![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The bad news is that I had oral surgery today to remove the rear lower right molar, which has been going south for several months and has recently been giving me constant annoyances.
The good news is that I have a dentist who cares enough to make sure that I felt absolutely nothing, and told me exactly what was going on through the whole procedure.
You don't know how good that last part is. My first dentist, the one I had up through, oh, age fifteen or sixteen was a sadist. "Come on, you don't need novocaine for this," he'd tell me. "By the time you get numb, it'd already be over..." He was also a sexual predator. He had his license pulled for feeling up his female patients after giving them lots of nitrous.... which, by the way, he rarely-to-never offered to me, and would use it only grudgingly if I insisted.
My second dentist was a nice enough guy, but he was (I'm afraid I must be ageist here) somewhat, umm, long in the tooth and didn't really keep up with the latest trends -- including those about 'gentle' dentistry. He never intentionally hurt me, but procedures were sometimes painful... Still, he was such an improvement over #1 that I thought this was must be 'normal' dentistry and the best that could be done. I hated dental visits. I started dreading going. I'd go so infrequently that when I did go, there was usually a problem... which would be expensive and painful... and therefore it would be even longer between visits.
The next dentist (who took over the office when #2 retired) was young but wanted money, money, money. The few times I saw him, he was always pitching (and selling very hard) new and expensive cosmetic procedures. He wanted us to purchase a dental insurance plan he was offering (and also selling very hard). He insisted that any money owed had to be paid immediately, even though we'd always paid off expensive things like crowns over a few months with the previous dentist. He'd correct his assistants loudly and sarcastically in front of the patient, and you could hear the staff muttering about what a bastard he was. I was only with him for a couple visits before I fled.
Then, from a reference by Denise's sister, we found our current dentist. Wow... I have never had a dentist take care of me this way. The tooth extraction took about ten seconds, even though I was in the office for over half an hour -- that time being used to make sure that between the NO2 and the novocaine that I wasn't going to feel any pain. Not a twinge.
And I didn't. I heard the tooth coming out, and I felt a bit of tugging along the jaw, but no pain. Zilch.
Wish I'd had this guy decades ago. I might not have become dental-phobic. If you're in the Cincinnati area, I have someone to recommend...
The good news is that I have a dentist who cares enough to make sure that I felt absolutely nothing, and told me exactly what was going on through the whole procedure.
You don't know how good that last part is. My first dentist, the one I had up through, oh, age fifteen or sixteen was a sadist. "Come on, you don't need novocaine for this," he'd tell me. "By the time you get numb, it'd already be over..." He was also a sexual predator. He had his license pulled for feeling up his female patients after giving them lots of nitrous.... which, by the way, he rarely-to-never offered to me, and would use it only grudgingly if I insisted.
My second dentist was a nice enough guy, but he was (I'm afraid I must be ageist here) somewhat, umm, long in the tooth and didn't really keep up with the latest trends -- including those about 'gentle' dentistry. He never intentionally hurt me, but procedures were sometimes painful... Still, he was such an improvement over #1 that I thought this was must be 'normal' dentistry and the best that could be done. I hated dental visits. I started dreading going. I'd go so infrequently that when I did go, there was usually a problem... which would be expensive and painful... and therefore it would be even longer between visits.
The next dentist (who took over the office when #2 retired) was young but wanted money, money, money. The few times I saw him, he was always pitching (and selling very hard) new and expensive cosmetic procedures. He wanted us to purchase a dental insurance plan he was offering (and also selling very hard). He insisted that any money owed had to be paid immediately, even though we'd always paid off expensive things like crowns over a few months with the previous dentist. He'd correct his assistants loudly and sarcastically in front of the patient, and you could hear the staff muttering about what a bastard he was. I was only with him for a couple visits before I fled.
Then, from a reference by Denise's sister, we found our current dentist. Wow... I have never had a dentist take care of me this way. The tooth extraction took about ten seconds, even though I was in the office for over half an hour -- that time being used to make sure that between the NO2 and the novocaine that I wasn't going to feel any pain. Not a twinge.
And I didn't. I heard the tooth coming out, and I felt a bit of tugging along the jaw, but no pain. Zilch.
Wish I'd had this guy decades ago. I might not have become dental-phobic. If you're in the Cincinnati area, I have someone to recommend...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
I swear, it's harder to find a good dentist than a good doctor. *sigh*
From:
no subject
For those who haven't yet found a caring, competent, no-sadistic dentist, I recommend my approach to solving the problem. I got recommendations from friends, and then make an appointment to interview my top candidate for the job of being my dentist. (I did not pay for this appointment.)
The interview was NOT conducted with me in the exam chair, and so I didn't feel vulnerable. And I asked specific questions about pain care, amalgam fillings, and level of care for the skittish patient. So, I found my guy and I've been happy with him.
K.
From:
no subject
K.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
We fond a wonderful dentist, who'd do nice things like give a nervous adult a class of wine to help calm them down. He was good with kids, too. Leslie and Jim reported they'd just fall asleep while he was working on them.
Our dentist down here is very good too. He makes it clear that he can do all the new cosmetic stuff, but he doesn't push it too much.
From:
no subject
(My previous dentist also didn't believe in adequate novocaine. That's why he's my previous dentist.)
Glad to hear that you found a good one.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
From:
no subject