Skepticism

AI: I get a thrill when I drill a bicuspid…

I hate going to the dentist. Seriously guys, I’ve cried over the thought of it. There’s just something about dentist offices… The smell, the small waiting room full of old magazines and long-forgotten toys, the sound of the drill in the furthest away exam room… *shudder* I hate hate HATE it.

However, I’ve never had an experience while visiting the dentist that would actually lead to me hating it. I think the worst that’s ever happened to me was getting a filling as a kid or, during a routine cleaning, gagging when they put that damn fluoride tray in my mouth.

I saw it as no big loss when I stopped going to school for a while and was therefore dropped by my parents’ health insurance. Until now. Now I regret it terribly. You see, pregnancy is awful on your teeth, no matter how consistently you floss, brush and rinse. I am reaping that which I have sewn when it comes to dental pain. And there’s nothing I can do about it. Tylenol doesn’t work because what I really need is an anti-inflammatory. All of it is fixable, I just need to get there (which means popping this baby out asap).

Now I can’t wait to go to the dentist.

How do you feel about going to the dentist or doctor? Do you have panic attacks at the thought of it like I do? Do you ENJOY going to the doctor/dentist? Are dentists, especially, sadists who wish their hygienists and assistants were actually Motown backup singers?

The Afternoon Inquisition (or AI) is a question posed to you, the Skepchick community. Look for it to appear daily at 3pm ET.

Chelsea

Chelsea is the proud mama of an amazing toddler-aged girl. She works in the retail industry while vehemently disliking mankind and, every once in a while, her bottled-up emotions explode into WordPress as a lengthy, ranty, almost violent blog. These will be your favorite Chelsea moments. Follow Chelsea on Twitter: chelseaepp.

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52 Comments

  1. Going to the doctor or dentist really doesn’t bother me much. I’ve had a few stinkers as gynos, but currently have a great doctor.

    I DO have a problem asking for shit I need. I really should get help with my (sometimes serious) sleep issues, but I’ll probably never ask. I’m just afraid they’ll think I’m trying to get drugs, or that they’ll just hand me lunesta (doesn’t work) and tell me to exercise more (doesn’t work). I have a hard time speaking up for “trivial” things, though if I’m really sick or have a UTI or something a bit more “obvious” I’m fine.

    I went to the dentist last year for the first time in YEARS, due to a very, very infected wisdom tooth. I at random picked a dentist online that was super close to my apartment, because I was in a shit ton of pain.

    Thankfully, I made the right choice, because my dentist ROCKS! He is in his early 30s, very pleasant to look at (light blue eyes!), and has a great demeanor. His staff was awesome and seemed to really enjoy working there and he joked with them a lot (a good sign!). Also, all three dentist chairs have a very large computer screen, with big comfy headphones, and a Pandora.com icon. Way cool! I really felt comfortable around him and he never made me feel little, like my last dentist did (who scolded me because I hadn’t been in a long time — yeah, I didn’t have insurance, jack ass!).

    I ended up having to get the last 3 of my wisdom teeth yanked out. I was a bit nervous before going in, but not too bad, because my dentist said the surgeon was great and to call him if I needed *anything* (including more pain pills!).

    My surgeon turned out to be awesome! He ended up having three other people watching — his dental assistant, a sales woman, and someone else I can’t remember. He asked, and I said, “SURE!”

    I actually kind of had fun getting my wisdom teeth out, as weird as it sounds. I didn’t get knocked out (couldn’t afford it). Two of the teeth came out with one small yank each, but my bottom right had to be cut out, and it took at least a half dozen small pieces before it was fully out. I didn’t feel a thing, but he really worked hard to get that sucker out.

    The entire time I was making the staff laugh, because I’d keep trying to talk and make funny faces. Also, the super-numbing agent they used for that tough tooth raised my adrenalin levels (which is normal). I got super excited and hyper. When I was done, I walked out into the front office to gather my things, get care instructions, and sign some paperwork. I kept making the staff laugh and laugh. At one point, I walked into the front office to grab my bag from my friend, and sitting there was a scared kid — he couldn’t have been more than 16 — waiting to get all four of his wisdom teeth out.

    Kid asks me: “Did they give you laughing gas?!”
    My friend speaks up: “No, she’s just always like that!”
    Me: Doubled over, howling with laughter, trying not to drool and bleed everywhere.

    The kid looked relieved, haha, and the staff told me I was their very favorite patient ever, because I was hilarious.

    My surgeon said I’d need the pain pills, but I didn’t: I was in zero pain, aside from the beating my lips took (I have a small mouth). The surgeon was shocked when I told him. “No pain?” Nope, not even a little!

    Anyway, yeah, I actually kind of like going to the doctor and dentist. It’s sick, I know, but I tend to do really well in stressful situations, and frankly I like the attention.

  2. On the one hand, dentists and doctors are people doing a job to the best of their ability. On the other hand, Get away from me with that drill!

    Some part of my brain knows I’m not dealing with Torquemada, but something very deep and primitive is not convinced.

  3. I’ve never had a cavity, so I feel OK about dentists. You can bounce bullets off my teeth. I rarely go, and there’s nothing for them to do when I do go.

    Yay genetics!

    Doctors on the other hand, do make me nervous. I’m never thrilled to go there. It’s not a full blown panic attack, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

    Hospitals though, scare the crap out of me. Hate hate hate hate going to them. Especially after my colonoscopy. I kept telling them that they needed an anesthesiologist present, and they needed to make sure I was unconscious, but they just kept assuring me that I wouldn’t remember a thing.

    Basically, they gave me a drug that wiped my memory of the event, but did nothing else. I remember hearing screaming and cursing (at a distance), and the doctor later said that I was the worst patient he’d ever had.

    Yay! I’m number one!

    So now I’m even more terrified to go back, and I’m a high-risk colon cancer getter due to the downside of my genetics.

    Boo, genetics!

    Perfectly healthy teeth in exchange for a cancer likelihood. Can I switch?

  4. @Zapski: Are colonoscopies painful or something? I always thought they were a pretty simple procedure that most people are awake for, but maybe I’m wrong. I think my sister had one recently (colon issues due to psoriasis…sucky), but I don’t know if she was put under or not. She didn’t talk about it like it was traumatizing…

    Maybe you just don’t like things stuck up your rear?:P

  5. I used to hate going to the dentist when I was younger. Now I don’t mind it so much.

    It could be that the office I go to is very high tech with all the newest equipment…or it could be that my dentist is crazy hot.

    On another note I just had some work done at another office. They had on the local “we play anything” radio station, which usualy is fueled by requests from old office secretaries. So I was quite supprised to hear around the drill noise, “Girls, Girls, Girls”.

    Made me smile…on the inside anyway.

  6. @marilove: My father tells me that he’s been awake for his, and it’s been like a stomach ache, or perhaps cramping. I think my problem may primarily psychological; my fear of hospitals + something terribly unfamiliar = doctor gets an earful of cursing.

    I suspect that whatever they drugged me with didn’t help in the self-control department, or the ability of my mind to rationalize the procedure. I think they got pure, undistilled reptile brain or something.

  7. There was the time I had a wisdom tooth out and the novocaine paralyzed my eyeball. That was more entertaining than scary, though, especially since it wore off once the anaethestic did with no other effects. The surgeon actually called me at home that night to tell me he’d done a literature review and found only one other case.

    And then there was the time a few years ago I was having a root canal done, and I went back in a few days later to have the temporary crown adjusted. The dentist decided to drill into that tooth without numbing it, assuring me I wouldn’t feel it. First time I’ve cried in any kind of doctor’s office since I was eight. Not mortifying AT ALL.

    I have a pretty high tolerance for dental pain but a pretty low tolerance for going to the dentist, which I’m aware is a really bad combination.

  8. I went to the dentist about a week ago, and some parts of the visit were irritating, but for the most part the event wasn’t too bad. I’ve never had a bad experience. I do have some smaller gaps in my teeth, so the worst I’ve really experienced is a bit of tugging with that hook between the teeth.

    Actually, I take that back. The worst part is when the dentists try to make small talk with me while he’s got his hands and tools in my mouth. Yes, I like my college but I don’t exactly want to discuss the football team or particular games while he’s storming the beaches.

    The doctor isn’t too bad either- I had some lumps in my scrotum a while back, but the worst part of that event was just the night between the discovery and doctor’s appointment. Some doctors and dentists are cruel, but I think most of them aren’t aware of the pain or discomfort because it’s not their body/mouth.

    I usually feel better after I go to the dentist or the doctor. Sometimes there’s something wrong or off, but mostly it’s like a confirmation that everything is okay and that’s never a bad thing.

  9. @Zapski: So basically it’s like what we women have to go through when we get our yearly gyno? A little scrape, maybe a pinch, and some cramping? :P

    Weakling!!

    Nah, I can understand being nervous when at the hospital doing a procedure you’re not used to, especially if the staff is clearly not all that attentive. Makes for a really stressful situation, which probably doesn’t help the nerves, especially combined with whatever they gave you.

    I bet next time they knock you out! If not, find someone who will. Though there ARE things that can go wrong with anesthesia. It’s why I won’t go under unless necessary and why I wasn’t so concerned about being put under when I got my teeth pulled.

  10. I hate the dentist, the doctor, even the eye doctor.

    I had really fucked up teeth as a kid so I have many years of orthodontia horror stories.

    Doctors offices make me nervous, even for routine check ups. Yes, I work with doctors now, and no, that has not convinced my monkey brain that they’re not out to stick me with sharp things and laugh at my pain.

    And the past two eye doctors I’ve been to were patronizing assholes. Then there was the one I had when I was 10 who sneered at me, “How do you not walk into walls?” Yeah, my mom never took me back to her. Plus, I haaaaaate eye drops.

  11. @marilove:

    My first colonoscopy was funny – afterwards. I messed with the nurses because I could slow my breathing and pulse on demand, so the monitor was giving them weird info. They did laugh – politely – when I fessed up. I was put under but there was a problem during the procedure. The camera probe got stuck when the doctor tried to push it around a sharp bend and it jabbed me enough to wake me. I immediately started cussing a blue streak; but when I looked up at the TV monitor and saw the inside of my colon, I got a big smile on my face and said, “That’s so cool.” Then I promptly passed out again. I had a pain in my side where my colon was bruised for a couple of weeks.

    All my other scopes have been uneventful, thankfully. There is a long history of colon cancer in my family and any time a doctor wants to ram a camera up my ass, I’m all for it.

  12. @tlunden:

    The worst part is when the dentists try to make small talk with me while he’s got his hands and tools in my mouth.

    This reminds me of an old (female) gyno I used to have. She’d be down there pokin’ and proddin’, all the while talking about the weather or asking me really mundane questions. I am not easily made uncomfortable, but it was just odd.

    My new doctor is super nice but she tends to stick to business while between my legs, thankfully.

    Also, I was once told by a gyno that I had “lovely, soft breasts, that are so easy to check!” Not sure why, but that made my day. Helps that she wasn’t being creepy, just sincere.

    So yes, I have awesome breasts, even the doc agrees!

  13. I don’t mind scheduled checkups. That’s okay. Though I was shocked when the nurse at the VA handed me small bio-hazard back that contained three popsicle sticks and three little cardboards and told me that I needed to provide some stool samples. Shit. I hate going to the doctor if I’m sick. I always think I’m going to end up spending hundreds of dollars and then be told that I will get better in a few days. Or I’m going to spend hundreds of dollars and be told that I have cancer. Neither is something I want to hear.

  14. @Amanda: Oh my gosh, I LOVE the eye doctor. Like LOVE. I’m bummed I have to put off my eye exam this year, actually. The eye doctor is my favorite doctor-type place to go.

    Except when they try to test your eye pressure. That always makes me nervous. I just want to scream, “Look, I smoke the ganja, I am never going to get glaucoma, promise!” lol

  15. @marilove: Yes! I had a gyno tell me I had a lovely uterus once. My first reaction was to laugh, then I was flattered in a very strange way, and then I decided to just feel strange about it.

  16. As a low birth-weight baby (4 lbs at term), I didn’t get my first tooth until I was 18 months old. The pediatrician almost thought I hadn’t developed tooth buds, and sometimes, I think a lifetime of dentures would have been easier.

    Many of my adult teeth erupted in front of or behind baby teeth. My orthodonture was long and complicated and painful because some teeth erupted near the top of my gumline and had to be physically pulled down and moved into the proper place.

    My teeth are unusually brittle – they chip easily. Including the “chip” that took away 2/3 of one of my front teeth. That has been veneered, crowned, and been given a root canal over the years, and means I can’t bite into anything even moderately stiff (corn on the cob, apples/pears, caramels, etc.)

    My favorite was when X-rays detected a crevice on my back molar (where my partially erupted wisdom tooth had been lying for years). So I had to go to the oral surgeon, and have the skin removed and the bone scar rasped down…on Novocaine. And I had to go back to work.

    So normal dental appointments? No freakin’ sweat.

  17. @Amanda: Glaucoma tests are the worst. Don’t care if it’s a stick or a puff of air, nothing comes near my eyeball. I actually like my optometrist and she told me @ my last visit that my eyes are now bad enough that I need to watch out for signs of retinal detachment. Thanks, Doc!

  18. No problem going to the doctor or dentist. I’d rather have had substantially fewer doctor visits the past two years but c’est la vie. My wife on the other hand seems to be your dental twin Chelsea. She had some nasty experiences with an old British Navy dentist who was a friend of her fathers when she was a child. The barbarian did not use anesthesia when he drilled apparently. I try to be as sympathetic and understanding as I can and she has a really good dentist who also understands.

  19. @Chelsea: I had a gyno tell me I had a lovely uterus once.

    I have no idea what kind of garment would be appropriate to wear with the “Doctor Approved” logo on it for that one.

  20. @Ashley.Ele: The new generation of glaucoma tests happens without you even noticing. They put a small amount of analgesia in the dilation drops and it’s a round clear probe that gently touches your eye and you never even know its happened.

  21. @Chelsea: I’ve had several gynecologists compliment me on my ovaries. Frankly, that frightens me.

    Actually, for all my “I hate doctors”, I really don’t mind the gynecologist visits, probably because I’ve never had a bad experience at one.

  22. @Ashley.Ele: @James Fox: It’s true. I was found “suspicious” for glaucoma when I went to get glasses earlier this year. He sent me to an ophthalmologist, where I was given acid-pupils (crazily dilated like how LSD effects the pupils, not acid on my eyeballs) and sent on my way. No pain except when I walked outside before putting my giant sunglasses on.

  23. @James Fox: No, I know it’s happening, because you can see that round, clear probe coming, and you KNOW it’s coming, even if you also know it’s harmless. Still freaks me out.

    Also, anyone else’s eyes watering? Because whenever anyone mentions the glaucoma tests, or dilation drops, my eyes start watering. lol

  24. As a kid (back in the stone age), I had some bad experiences with the dentist. I had to have a lot of work done to correct bite misalignment. There was quite a bit of pain and discomfort involved.

    As a result, I avoided the dentist when I got older. Eventually, my girlfriend at the time pushed me into going again. There were about 15 years between appointments. Things had changed quite a bit during my absence. Much better experience.

    These days, I go for regular checkups (doctor, dentist, optometrist) and it’s more of a minor inconvenience than a cause for anxiety. It’s just one more thing that needs to be done periodically, like gutter cleanings and oil changes.

  25. I’ve had brutal dentists in the past, but my current one is brilliant and still in-network so I can afford to see him for now. I took terrible care of my teeth until after college (and only marginally better then) so I’ve got cavities in every single tooth. Yes, multiple in most teeth. Several crowns, a couple of root canals (lost track of how many).

    The other day my wife, who has had two cavities in her entire life and was devastated by those two, complained to me about a pain and she thought she’d cracked a tooth. She described it and I said “oh, that’s a cavity.” It’s not good that I can diagnose that.

  26. @marilove: Yeah, my eyes water at the thought of those tests too.

    My Mom got some seriously cool surgery done for her cataracts, and I can’t even discuss it without my eyes getting sympathy pain.

  27. @James Fox: A friend of mine a few years ago needed some serious eye work because of his diabetes. They literally CUT HIS EYE OPEN. I went D: D: and my eyes immediately started to water when he described it to me, and whenever I looked at his clearly irritated eyes. So weird.

  28. I put off going to the dentist for over a decade until one of my molars chipped without me feeling it. Turns out all the fillings I had from the 80’s had started to leak. Joy, over the past few years I’ve had to get my molars fixed with crowns or onlays. I got one in the process now, and another coming up in a couple months. I learned my lesson. Fortunately the dentist I go to now, referred by a friend, is great. Nice office, very friendly staff, hottie dental assistant. He also showed me x-rays and pictures of my teeth and it made it pretty obvious where the problems are and he said it’d be ok to spread the work out over a few years to maximize my insurance.

    For the regular doc, I found one last year I really like, so I’ll stick to my annual check-ups now. For the past 10 years or so I’ve been better about going when I’m sick, especially if there’s a fever. I don’t like missing too much work if I don’t have to. I went to an allergist for a few years and got shots a few times a week, so that got me used to seeing the doctor a lot and not getting anxious about it.

    My eye doctor I found 5 years ago or so and lucked out. He’s very friendly, and he’s got a device that takes a picture of the back of your eye, you can even see the optic nerve, and he compares year to year. Pretty cool, and better than getting dilated. Costs extra, but I feel good seeing those photos and seeing no changes.

    My advice for others who don’t like doctors, ask around and get referrals. Find someone that’s friendly, who asks you lots of questions, and who you feel comfortable asking questions. Also old-school male doctors tend to suck. Finder younger men or women.

  29. @KeithLM:

    My eye doctor I found 5 years ago or so and lucked out. He’s very friendly, and he’s got a device that takes a picture of the back of your eye, you can even see the optic nerve, and he compares year to year. Pretty cool, and better than getting dilated. Costs extra, but I feel good seeing those photos and seeing no changes.

    I did this last time. It was awesome. I wouldn’t do it every year because my eyes aren’t bad enough, but it sure is fun!

  30. My 12 year old daughter and I were scheduled for a tooth cleaning one day; she went first. I then sat in the chair, and she wanted to watch. The hygienist got a stool to sit her on and proceeded to clean while daughter observed. At polishing time, hygienist pushed the control pedal to daughter, and told her how to control the tool speed. Polishing went perfectly, and the sense of accomplishment (and control over dad) was palpable when we were all through. We’ve a great woman dentist with all female staff. Daughter is now a medical doctor . I wish every one’s experience was as good as ours.

  31. I don’t mind going to either the doctor or the dentist, but I marginally prefer the doctor, though that’s only because I don’t have to pay to see the doctor.

    The only thing that annoys me about my current dentist is that she can seemingly tell if I’ve had anything bad for my teeth at any point in the previous week.

    For a while I lived next door to a dentist. Nothing stops you sleeping in like the sound of a dentists drill.

  32. I have to admit I don’t enjoy dental visits, mainly because I dread Novocain shots. I get chills just thinking about them. But don’t tell my dad (he was my dentist for over 30 years). Growing up, my sister and I were subjected to nightly (yes 365 days a year) checks of our teeth after brushing. I hated it, but I have my father to thank for excellent dental hygiene. I’ve had a handful of cavities and wisdom teeth extracted, plus a nice set of braces for 5 years in my teens, but only one major issue.

    About 5 years ago my dad retired at 78, so I had to find a new dentist (he probably could have gone longer but the insurance companies were making him jump thru too many hoops as an independent). All of his colleagues were retired or getting close so I just stopped going to the dentist. Bad idea! I went about two years without a regular checkup until I began experiencing sharp pains in my lower left molar. So I get up the gumption to see a new dentist close to where I live and he says, time for a root canal. Needless to say, when I told my dad he was pretty upset. It took 5 visits and a lot of Novocain shots (Argh). It’s not so much painful as really uncomfortable. Since then, tho, I visit the new guy regularly and keep a watchful eye on my teeth.

    The funny thing is, this new dentist knows my father indirectly cause his uncle went to school with him. As soon as he saw my last name I think he got a little nervous, because he chuckled and said, “I hope I do a good job, or I’m gonna get a call from your dad, huh?” And he did.

    My dad’s name is Arthur Lemming. Lemming of the BDA.

  33. After having missed my veins three times trying to draw blood, the multiple vaccinations I have received, the terrible pain I felt when drawing blood from my finger tip with a device, and the suffering which the teeth braces have caused me, my fear of going to the doctor is paramount. The times I end up trembling badly from fear is pretty pathetic.

  34. All my life I had dentists I hated. I have a really bad gag reflex, so those bite-wing x-rays are nightmarish for me. It also makes it hard for me to take pills. When I was young, my dentist was trying to get me to take some pill to numb my mouth so I could get the x-ray done. (!!!) Oh…did I mention I really hate numbness, too?

    Then I go away to college. Going away to college meant needing a new dentist. I was having trouble with TMJ due to grinding my teeth at night. Mr. New Dentist told me I should just decide before going to sleep that I would not grind my teeth, and proceeded to argue with me about what I do and do not have control over while sleeping. THEN, he gave me a lecture on my tongue piercing and how it was going to get infected and rot my tongue off. (what this had to do with anything I was there for is a mystery to me). I told him it was healed, like an ear piercing, and he pulled the I’m-the-expert-here card. I refused to pay for that useless visit.

    Next dentist made me buy special mouthwash for $25 and use it until it was all gone before he would even do anything at all. When he did get around to cleaning my teeth, he used some fancy no contact spray thingy rather than the usual polisher. It sprayed so hard that it felt like little needles everywhere the spray hit my gums and tongue. I said something and he said only little children have this problem. Prick.

    I now have a very low tech dentist and and very sweet hygienist. Everyone is patient, understanding, logical, helpful, and willing to explain and discuss treatments. It took me a long time and alot of crap to find them. I’ll never go anywhere else.

    But I still hate going to the dentist.

  35. Never really liked visiting the dentist, as I dreaded the sensation of fighting my gag reflex as they inspect my teeth. The cardboard thing that holds the X-ray film is the worst.
    Haven’t made too many trips to doctors to give an opinion there.
    I do note that I’m less apprehensive if it’s an attractive member of the oppisite gender attending to me.
    Perhaps that ought to inspire a study….

  36. I’m like steve above. I don’t care. I have very good teeth (first cavity at 42 and that was a surface one) and generally good health. Though with age, the deterioration is becoming noticable and a bit distressing.

    I look at it like maintenance on my car – It needs to be done to keep my body working well and to find trouble before it gets too bad. I also happen to have a high pain tolerance, so that may factor into it. The sound of a dental drill does nothing to me. No idea why it drives others nuts – association with pain, maybe?

    The one time about 16 months ago when I had an undiagnosed dental abscess, I couldn’t WAIT to get to the dentist! Now THAT was PAIN! :-(

  37. I love the dentist. I like the cleaning (esp. “deep” cleaning), I like getting my teeth drilled. I do not use Novocaine.

    I do not remember when this started. I only know one other person who likes getting their teeth drilled – and we are the same ethnic background – which probably means nothing.

    When my friend needed a root canal I was jealous. In all other aspects I think I’m pretty mainstream – but, gosh darn it – I’m hoping I need my gums scrapped – and soon.

  38. @QuestionAuthority:

    The one time about 16 months ago when I had an undiagnosed dental abscess, I couldn’t WAIT to get to the dentist! Now THAT was PAIN!

    Yep! I had an abscess in my wisdom tooth that really needed to be pulled. It was HORRIBLE! My entire face was hugely swollen and I couldn’t even open my mouth. I have a high tolerance for pain and I was in tears.

    Apparently, however, it’s not as bad as my boyfriend, who recently broke a tooth…and exposed the nerves. He’s a really, really big guy and has a high tolerance for pain himself, but almost fainted. Twice. D:

  39. @marilove: Just reading that turned my stomach. That poor guy…

    I was misdiagnosed by a “doc in a box” too. (We were out of town.) He said I had some rare facial nerve disorder causing extreme pain. But refused me any medication, even pain drugs. I called my dentist and she diagnosed me over the phone…I had what I needed to survive until I could get home and to her office in an hour.

    Very grateful for scientific medical care, even if some of the practitioners are idiots…

  40. I used to have an old military guy for a dentist – he was good, but impatient with his patients’ pain. After years of dreading the drill, I had an epiphany about the occasional pain – basically, it’s just pain* and it doesn’t last forever.

    This new attitude coincided with having my first child. I mean, that pain didn’t kill me, so why should I worry about a little dentist’s drill?

    *This does not apply to an abscessed tooth -that really hurts!

  41. I’m glad to see other people are scared of dentists, too. I’m fine with everyone EXCEPT dentists. I’d rather be the guy on BULLSHIT who got an herbal enema from some ugly woman in her home than go to the dentist.

    I got my first fillings at six, braces at 12 and a hit nerve when I was 17. I reacted to the hit by knocking the doctor’s hand out of my mouth. He reacted by yelling at me, having me held down and finishing putting in the novacaine. The next goof who took me on with attitude was an intern who jiggled my lip – very effective. But, he was a University of Chicago intern, which meant he thought somehow I wouldn’t understand his insulting jokes about me in Latin. After getting my fillings and wisdom teeth taken care of, I wrote a letter to his supervisors.

    I had several fillings put in without novacaine. Mind you, this was in Japan and their method of knocking hand made silver fillings into my head with a big rubber mallet was STILL preferable to getting a shot.

    I go to a dentist who looks like Mike Holmgren, who used to coach my favorite football team. Silly, I know, but it’s better than looking at some person who looks like Mike Shanahan (glass eye) or Mike Ditka (omg scary!) He’s gentle and does a great job. I’m still scared, but I go anyway… sometimes.

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