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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2010 21:43:15 GMT
Some of us don't like going to the dentist. It's almost certainly because my mother had a total horror of dentists (awful incident at age 8) that I did not go to the dentist for something like 28 years. But I did put up with it when I felt the need, and I am super lucky to have inherited my grandmother's teeth -- she died at age 93 with all of her teeth except one. This week my mother had some dental distress that I probably should have not mentioned at the nursing home. It had already gone away when they phoned me today -- two hours after the fact - that she had a dental appointment and was I aware of it? She had not been to the dentist since 1966. Fuck no, I wasn't aware of it, but I decided to let them pay the price of their idiocy. I knew that nobody was getting into my mother's mouth if I was not present. When I arrived as usual this evening, I was informed that my mother had been to the dentist unsuccessfully, because she would not open her mouth. Those idiots! Do you enjoy dental visits?
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Post by spindrift on Mar 19, 2010 22:06:39 GMT
Dentists are anaethema to me. Totally. I am very upset on behalf of your mother. She will have been traumatized by the dentist and the staff. A couple of years ago the old lady I used to care for visited the dentist. Her teeth are falling out (and look dreadful) but he extracted a couple anyway. She came out in a state of collapse and it took her days to recover. Poor thing. I wish you had been with your mother.
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Post by existentialcrisis on Mar 20, 2010 9:54:26 GMT
I don't mind the dentist because I've never had a cavity. Although I don't appreciate the scraping sensation when they clean my teeth.
The orthodontist, however, was a different story. I guess for the most part it was alright, but when my braces were taken off it was the most pain I've ever experienced in my life!!
And I've had plenty of teeth pulled, but I don't mind that for some reason.
Oh yeah, and my dentist just retired and was replaced by a young guy who was a cosmetic dentist in Alberta. Well, in Nova Scotia people don't have the same money so cosmetic dentistry isn't as big. He told me I need a root canal! And I simply don't believe him! I think he wants to make as much money as he made out west, in whatever way he can. When I told him I felt pain on my tooth, he told me patients often get in denial about their teeth and that I was imagining the pain! I'll never go back to him...
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Post by spindrift on Mar 20, 2010 12:19:42 GMT
A root canal? Poor you. I had this procedure carried out 3 years ago and I'm still suffering from a perforation....
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Post by auntieannie on Mar 21, 2010 14:54:04 GMT
I can't say I "enjoy" visits to the dentist, but I don't mind them. Although maybe it's because I've visited good dentists when I was in Switzerland and I might change my mind in view of my visit to an English dentist. I am not keen anymore.
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Post by happytraveller on Mar 22, 2010 7:55:14 GMT
I don't enjoy dentist visits but am not freaked out about them either. It's usually the bills they send that hurts the most.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2010 10:08:16 GMT
I let the dental school experiment on me free of charge. At least there are professors there to make sure the students are doing everything right. A dentist alone in his office is not going to tell you if he screwed up.
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Post by spindrift on Mar 22, 2010 12:09:57 GMT
That's true....my ex-dentist didn't tell me with the consequence that I am now sueing him for up to £5,000.....Yay! This demonstrates the theory of Cause and Effect!
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Post by gertie on Apr 3, 2010 9:31:57 GMT
I've mostly been lucky with dentists, except the money end. Now I have insurance, but it sometimes still costs quite a bit. I read your other post about dental work, spindrift, and I know how trying things like that can be. I had a weird deal when I had one of my wisdom teeth extracted. In my case, the problem resulted from how the tooth had grown basically, however, the first dentist did not realize what had happened and so the problem was allowed to sort of fester for about two years. When I moved the first thing my new dentist said was "so, had a lot of sinus problems and pain and infection since that wisdom tooth was pulled?" "Why yes, why do you ask?" And then he proceeded to fix the problem and I have been pain and infection free ever since. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2014 12:14:52 GMT
I shouldn't have bragged about never needing to go to the dentist.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 26, 2014 17:09:30 GMT
All I can think is that you must have some of the most advanced dental surgeons on the planet. Well I hope so. There is one thing I'm not afraid of, dentists, because I inform them exactly how I want to be pain free - from anesthetizing gel on the gum to a syringe with a plastic needle that can be inserted slowly while twisting and turning in all directions, killing any hint of penetration, and then the coup DE gras - NO Pain while they poke , prod and cut in my mouth. I'm an excellent patient!
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Post by htmb on Feb 26, 2014 20:46:12 GMT
I've had two root canals. The second one was not very memorable at all. However, when I had the first my youngest daughter, who was less than ten, was with me and had planned to sit in the waiting room with a book. The dentist, who only did root canals (and was quite the narcissist, I later learned), very kindly invited yd to observe the procedure. I was pretty horrified at the idea, but she thought it was the coolest thing ever.
I will say she was a trooper. She stood next to the dentist while he and his assistant worked in my mouth and she never flinched. The dentist talked to her the whole time just like she was an adult student and explained each step in the procedure. I always thought she'd go into the medical field, but her path has gone in a different direction, however, she and her sister are both extremely capable and handy whenever someone in the family needs medical care.
I'm sure there are bad root canal experiences, and then the not so bad. Here's to wishing you the second, Kerouac.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2014 20:50:06 GMT
The root canal starts tomorrow at 12:30. I can only hope that dental science has progressed since the last time ten years ago.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 27, 2014 14:44:16 GMT
It should be all over by now Kerouac - I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable! the upper root canal is more delicate because the dentist must not drill through into the sinus passage. This is looking for trouble and I am wondering if this has not been the cause of my husband's constant battle with severe sinus. Do let us know how you fared?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2014 15:33:42 GMT
Well, actually the root canal did not begin today. Today was the complete inventory of my mouth with the ice pick and the mirror. One girl wielded the tools and found that yes, my gums do bleed nearly everywhere when you stick pointy objects into them. At one point, she had to go running out for a compress. The other girl filled in her big chart of information. The verdict was that, yes, the root canal must be done first, and then they are going to treat my gums (?) but only if I can scratch out enough of the plaque that is clinging to the back of the molars. "Don't worry if it hurts and bleeds -- that's normal." Well, maybe it's normal in the dental world, not mine.
Any good news? Yes: no cavities anywhere.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 27, 2014 16:41:34 GMT
Kerouac I will firstly sympathize and then softly scold you for not visiting a Dental Hygienist every 6 months. Our saliva causes a build up of plaque and if not removed can cause other problems. The removal of plaque is done in several ways: With a lovely attractive dental assistant with a soft touch.....and with an unglamorous cruel bitch that uses the "frequency mode" and nearly causes you to scream out every few seconds! I have had both but a tragedy has struck my dental practise - the lady who scrapes the plaque off by gentle strokes has got cancer of the bowel and liver. I am devastated. She is a young mother and I need her as much as her family do. We have a ten year relationship and she is the kindest Oral hygienist on the planet I hope your lot do the scraping method, and yes, your gums will bleed but not where you might need a blood transfusion....just a rinse or two and lots of that gurgling rubber tube they stick into your mouth and hoover for dear life. I wish you (forgive any miss spelling) Bon Courage Mon Ami!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2014 19:01:59 GMT
I probably told this story elsewhere years ago, but it is my mother who instilled in me a total aversion to two things, just because of the way she talked about them: dentists and raspberries.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 28, 2014 16:38:59 GMT
I'm with your mother on raspberries.....I find them sour, mushy and even after paying more than a pound for them in a London supermarket, ditched them in the trashcan somewhere alongside the Thames.
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Post by bjd on Feb 28, 2014 17:02:14 GMT
Raspberries are my favourite fruit!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 17:09:05 GMT
Yes, love them, too. Any sort of berry except blueberries - too bland.
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Post by bjd on Feb 28, 2014 19:55:29 GMT
Ah, but lizzy, French blueberries are not bland! They are much smaller than Canadian ones and have a lot of flavour.
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Post by htmb on Feb 28, 2014 20:39:44 GMT
I love all berries. The right kind of Florida blueberries have great flavor, too. I also love raspberries, but cannot abide them if they're mushy and overripe.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 21:22:51 GMT
My mother's hate of them was due to the fact that castor oil was flavoured with raspberries when she was a child.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 22:17:42 GMT
Aha. Reminds me of anise seed. I get nauseous at the scent or taste of anise, and I never knew why until I babysat one day and discovered their bottle of gripe water (for colic). Chief ingredient - anise! Apparently I was quite colicky as a baby, was dosed quite often, and voila! A lifetime of loathing.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 23:19:37 GMT
My (step)father hated root beer for the same reason. It tasted like castor oil to him.
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Post by mossie on Mar 2, 2014 21:53:35 GMT
Oh no ! Castor oil was my mothers favourite remedy for many childhood ills. Stopped us complaining I suppose.
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Post by rikita on Mar 5, 2014 18:29:49 GMT
i never had any castor oil i think. and i like raspberries, they remind me of my grandparents' garden.
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Post by fgrsk8r1970 on Mar 5, 2014 20:25:09 GMT
Thankfully I never had castor oil either but a lot of Fennel tea for tummy aches as a baby - the opposite happened to me .... I LOVE anything fennel flavored as well as Anise or licorice. I don't mind the dentist now even though I had a traumatic experience as a 9 year old and a terrible old dentist in Germany that ruined many of my molars. My dentist here in Phoenix is fantastic and I can say that I trust him completely. Is it always comfortable to have your mouth pried open for hours.... no, but he doesn't hurt me and is kind and gentle. oh and I love raspberries too
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Post by rikita on Mar 6, 2014 8:44:24 GMT
my mom gave me fennel tea as a baby too. then for many years i disliked fennel - as tea or as vegetable. and now for a few years i started liking the tea again. haven't tried the vegetable anymore, so no idea there ...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2014 17:44:19 GMT
Today was a miraculous day for my dental appointment. My two dental students, Alexandra and Claire, were thrilled to see a new machine in their work area; Trouble was, they had no idea how to use it but it had some really cool drills and other whizzing things connected to it (cool to dental students, not to real people). So they went to work with the usual stuff and of course started by removing the plaster (or whatever it is) plug after of course shooting me up with those tiny needles. Then I had to go to the x-ray box so they could see exactly what there was to do. They had to show the x-ray to the professor, and that was the best idea ever (not to mention obligatory).
He came to demonstrate the new machine and bzzzzz drxxxxx zzzzrrrrr proceeded to complete the root canal in 20 minutes instead of 5 x 2 hours*. Besides Alex and Claire, anybody walking down the hall came to peer into my mouth as well. That's one of the things that I like about the dental school. It is buzzing with activity at all times with people wandering in and out of the workrooms, texting at the same time and taking pictures with their phones. Anyway, everybody was flabbergasted at the efficiency of this machine and I was the most pleased of all. Another x-ray or two later (the students all take pictures of the x-ray results the moment they appear on the screen, so if ever you find a mobile phone full of photos of x-rays of teeth, you will know where to go to return it to the owner).
Refilling the hole was a bit trickier than the students had planned, so the professor came back to do it -- and it was difficult for him, too -- so I knew that the job was perfect. One last x-ray to confirm the work and I was out of there! Pending my death from radiation poisoning, I was also pleased when I got home, because I was told to take painkillers as soon as I got home and that I would probably need to take them for three days -- but nothing hurts at all and I have taken nothing.
* I had been wondering how long this would take but I remembered from 15 years ago that it seemed endless.
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