I Wasn’t Afraid of the Dentist Until Now

I grew up with a great dentist and still went to him as an adult. Recently, we’d moved to a new state so I couldn’t keep going to the same dentist. I’d heard people talking about how horrible dentists were my entire life and always thought they were being babies. The new dentist I saw has completely changed my mind about everything. Now I’m afraid to go back. I had gone in for a dental crown and a filling. First, he cut the outside of my upper lip. Not only did he not apologize, he kept pressing on it. Then, his drill slipped and cut inside my mouth. In none of this did he apologize. Did I just have a unicorn dentist? Are most dentists like that guy? If so, I understand how no one wants to go. However, my immediate problem is the fear. Even though I go to the dentist fairly regularly, I’ve had a few cavities and also needed two crowns in my lifetime. Is there a way to navigate these appointments?

Julie

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Dear Julie,

I am so glad you wrote. The first thing that you need to know is that the treatment you received from this new dentist was unacceptable. It certainly wouldn’t be considered normal. That, however, does not mean that you will not feel anxiety the next time you go to see any dentist.

Because of what you experienced, my recommendation is that you see a sedation dentist the next time you need a procedure. They can give you a medication to relax you and make your appointment much easier. There are different levels of sedation, from nitrous, which will relax you during the appointment and you’ll be back to normal, to oral conscious sedation which is so strong that you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment, as well as stay with you for a bit until you are lucid and steady on your feet again. There is also I.V. sedation, but I don’t think you’ll need that.

This will help with the anxiety while you find another great dentist. And don’t worry, you won’t need a unicorn. There are plenty of great ones out there.

This blog is brought to you by Gentle Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.