her staff is also awesome! I am so glad I found her for my kids!
Hope your mouth feels better! Have a good day!! :hannukah)
Comment
I love dentists and other professionals who really understand kids with autism especially (I have one, too!). YEY!!!
Comment
I’ve never been a fan of dentist because all of the ones I saw growing up never believed me when I told them I could still feel the drilling when they would fill my cavities. I was always told they had given me plenty of numbing meds and there was no way I should be able to feel anything. Wasn’t until I was in college that I found a dentist who actually believed me. He was getting ready to pull one of my wisdom teeth and I moved a finger. He told me, and my dentist now has said the same thing, that I had extra nerve canals in each of my teeth and none of them are straight. Makes it harder for the areas to numb. So basically, if I have to have anything more than a cleaning, I have to take the day off due to the amount of meds they put in my mouth. The one root canal I had just about killed me. Not that I could feel anything, but the amount of meds made me super sick. So although, I’m not a fan, I have no real fears of going to the dentist.
Comment
I have the same problem. I finally had to go to a specialist for a root canal and he managed to actually numb me.
Comment
My current dentist and the one I found in college both can numb me. However, my current dentist won’t do any root canals on me, since I have extra canals and the roots are curled. Had to go to a specialist for the one root canal I’ve had.
Comment
Comment
Hugs to you, Julie
Feel better.
I’m not afraid of going to the dentist, I don’t particularly like it but it doesn’t really bother me. I have a very high pain threshold mainly because I’ve had RA for 23 years. It has taught me some major coping skills so I can endure just about any kind of physical discomfort.
Take care, Julie
Cher :fallleaves:
Comment
Oh, the dentist is not my favorite thing.
I also had a very bad experience as a child at the dentist, that involved slapping. I actually have a friend who is our family dentist and I even get all worked up before I go to see him. We have even talked about my experiences and my fears but I think it goes back to the mind over matter. Just talking about the dentist makes my teeth.
Comment
opps, makes my teeth hurt. Sorry, way to early and not enough Diet Coke.
Comment
You have my sympathy. I’ve been having the teeth-scaling cleanings every 3 mos. for 20 years. No fun, though, I’d rather not have the “numbing” substance. For me, it’s easier w/o than trying to get that junk out of your system afterward. I keep telling myself that these are superior to another periodontic surgery. That’s what keeps me going…
Good luck.
Comment
YIKES!! Top of my scary things list are dentists and clowns. My worst nightmare is a clown dentist!
Comment
I hope you are feeling better soon.
Comment
As a child our dentist would always find a cavity. We found out years later, after we had gone to another one, that it was an insurance scam and I had to suffer for it. So going for me is very hard. I found a new dentist here finally and then he went and retired on me. So far the new guy is not bad, but I have two root canals to fix broken molars I have to have done and I keep putting it off. I don’t mind the teeth cleaning though and I am a flosser and brush really well and have little plaque.
But I would give birth to triplets before going to the dentist if I could.
Comment
I think it’s scary for a lot of people to go the dentist, because shots and some kind of pain is usually involved. Even if it’s cleaning SENSITIVE teeth. But it’s one of those kind of things we just have to do, and the best thing ever is finding a dentist who is kind, caring, and sensitive to YOUR sensivity. I was really lucky to find a great dentist here in Oregon — the first one I tried. The whole family loves him. He’s very gentle and caring — and takes things as slowly as you need him to. I still hate going to the dentist (and the periodontist every three months — UGH), but knowing I have professionals who are kind and caring working in my mouth makes a HUGE difference.
As for my kids — they never minded going to the dentist. I started them when they were three years old, with our dentist in California who was so great with kids. My girls still go faithfully to the dentist every 6 months for cleanings and check-ups, and neither one has ever had a fear of going to the dentist. They don’t LIKE IT, but they aren’t afraid.
Comment
I hate dentists, always have. I go every four months like clockwork in the hopes that I can avoid any problems, but even so I hate going. I was told I could be given a little pill that would relax me but said no since I have to drive to the dentist. I cry when they tell me I need a filling, They check my blood pressure just in case…. of what? I wonder. I hate dentists.
Comment
oh Julie, I’m with you on this one, I hate Hate HATE dental visits/procedures of any kind
Dentistry has long been a fear and hassle for me too.
Comment
I had a horrible experience with a dentist when I was a teen. I had never had gas before and was competely out of it until my mom came busting into the exam room cussing (she was a normally quiet woman) and when I looked down to see what she was talking about blood was gushing out of my mouth. This was supposed to be an exam. The dentist had decided to pull every filling I had because he didn’t like my bite.
Needless to say, I hate everything about dentists and avoid it for as long as possible. My husband is very understanding and found a great dentist here in Ohio. At one point I had to go in for an emergency, had to see his partner who mentioned pulling a tooth, I lost it. Now the partner will not see me – which is fine with me but the funny part is they immediately put me in a room when I go in – I think they are afraid to leave me in the lobby. Can’t really blame them!
Comment
If it were not a common and wide-spread extreme fear, we would not have the “knock out” dentists. This is an estreme fear in my family, guess we have very sinitive teeth. My sister will not go to a regular dentist, but only the ones that give you the pills that all but put you to sleep while they work on you/your teeth. I may be bad and insist on laughing gas for everything, even just to get my teeth cleaned (any metal hurts my teeth, much less scraping them!), but she has taken it to a whole new level.