Are you afraid of the dentist?

[dark_kitsune]

No problems here...and I LOVE the feeling of squeaky clean teeth

[Spottedleaf]

I have a terrible memory from it and ever since then I have had a fear of it. I was actually supposed to go today but my mom canceled it.

[Omega Entity]

I have an appointment at the buttcrack of dawn Monday for some fillings. Here's hoping it doesn't turn into a root canal or an extraction (which either are real possibilities with how deep the cavity in the one tooth goes)!

[Cottoncat]

Here's hoping it doesn't turn into a root canal or an extraction (which either are real possibilities with how deep the cavity in the one tooth goes)!

Sheesh, root canal sure sounds tough, I hope it won't happen.

 

I'm already being all nervous and scared of going to the dentist next time I have an appointment, just because of the anesthesia. It's going to be given to me through a syringe and I have the goddamn phobia of needles, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to faint. Even if it doesn't hurt, just the presence of a syringe inside something gives me nausea.

 

I really hope those minor cavities won't at least get any bigger. It would be great (though rather impossible) if those 'cavities' just wouldn't evolve into proper cavities at all. One can always hope.

[spatio]

I actually really like going to the dentist. Never had any sort of cavity or anything, and I love the feel of minty fresh dentist-cleaned teeth.

[Earth Gurl]

I don't like anyone in my mouth anymore. I used to love the dentist when I was younger. Then I started going to the orthodontist. Having metal in my mouth for 7 years and slicing my mouth to pieces (one jagged edge went right through my lip once) made me hate people going in my mouth.

My teeth are super sensitive already- unnaturally sensitive. Plus I have abnormal plaque buildup. I never have good appointments anymore.

My old dentist was about 100 and he never caught my cavities. When I switched dentists they caught about 7 my first visit. Probably had been there since I was about eight years old.

My wisdom teeth operation made me hate people in my mouth even more. Especially after my holes got infected and the doctor went in with one of those saltwater syringes and blew them open again. I don't think I've ever felt more severe pain. I also had a horrible reaction to the anesthesia they put me out with and I was allergic to the pain meds after. I took them until the next morning and had to live off Motrin. X_X

[BabyRodent]

For me, I'm not very afraid of the dentist-- I sometimes get a little nervous as to what the dentist is going to do in my mouth, but that's it.

 

Hey, I wasn't even scared once when I got my wisdom teeth taken out almost two years ago, when I got stitches by one of my teeth last year, and when I got a frenectomy this past February.

 

(On the wisdom teeth, I need to say that I had two separate procedures to remove my bottom wisdom teeth first and then the top wisdom teeth afterwards. Both times I got an IV, heart patches to get my heart rate, pulse rate, and anesthesia.

 

First procedure occurred on the day that my mom had to go to San Diego for a concert with a friend, so I had to stay home with one of my best friends staying over to keep an eye on me. It was also on one of the days of Comic Con 2013, specifically Saturday. The procedure itself proceeded quite smoothly, I must add, and I watched a few movies in the meantime.

 

Second procedure took place in December of 2013 where I got my top wisdom teeth removed this time and my mom was able to take care of me while we and my other best friend Charlie watch some movies together. The procedure itself had a hiccup in the beginning, where the assistant was trying to find a vein to put the IV in.

 

She tried the right arm (where the needle usually goes-- before anyone asks, I am a blood donor), but that didn't work; then she tried the back of my right hand, but that didn't work; then the left arm, but that didn't work; then the front of my left wrist, but that didn't work; finally the back of my left hand, and that worked. As a result, I received bruises on my arms when they healed up. Don't worry, the bruises healed up quite nicely.)

[JavaTigress]

I am NOT so much afraid of the dentist as afraid of what the dentist might FIND.

 

I am always terribly afraid that a cavity will be found... though to be fair I ahve only EVER had one, that I recall. I have had both braces and my wisdom teeth out. Can't say I have the horror stories with EITHER that Earth Gurl does.( THOUGH I DID hate wearing my headgear at night because INVARIABLY it came off and got lost in bed.) What I DDO have is teeth that, apperrently want to stain, terribly.... and my coffee habit doesn't help that. SO the last time I went in, getting THAT cleaned off wasn't fun. Still don't like dental appointments. One approaching almost always sets me to nearly obsessively flossing and brushing

Edited July 13, 2015 by Silverswift

[JuicedSnail]

Okay, storytime.

 

It wasn't so bad when I was seeing my original dentist. Sure, he ragged on me about brushing and flossing, but that was to be expected. The real trouble came when I finally switched to a nicer office. Since I was new and it was my first visit, they needed my x-rays, so they called over to them. When they did, they wanted to charge my mom 50 dollars for x-rays SHE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR ON MY PREVIOUS VISITS. My mother refused, of course, and next thing I knew I was getting them done again, free of charge. The woman who was taking them at the time brought them back into the room, took one look, and called for the dentist. Mind you, I have no experience with x-rays or anything of the like, but I knew something was really, really wrong. Evidently, my adult right canine has gone rogue and is growing in such a way that if it were to come in, it would be doing so through the roof of my mouth. Not only that, I have been missing two adult molars on my bottom jaw my entire life. This, however, we knew. The problem is that my dentist had been telling us that if I took care of them, I would be fine. This is certainly not the case, as the roots on one are dissolving as any other tooth would, and will be falling out just the same. When it does, I will have a huge gap there, and my teeth will begin to fall forward, making it impossible for me to eat.

 

In short, I am scared half to death to see the orthodontist for the first time in my life in three weeks.

(Sorry for the long post, but I'm very upset and there is no better pastime then venting.)

[PerkyHedgewitch]

I am absolutely terrified, ever since I had several horrific appointments as a child.

[Twyro]

OK, when I see people with really terrible experiences with their dentists I'm not surprised at all. It fascinates me how these vary from one person to another. But I've also met people with the absolutely irrational fear of the dentist so I couldn't resist asking here. Thanks everyone for sharing.

[Cottoncat]

I guess I'm not all that afraid of going to the dentist anymore, since I've already had the anesthesia and tooth patchings about a month ago. While both of the cavities were kinda huge, taking the anesthesia was less painful than it would have been without taking it, so I'm glad I took it. The needles didn't even hurt that much, it just felt highly uncomfortable.

 

Also, my apologies for bumping a thread about two months old. >o>"

[MissHippie]

Not when I get anestesia.

[Lady Artemis]

Brace face, here. I'm constantly getting cuts and canker sores, and my tongue is torn apart. I hate the dentist.

[Silverfang]

I'm not afraid of the dentist, thankfully only one slightly painful incident. I had my wisdom teeth pulled, no surgery, nothing fancy, just yank. However one shattered while it was being pulled out, and took longer, and was more uncomfortable afterwards. Hello painkillers.

 

 

Having received relief in the dentist chair, it does make a big difference. I had a dying tooth, and oh god did it hurt. However I was taken in as an emergency, and they gave me a shot of something to kill the nerve. It hurt for... a minute, and then it was like heaven.

 

I have a good dentist, been seeing him for more than a decade. Early on he learned to give me a double shot of freezing, and it's been tolerable (I'll never say I like being in the chair!).

 

I've had two root canals, and no issues.

 

 

 

I am however, afraid of the hygienist. I've been left blood and aching for days on more than one occasion. Granted having a hygienist who gets through a cleaning in 20 minutes flat... and spends the whole time telling you off can't be good.

[Finduilas]

I used to not care much about going to the dentist, but as I got older, I gradually became more and more anxious about going. It's not like I even have bad teeth or anything. I guess I just turn into a more nervous wreck the older I get.

[Jortaani]

When I was little, I visited a dentist so often that I just got used to it. Almost all the visits were because of my braces, so the operations didn't even hurt. Nope, not scared

(At least yet, but I'm sure I won't like it if the wisdom teeth start invading my mouth...)

[Kestra15]

I have several root canal treatments next week to go through, but no fear here. Used to have the orthodontist poking around every six weeks for three years, so used to being in the chair. I don't enjoy it - the sound and feel of the drill always makes me wince, and I hate having the anaesthetic as it does feel like they're piercing my cheek with a hot knife - but I don't shy away from it.

 

But I do have that week of dental work, so I'll review my answer on the 15th!

[wtf]

When I was small, I used to love going to the dentist because I could get these small toys at the end of every visit. My favourite toys are the sticky hands that can stick on windows and the flashlight ringpops. I don't think dentists are scary at all

[jesterboohoo]

I'd have to say depends on what I might be in there for. Overall, I'm not afraid of the dentist. Been going to the same guy my whole life so he's not a stranger. I get nervous when I suspect I might have a cavity or if my wisdom teeth are bothering me. Reeeeally don't like needles etc so if there's a chance that extra stuff might happen, I get tense, otherwise no, I'm cool with the dentist.

[gad786]

17 and ive never been to a dentist in my life except once for a checkup.

[Tomato_Juice]

I absolutely absolutely LOVE going to the dentist. You walk inside the room, you lie down on the seat, they put the pair of sunglasses on you. Sometimes they will give me a set of headphones to wear and listen to music. Then they take out their apparatus and start poking around in your mouth, spraying water, doing their high tech stuff and I just find it very enjoyable. I like the atmosphere. I'm weird.

[lanette]

I go to the dentist twice a year for cleanups. I have very good teeth so it's usually like a 10-minute job. Thinking of cutting down to 1 visit per year because of the cost.

 

I've had to have all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled out because they were growing crooked. One of them was so bad that the dentist had to basically shatter it before he could pull it out piece by piece. Wasn't painful at the time - I was awake but it was numbed - but the pressure of the hammering/chiseling was a bit uncomfortable. For the next few days I looked like a chipmunk though with both cheeks swollen

 

 

 

 

[Tomato_Juice]

Yesterday I went to the dentist. It was awesome and I loved it. However at one part they started drilling into my cavity and I didn't have painkillers and it hurt like hell. But other than that I loved it.

[Stellaluna22]

Im not really afraid of the dentist I usually only have 10-15 min cleanings because my teeth are pretty straight and stuff. Dont need braces