Are you scared of the Dentist? If so why?Do you avoid going?

@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

Yes thank goodness there is the national health service here. We are lucky really that we don't have to worry about big bills if we get ill. I know it is silly to let the NHS dentist thing lapse, I am a big silly about it. My husband had to go yesterday which was why I thought to discuss it and he had a filling bit it was to replace an old filling so not a new cavity. He is far more sweeties greedy and likes chewy sweets which really doesn't do your teeth any good.

1 person likes this

amonyel

@amonyel (122)

• Hong Kong

11 Feb 10

I'm afraid of visiting the destist. Fortunately I don't have any decayed teeth now, if I got one, I'd rather die than having the dentist to remove it. My phobia stems from my experience with my university dentist who took out the wrong wisdom tooth from me. I complained about the pain with my wisdom tooth on the left side of the mouth, but he took out the one from my right side. I told him it's the wrong one but he insisted on taking out the one on the right hand side, saying that the one on the left is too difficult to take out, he didn't have enough time to work on that one before his next appointment. I told him the one on my right side doesn't give me pain, so why take it out. He said all wisdom teeth need to be removed eventually, there's no harm in taking out this tooth which didn't bother me at all! After that visit, I don't want to visit the dentist again, I'm still keeping the wisdom tooth which I intended to remove at that time.

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wisdom teeth

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amonyel

@amonyel (122)

• Hong Kong

11 Feb 10

You're so right, the dentist actually has robbed my tooth in my face. I was so helpless when he did that. In fact, his technique wasn't very good either, it was so painful that in the middle of the operation I thought about terminating it, but I knew I just can't leave my half-removed wishdom tooth hanging loosely in my mouth! So I endured the painful operation and I felt my heart beating so hard inside me, I think I was at the edge of getting a heart attack. After that, I feel sorry for my mother also because she has given me a healthy wisdom tooth but was robbed by an unprofessional dentist! I swear I'd rather die than going through another tooth removal.

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

Good grief he stole your tooth! I think that was a very unfortunate event. I have had an enormous toothache before,3 days and it was so bad that I gave in and went to the dentist who removed it in about 5 minutes. It was such a relief because I couldn't sleep and eating was a misery.

1 person likes this

illfavors

@illfavors (590)

• United States

11 Feb 10

Not afraid of the dentist, in fact I just recently had to get a root canal done. The dentist isn't fun. Really going to any type of doctor isn't very much fun, but we all have to do it once in a while.

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

I have never had a root canal done. I think it is quite extensive stuff. My sister is usually the frightened one in life but she doesn't care at all about the dentist.

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Reyah23

@Reyah23 (640)

• Philippines

11 Feb 10

Oh my, I am afraid of a dentist. Yes, it sad because of all of the people why with the dentist who is a very helpful professional people to my teeth health. I never visited a dentist since i have my first visit. So i only drunk medicine everytime i got a toothache.

2 people like this

@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

Lucky that medicine did the trick then really. My biggest toothache was so bad I just couldn't think about anything else. I think sometimes what seems like toothache though is actually nerves along your jaw because sometimes get that if I have a headache and then it goes away again.

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tuyakiki

@tuyakiki (3016)

• India

11 Feb 10

The last time I went to a dentist was about 5 months ago.I had some enamel problem. I usually I don't visit a dentist. Its really scary,painful and embarrassing.Its really painful,when I hear that I will have to come again for a check up.

Though,it's definitely a good idea to go regularly because if your dentist finds any problems with your teeth, he can fix it right away instead of having it grow worse over the time.

2 people like this

@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

Its true ,we should all go regularly. I feel a bit guilty for not going in more than a year. Before I would make an appointment for me and for the two children and we would all go in ,one after the other, it was worth it to show my children that it was fine. Now they are grown up, I have reverted to my happy oblivion.

1 person likes this

doormouse

@doormouse (4599)

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11 Feb 10

my other half also used to remove his own teeth,but then i made him go to the dentist and get them sorted properly,the kids and i go every 6 months,we don't mind the dentist,but i hate having fillings coz you can't feel your face for ages afterwards

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

I think I prefer extraction to fillings. I know you still have the injection but I don't like the silvery slimy feel of the filling and I cant leave it alone with my tongue to see if it still feels like it.

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ronita34

@ronita34 (3922)

• Canada

16 Feb 10

I am actually terrified of the dentist the thought alone sends shivers down my spine and gives me goose bumps all over. I hate the scraping noises and the way it feels when they scrape your teeth. I don't mind the needles and freezing or cleanings it's just the noises from when they scrape your teeth with their little tools. I am getting shivers and goose bumps just thinking about it ... lol!

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scared

@pandaeyes (2065)

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17 Feb 10

I think even if they gave you ear plugs it wouldn't help because everything in your moth,vibrates all over your head. When they pull a tooth,it is a bit like they are trying to pull your head off but with no pain,one minute you think you will be hauled right out of the chair and the next the dentist is all smiles and showing you the gory remains.

mentalward

@mentalward (14691)

• United States

11 Feb 10

My very first job was working with my dentist. I worked part-time, after school and Saturdays. I worked for him from the age of 14 to 16. Dental procedures became so routine to me that I was never afraid to have dental work done. I've always taken good care of my teeth and used to only need a cleaning when I would go to the dentist. Since getting fibromyalgia, though, I've had one problem after another with my teeth. Some of the medications I'm on cause dry mouth, plus I suffer from bruxism (teeth clenching) and have caused nerve damage in some teeth. I've had a lot of dental work since then. My stepfather used to call me "the original smiley face" because I'm always smiling, well, almost always. I like to smile. They're contagious! I love spreading smiles. So, I've seen the dentist often in the past 10 years. I'm a bit nervous when I know it's going to hurt, especially those novocaine needles! But, I'm pretty relaxed once everything is good and numb. I'm a definite pain weenie, but I'd rather face a little pain than not be able to smile because of bad teeth.

1 person likes this

@mentalward (14691)

• United States

11 Feb 10

Oh, I forgot. My dentist had a sign in his waiting room that said, "Painless dentist, upstairs." Most people got a good laugh from that sign.

@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

One of my sisters in law also has that condition. I didn't realize it affected teeth too. How funny you should be called smiley, at school a girl used to call me her smiley little friend LOL, I wasn't much smaller than her really. I'm a bit of a grinning idiot sometimes,especially when there are lots of little children around. Still we do have to make sure we are grinning with nice clean teeth. My top teeth overlap sadly but that is the way with a lot of teeth now. One dentist said it was evolution,people jaws were getting smaller and their teeth were not so they had to still fit in somehow.

mentalward

@mentalward (14691)

• United States

11 Feb 10

That is why so many people have to have their wisdom teeth removed. There just isn't enough room. All four of my wisdom teeth were impacted. They all faced forward and began moving when it was time for them to come in. Unfortunately, they were well below the gum so they pushed all my other teeth together before they were surgically removed. My top teeth aren't bad because I had a gap between my front teeth and my wisdom teeth pushing them actually got rid of that gap, so I was very happy about that. LOL But, my bottom teeth are very crooked from being pushed together. I was just recently approved for disability and got a check for back benefits and am looking into getting my bottom teeth straightened. I haven't decided to do it yet because of my age; it doesn't make too much sense at my age (57). But, I'd like to have nice, straight teeth, even if only for a little while. It all depends on what the total cost will be. Dentists aren't cheap and they don't give discounts.

1 person likes this

calai618

@calai618 (1773)

• Philippines

11 Feb 10

My family is actually on the Dental field (whatever it's called lol) so since i was young, I get to meet a lot of different dentists and I get to visit their clinics a lot. this is why i kinda grow up being used to the smell, the view and the idea of being on that dental chair. i have to say i am pretty brave. i had my first major dental work..got my tooth extracted when I was around 5 or 6. I dont remember crying except for one instance when I felt terribly sick not because of anything serious but because my dad left me alone with the dentist. the dentist felt I was a bit hot so he adviced me to reschedule the operation lol. I knew in my heart that I wasnt scared of him but I was scared because my dad left me lol. Another motivation for me so I wont fear visiting my dentist regularly is the promise that I would always get an ice cream right after.. When I get my teeth extracted, ice cream was always my main treatment for the pain so it's not really that bad to get my tetth extraced after all. But that was of course when I was way way younger.lol

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

You are lucky that you got to be friends with the dentist early on. My kids were each taken when they were about 5. Neither has ever had a tooth out or a filling though unlike me who has 3 gaps and several fillings. Sweeties are to blame I am sure.

rosey19

@rosey19 (951)

• Philippines

12 Feb 10

Actually when i was a kid i was to terrified when i saw a dentist especially when i saw their gadgets which would be used for extracting tooth. i really felt nervous and shaking. but lately, i learned to be braved enough to face my dentist because i know that i will not feel the pain because of the advance ways to extract tooth and very quick, in just a minute it is done.

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visit

@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

Yes I think it is our imaginations that work on our fears. I have heard that if you remember a bad situation, your body thinks it is happening again and reacts just as though it was so I try very hard not to dwell on things.

shylade

@shylade (3132)

• Philippines

11 Feb 10

hi! i visit my dentist when i have problem with my teeth... LOL. i am really afraid of dentists too. i am trauma back when i was a child. the pain i had experienced always came to my mind whenever i think about going to the dentist. its psychological i think, because the root extraction now is painless except for the injection of the anesthesia. but still i can not help my self from quivering whenever im inside the clinic. LOL...

2 people like this

@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

Same here, it is mostly remembering bad experiences. I think there were one or two quite scary stern lady dentists in my childhood. I always feel more at ease if it is a man but we cant choose,we have the dentist who treats national health patients and they are quite scarce as it is.

1 person likes this

tess5162

@tess5162 (66)

• United States

12 Feb 10

I'm not afraid of the dentists. I have been very lucky and ended up with very good ones. I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled a few years ago and my oral surgeon was great!! I had no pain, problems or anything afterwards. My dentist even fixed a very tiny cavity with no pain meds. How cool is that? He said you dont need any. He was like by the time you feel any pain it will be over and he was right!!

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tess5162

@tess5162 (66)

• United States

15 Feb 10

Yeah I was very nervous because I was put under but he was very good.

@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

I want to have your dentist! He sounds very efficient. My wisdom tooth was only pulled because it was growing out to the side instead of down. One dentist kept umming and ahing about leaving it as he thought it was too awkward to remove but then he left and the new dentist pulled it in hardly a moment and with no apparent trouble at all.

nykel88

@nykel88 (999)

• Philippines

12 Feb 10

No I'm not really afraid of the dentist. I don't mind what he does in my teeth because I do think he is a professional. Why did he become a dentist if he wasn't a professional right? They do have scary tools and you'd think maybe for a second you get your tongue stuck with the tools and all. This dentist is our family dentist by the way and is credited as the best dentist here in our city. So this is my answer I'm not afraid visiting the dentist.

1 person likes this

@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

Oh yes, I have worried about my tongue being spiked too. You are lucky to have a very good dentist. Sometimes I wonder why the bad tempered ones have chosen that profession. It is the same as anything though, they are mostly sincere and caring people.

christinawise87

@christinawise87 (856)

• United States

11 Feb 10

I am not scared of the denitist I am scared of the pain that is caused by the dentist. I hate having to go, I know I will end up hurting and having some sort of pain every single time!

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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11 Feb 10

It is the feeling of the unknown that is the worst part isn't it? When they have a poke around and then say good ,see you in 6 months, you feel like laughing and hugging them, but of course you don't, you just get down from the chair onto your wobbly legs and try to walk sensibly from the room.

christinawise87

@christinawise87 (856)

• United States

11 Feb 10

Yes that is the part that scares me! I hate waiting then they say you got to have something done to this tooth and I am like oh great. I hate this part, expecially when ur sleepy and ur so scared that u sit there in a zombie mode. Also when they make u wait so long to just even see the dentist!

MrKennedy

@MrKennedy (1978)

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12 Feb 10

Whilst I do not particularly enjoy going to the dentist, I never avoid it because I know that it is important to have my teeth checked regularly, and where I live, if you miss too many appointments, they remove you from the dentist list. My dentist is quite rough when digging through my mouth, and his thick Croatian accent makes it hard to understand him

1 person likes this

@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

Oh dear ,I have a problem with accents sometimes too,our dentists are often Irish and sometimes they have very broad accents. Of course there is not much chance to talk with a mouth full of tools so that is a lucky. I can hum hmm or nn for yes and no and just hope it is the right answer.

tanchyka

@tanchyka (213)

• Slovenia

11 Feb 10

I'm not happy at the dentist's either. I have had the same dentist for my whole life. I've been afraid of him since the first day. I'm not really afraid of him as a person but more afraid of him drilling and putting things in my mouth. I really don't like pain. But he never gives me an anaesthetic, because he doesn't drill that deep to touch the nerve, so it always hurts. I don't avoid going though, because that can have more serious and painful consequences.

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

Our dentists seem to move to new jobs quite quickly. The last place there were 4 dentists in about 6 years. I think they qualify and then work as the NHS dentist for as short a while as they can get away with and then become private to earn more money.

libnawilkerson

@libnawilkerson (298)

• Mexico

11 Feb 10

Hello panda eyes!! I am very afraid of the dentist. I go often, because I have cavitys because I ate a lot of candy when I was a child!!! But that noise of the machine is something I really hate!! Recently 2 wisdom teeth poped out, the dentist already removed one with surgery because I couldn't stand the pain, but I was very sad because it was in christmas week and I couldn't eat almost any food my family cooked!! I am very afraid of having the other one removed, because it also needs surgery!! I think I'll wait until I can't support the pain any more!! Well, the most hilarious thing is that my sister is about to come a dentist so I don't know if that will be the solution or my love for her will decrease!!! Thanks for sharing and asking, Libna!

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

My wisdom teeth weren't even showing until I was about 30 years old. I have 3 left and one is only just breaking the surface now. I think they are a nuisance. Candy really doesn't help. Toffees are the worst because they can be so stiff that they pull a filling out.

onlyprincess

@onlyprincess (782)

• Philippines

12 Feb 10

I'm actually scared of going to the dentist ever since I'm little! I'm much more brave getting injections from the doctor rather than sitting in the dentist's chair. Even as I grew older, I can't shake the feeling of terror whenever going to the dentist. But of course, there are times that I had no choice but to go. I hate the uncomfortable feeling in the dentist's chair, I hate the way he/she pokes around my mouth with these heavy and scary-looking tools, and most of all, I hate the pain it causes me. But after a while, I get used to it and overcome my silly fear, especially when I smile and show my healthy looking teeth, all the fears had vanished. :D

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

Same here, I don't mind doctors injections one little bit. I can look at it logically and say to myself, that is needed,you will be better off for it but the dentist is only obviously needed if I have a pain in my jaw, otherwise it feels like an unnecessary evil.

bananamen1

@bananamen1 (442)

• Bulgaria

12 Feb 10

I wasn't afraid, but now I am. Because of a mistake that dentist made, I had a lot of problems and had to take a lot of pain 24/7 for several months and drink a lot of medicines. So yes, now I'm afraid. I changed the dentist, but I'm afraid that can happen again. In spite of this, I would go more often to prevent problems if it wasn't so expensive.

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@pandaeyes (2065)

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12 Feb 10

I can understand how you would worry about a repeat of a bad situation. I suppose really I am a silly , just worrying about feelings and not really about actually having ever had a horrible thing occur. I do think dentists need to be a bit more warm and friendly.

kaylayoe

@kaylayoe (293)

• United States

11 Feb 10

Your father removed his own teeth!?!?!?! Oh my, that just sounds painful! I've had teeth removed with laughing gas and anesthetics and it still hurt! I don't like the dentist at all. It seems every time I go back they find something wrong with my mouth. They put a cap on my tooth and didn't put it in enough so they had to go back in and fix it for more money. I've switched dentist so many times and they always find something that really doesn't need to be done. Did your husband have bad experiences as a kid? I think that's my problem.

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scared