Open wide!
Part of my tooth disintegrated on Saturday. I couldn’t believe it, although, since I have been remiss for many reasons in visiting my dentist, I should not have been so surprised. It didn’t hurt, though the broken edge was making my tongue sore. You know how you can never resist revisiting something different in your mouth.
Anyway, on Monday I made an appointment for Wednesday afternoon. The receptionist said, rather reprovingly I felt, ‘We haven’t seen you for some time,’ which made me feel like a naughty school girl. This morning, she ‘phoned to say that Vishal, my very pleasant dentist, was ill and would I mind seeing Charlotte instead. As the appointment would now be in the morning, I readily agreed. I hate spending an entire day waiting for things of that nature and trotted along – well, drove, actually – in good time. At the moment, one can never be sure which road will have been shut off with temporary traffic lights and/or diversions, so I left twice as long as I would normally need.
Large Yucca
I arrived early. The waiting room was empty. The time for my appointment came and went. The receptionists were busy on the telephones, arranging and rearranging appointments. I learnt that Neena, Vishal’s wife, would not be working today as she had an emergency. Maybe Vishal was the emergency! I hope not.
Eventually, Charlotte came to introduce herself and we proceeded to the surgery. I think Charlotte was more anxious about me being apprehensive than I was and kept checking that I was okay. She explained everything she was going to do and away we went. Insofar as any dental appointment can be enjoyable, I was most appreciative of Charlotte’s approach and thanked her for her care and attention.
So now I have a complete molar again, albeit mostly filling, and I have made an appointment for a check-up with Vishal at the beginning of April. I will soon be back in the routine again.
Vishal and his associates have gone a long way to helping me overcome my fear of dentistry and for that I am grateful.
Most people dislike going to the dentist, including myself. They either put off dental visits for as long as they possibly can, or they take anti-anxiety tablets before dental visits that can no longer be delayed. The trouble is not just the pain involved..... but rather the location. I would rather have a toe cut off than have someone sticking injections inside my mouth.
ReplyDeleteHowever I feel sorrier for dentists than for their patients. Imagine knowing that after a long, intense university education and the best motivation to improve peoples' health, the dentist knows he/she is often feared and disliked.
I feel the same way about dentists, too. I was wondering yesterday how many of them are bitten as they work.
DeleteI don't especially enjoy going to the dentist although now my dentist is my next door neighbor & he is a lovely man. You would have to wait 3 weeks, sometimes a month here to get an appointment!!
ReplyDeleteMy dentist and his wife are charming. The one I had before, an Australian, was interesting to talk to but heavy handed and not nearly as thorough as Vishal.
DeleteI have spent the better part of this month in the dentist's chair and let me tell you, they are not made for short people! Still, they are more comfortable than they used to be. I don't dislike going, don't even mind the work being done, uncomfortable as it is. What I don't like about the whole thing is the cost. Dentistry is hugely expensive here, (probably everywhere) so I am actually glad that so many of my teeth cannot be further repaired, after years and years of fillings upon fillings, and I now have a denture.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with one of my daughters who says humans should grow a third set of teeth at around thirty-five or forty, because we all live so much longer than in caveman days.
I wish we could grow a third set. The first set lasts about 12 years and the second set has to carry on for more than 60. Dentistry is very expensive. Some people in UK have resorted to D.I.Y. dentistry, the result of not being able to find a dentist or not being able to afford the treatment.
DeleteI can't see a dentists waiting room without thinking of 'Punch'.
ReplyDeleteCheers! Gail.
No copies of Punch in this one - lifestyle magazines dominated.
DeleteWell done. Something off the list for a while now. xx
ReplyDeleteThere will be more to be done, I know. x x x
DeleteThere are a few people who have no fears about going to the dentist, my late husband was one - I'm not!
ReplyDeleteIt's irrational but very common to have a fear of dentistry. The mouth is a very intimate part of the anatomy.
DeleteI'm OK with the dentist, but I've not had much done in recent years.
ReplyDeleteI will now get back into the routine of check-ups. It all went sideways during the Covid pandemic.
DeleteI have always had a fear of dental treatment stemming from the horrors of 1960s school dentist visits. After we moved house I signed up with a local practice ( no NHS dentists available these days) and so far my experience has been quite positive. I am due to go next week and find that I am not dreading it.
ReplyDeleteThat's so good to hear. Good luck!
DeleteGlad to hear your trip to the dentist ended well and that you're going back for a checkup that sounds like it's much needed. I used to avoid dentist in my twenties and thirties, but I no longer have a problem going as I know the one I see now is very gentle and does very good work. I have at least four teeth that are mostly artificial and I'm grateful that the roots are still there.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend whose father was a dentist. Her teeth were beautiful but his looked like gravestones.
DeleteUK teeth are getting better but we're not generally up to American teeth standards.:-)
HeHe! I went to the dentist last week....
ReplyDeleteHe said my teeth were fine....but..my gums
have to come out...! :(.
And a bible...? Bible...?
"And the lord said unto Moses, come forth, come
forth..." And he came fifth, and lost his beer money! :(.
💛🌱🌸🌱💜💛🌱🌸🌱💜💛🌱🌸🌱💜💛🌱
Gum disease is no fun.
DeleteI expect you will have paid nothing for your treatment, whereas here it would cost $200 plus. It's good that your choppers are back in fine form. Magazines and a bible in a waiting room? Lol. By mercy of God, I am sure there is Bible app to download to your phone.
ReplyDeleteWe have dental insurance, but still have to pay for 'extras.' It's not cheap.
DeleteI prefer the 'snake plant' name for MiL Tongue - but it is definitely a good looking plant. Not sure what the religious book in the waiting room tells me about the apprehension of people awaiting dentistry!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts, exactly. I haven't seen a Bible there before.
DeleteHow good to be able to see the dentist quickly and take care of the problem! I don't recall seeing sansevierias called mother-in-law's tongue before. Very amusing! I'm fortunate to have had a lovely soft-spoken mother-in-law.
ReplyDeleteIt's an unfortunate name and most unfair to (most) mothers-in-law.
DeleteHi Janice - going to the dentist is not easy, especially as we age - I try not to wince when I'm being treated! I'm glad yours are temporarily sorted til Vishal gets back ... Happy Easter - love your title! Cheers HIlary
ReplyDeleteIt helps if the dentist takes time to explain . . . Happy Easter to you, too.
DeleteI am glad that you could get in and have your tooth taken care of. I haven't had any dentail work in a long time (maybe 20 years), but I go in for cleanings three times a year with a hygienist. The dentist sees me ONCE a year and takes x-rays and looks things over. But the hygienist knows what she is doing and could spot anything suspicious! (I don't have dental insurance, so have to pay...but because my teeth are decent it isn't that bad really.) Glad you are going back in April to get things on track again!
ReplyDeleteI think the deep cleaning from the hygienist is really important and probably stops problems before they start.
DeleteDue to a traumatic experience in my twenties, I've got a fear of dentistry myself, and like you I have been remiss in visiting my dentist for various reasons. In fact, when I tried to make an appointment with her back in February, it turned out that she'd semi-retired and closed her practice. Thankfully, she's still working two days a week in a group practice, so that I didn't have the nearly impossible task of finding another dentist. I did have to wait six weeks for an appointment, though! I'm glad to read you were able to get an appointment so soon and that Vishal's colleague was able to help you and put you at ease! xxx
ReplyDeleteSo many people seem to have had awful experiences with dentists. Now, dentists are more aware of how to treat people with understanding and respect.
DeleteSo pleased your visit to the dentist went well and that your broken tooth has been fixed.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thank you, Jan. I shall be relieved to be back to regular check-ups.
DeleteI'm glad it went well. I absolutely hate going to the dentist. I had a bad experience as a child and it has tarnished things forever. I have finally found a dentist that doesn't make me feel like an idiot for being afraid (the last one I had made me feel horrible and I never went back for years). The place I go now are all women. They pride themselves on catering for people like me. I keep plodding along and going. They don't change people on me. I have it in my notes that I stay with the dentist and the hygienist that I'm with. I hate to think what will happen when they retire!
ReplyDeleteDentists seem to be kinder these days and more understanding. Well done, for overcoming your fear and finding a sympathetic practice.
DeleteI had exactly the same thing happen to me a few months ago. It was a bit of a shock to say the least but I was able to get it fixed pretty quickly which was good. Hope your refilled tooth is good now.
ReplyDeleteMine wasn't painful, so I was thankful for that. I hope yours was painless, too.
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