Are you still afraid of the dentist./ Tooth extraction stilll gets you nervous?

@salonga (27775)
Philippines
July 6, 2008 11:56pm CST
It was long years already since I had a tooth extracted. So when I visited my dentist to have a molar extracted, I was kinda nervous although the dentist was kind enough to appease me with his kind words and funny stories, I was still somewhat tensed when he asked me to open my mouth and sprayed something on the target tooth. After a while I felt he injected something on the affected area and I was all the more nervous. Then he went on telling stories to me. Some few more minutes and he asked me again to open my mouth and I felt he was already pulling the molar but I was feeling no pain. Then in a little the doctor said "This is your tooth." Surprised, I asked! "My tooth, how come???" My dentist was smiling and said "Yes, indeed this is your tooth, we are through!" "Oh my God, I've been nervous for nothing!", I said smiling. How about you? Are you still afraid of the dentist? Or nervous to have your tooth extracted?
5 people like this
19 responses
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
8 Jul 08
Dentistry has changed immensely over the years. My kids can't understand my apprehension because they have never experienced Marque De Sade DDS. LOL
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Lol! yes they will never understand!
@Allie666 (60)
• China
8 Jul 08
Yes, i am still afraid of the dentist now. I even can't smell from the hospital. I will become nervous and nervous,if I have to see the dentist. Every time, I said to myself i must have my tooth extracted, i can't bear it. But i forget it again, if it isn't pain.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Yes, the smell is something I also hate!
@jcj_111776 (3216)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Hi salonga. No. I'm not afraid to see the dentist and the process of tooth extraction. What I really don't like is to anxiously wait for the injection of the anesthesia. That is the part that I choose not to go through, but I need to.There was just one time when the dentist had a hard time extracting a lower tooth. He said it was a tough tooth and refused to be pulled out!I felt he wasn't trying to pull out my tooth but my skull!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Ha!Ha!Ha! That's funny! I could identify with you in that story. Thank you for sharing!
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
7 Jul 08
I have never been afraid of the dentist. I go on a regular basis. What scares me are the health problems that can happen if I don't go. Anything to loss of teeth to problems with my heart. I will continue to go.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Yes, you are right! Teeth problems affects our entirety.
• United States
7 Jul 08
Extremely nervious and scared of the dentist. I avoided it at all cost. I took great care of my teeth to keep me from being in a way that would require me to go to the dentist for anything other than a cleaning..lol. However i chipped a tooth and i let it go and then had more probs so finally earlier this yr i got my nerve up and went..i hated the thought of a needle in my mouth to get novacaine and insurace wouldnt cover the sleepy gas, so i had to buck up and deal with it. Now i have been through 2 teeth being extracted and 3 times for deep cleaning i have one more section of the mouth to get deep cleaned and i dread it, but it has to be done. Then i will be sure to keep up on the cleanings with the dentist more often then i was, so that in the future should something happen i need more than that done, i wont be so darn nervous. I had the same reaction as you did my friend when he was done with pulling the two teeth i was like thats it..we are done? the novacaine was the worst part and that didnt last but a second (the pinch of the needle) so i am sure you are in company of many others who just despise going to the dentist
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
/lol, many of us indeed!
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
i was never afraid of the dentist...ever since i was a kid i enjoyed going to the dentist. i love it when my dentist was cleaning my teeth. it actually feels great afterwards!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
You started rightly and keep that up!
@loujac3 (1188)
• United States
7 Jul 08
It isn't the tooth extraction that bothers me as it is the cost that is involved. I grew up in the dentist office and I am thankful for that. I have to say though, I think it is the sound of the needle piercing the flesh that really get to me!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Oh yes the cost has risen considerably and just to think of it will will make you think otherwise but if the tooth is aching then no other choice. Even just the mere look at the needle is already fearful to me!
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
7 Jul 08
oh i got a couple of teeth pulled out in the spring and since we have no dental insurance, it hurts even more! i actually started crying when i was at the dentist. i guess because of the shock of having a tooth pulled as well as the shock to my pocket book!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Ha!ha!ha! You're so funny but you are right!
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
7 Jul 08
i used to fear dentists a lot. it was all the bad experience when i was in school. we've got dental nurses who go to our school and clean our teeth. they were really rough and i always end up with a whole mouth of blood! things changed when my wisdom tooth decided to push all my other teeth together. i've no choice but to get them extracted. the dentist was very patient and gentle. after that, i resume my six-monthly dentist visit. cheers ;p
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
/lol ! One gentle dentist will really help to overcome traumatic experiences like that.
@SHAMRACK (8576)
• India
7 Jul 08
Dear friend, Lucky I had not taken my teeth to a dentist. But I had seen my grandma was there and she was yelling with pain after the teeth has been taken. At that time grandma was happy that one of her unneeded teeth has been thrown away. During that time I was a kid and I could only go near grandma to see her yelling with pain. After few days grandma became and better and started to play with me.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Lucky you are! You take care of those precious teeth!
@meiji15 (664)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
i admit it, i still am jittery when i come to the dentist. a few weeks back, i visited the dentist for my quarterly teeth cleaning. but that is not why i'm apprehensive, it is because i have a chipped tooth located in the upper end of the cavity. and worst is that the chipped tooth has a filling in it. making the nerves in my mouth jolt everytime she pokes it with her utensils. ouch!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Ouchhh! As if I could feel the pain myself.
@dhangski (3194)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
I am not afraid. I trust our family dentist. I know she wouldn't let me get hurt. But frankly speaking, I haven't had tooth extraction for years now. As what my dentist tells me, "your teeth is healthy". So I only go to her when I need a prophylaxis.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Well you really have to take care of those precious teeth because not all people have healthy sets.
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
I find it funny too that sometimes I am just afraid for pain in tooth extraction which eventually isn't there. However my last tooth extraction did hurt though. I forgot why it was painful, they made me take something to numb the pain but I think it was a very difficult tooth. Oh yeah now I remember, the root of the tooth was curved so it was not easy to pull out. The dentists had to take an x-ray of it and asked me to bite into this white plastic strip and stay calm. It was the most grueling dentist appointment ever. Plus her assistants had this not so nice disposition. I was not being uncooperative and difficult, I just really found it hard to keep biting the plastic strip for long and how to bite it properly so they can get an x ray of it. So yeah it was the biting that was more painful than the tooth extraction itself.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
My husband had the same experience with you. X-ray had to be done and found out the root was curved. It was such a hard time for the dentist so that he needed another dentist to help him pull the tooth out. /lol my husband was so exhausted and promised never to come back again.
@kevron (27)
• Jamaica
7 Jul 08
I have only been to the dentist once in my life. It was good experience.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Good for you! Thanks for sharing!
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
7 Jul 08
I must have had a bad experience as a kid...i don't know but i get extremly uptight about visiting the dentist for any reason and it always turns out to be ok. I am so bad that I make them give me novacaine for a cleaning. I do have sensitive teeth but everyone tells me that I'm being overly ridiculous. I don't care. it helps. last time I went in for a small filling and got so very stressed out that I hardly slept the nite before. I got in there and it took all of 10 mins. I'm pretty sure you aren't alone on this one.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
Seems like it's really traumatic to you!
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
7 Jul 08
It was also long time ago when I last visited my dentist. But that doesn't mean that I am afraid of her. I should be visiting here regularly for I am a smoker and my teeth needs to be checked-up. I don't have a bad experience with dentists, as far as I can remember. And that is great to know that we actually have now, the painless extraction...
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
7 Jul 08
no, i have a great dentist who is the easiest one i have ever been to. i use to hate going guess i still do but i like the dentist i have now better than any i have ever had.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
8 Jul 08
Yes, if the dentist is great then all fears are gone. Thanks for great dentists out there! Happy posting!
@agihcam (1914)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
Nope. Last January, I was experienced something form on my left chick, I go to the dentist and let the doctor advice me to have some x-ray and bring back to her. From then, she told me that I have my lower and upper molar being affected, I forgot the term but it means, it was not aligned, so she advice me to come back after a week, because she gave me medicine to take for a week before the operation. During the operation, I never felt nervous since I have an experience already when she remove one of my damage tooth to the right side. You are right, you feel nothing while on the operation. But I guess nothing is to worried about, they are expert for such task.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
Yes you are right, nothing to worry really, Dentists did not study that skill for nothing! Thanks we have Dentists if not not how can we go with aching tooth!
@pinks17 (2192)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
I am not afraid to meet my dentist.My boyfriend is a former dentist and don't practise his profession but what scares me is the injection.I hate to see it...it scares me a lot.I have to close my eyes everytime I see the injection.But it was a very long time ago the last time I visited a dentist.Maybe soon...I'll just have my teeth clean.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
7 Jul 08
Yes, it's the injection that's all the more terrifying! Thank God they have now the spray that will make you feel numb so you will feel no pain anymore.