I went to the dentist today.
I have had some really scary, back-alley type experiences with dentists in the past (which I really don't care to discuss), so I hadn't been to get a check-up in about 2 years.
I picked a guy who specializes in patients with phobic level fear. I was so scared, you guys.
I went in, and a gal (who was super sweet) cleaned my teeth. I guess they don't have to do old fashioned x-rays anymore. They are digital and popped up on the screen in from of us. Also, to clean, they don't have to scrape. They now have this thing that blows chalk mixed with air at your teeth to clean them. It's just like them drying them off.
The best part, though, was the cavity check. You all know how the dentist moves around with a metal hook in your mouth, poking at stuff till you jerk away in pain?
NO MORE!!! HA!
They use a laser that just shines light through them and makes a sound. The higher pitch the sound, the bigger the hole. Lalalala! No poking!
After that, I got to meet the actual dentist. HE WAS SO NICE! He said that he would only do what I wanted, as slow as I wanted it. He would stop if I asked for any reason. Even if it was to just breathe for a sec. Because I had a couple of cavities, he asked me if I wanted to get one or two done today, as he had time.
Now, normally I would have told him to fuck off. I don't do drills and novocaine never works on me. Well, guess what.
No drills.
No shots.
They use the same "chalk shooter" and another thing that uses a laser to remove all the bad stuff. The first tooth didn't hurt at ALL! It was a full-blown cavity!
The next tooth was a sealant gone bad. My doc said that sealants suck and he doesnt do them cause they tend to fail, the plaque gets under it and ooohhhh boy! Cavity! Yay!
So, he started on the second tooth with the chalk machine. After a minute or so the spot started to send little bursts of pain. Little, but uncomfy just the same. I jumped once and he asked if I was okay. I jumped twice and he said, "Nope. Too much pain. You have a sensitive tooth here and I don't want the pain at all."
He then got out the laser thing. Occasionally I still got a shoot of pain from it, but it was NOTHING like a regular filling. After he broke through the sealant, though, he realized that it had been hiding a HUGE cavity.
He kept going, and even though it was uncomfy, I didn't need a shot. After the 3rd or 4th time I jumped, though, I started to cry...mostly from nerves, but from the pain too. I know it wasn't that bad, but when you are as scared of the dentist as I am, plus the fact that I freak out with things in my mouth that I can't control, you really can't help it.
He got about 90% of the way done. His assistant held my hand the whole time and wiped my tears off my face with a nice warm towel. When he had about 1 minute left to go (fillings this was take hardly any time. He can do six in an hour!), the assistant told him to stop.
She said that she wasn't going to put me though any more. He agreed and they sealed it up. He said that even though he doesn't like to do that if he can avoid it, so long as the inside is sterile (the laser does that), he can fill it and the enamel with harden up again.
So, I have like two more to go, but he said that the worst one was the 2nd one he did today. The worst part, though, is that one of my wisdom teeth is coming in really bad. I have to have it taken out right away.
I got kinda scared.
He talked to me about this thing they do called "sedation dentistry" for people like me. Basically about an hour before you come in for your appointment, you take a pill. It kicks your ass. Like "not allowed to walk without assistance" kinda stuff. Then, when I get there, the sit me in a comfy couch like seat and give me another pill.
Nighty night.
I will be a wee bit awake, but I won't remember much after the fact. I am allowed to come in jammies and brink a blanket if I want. He will have to give me a shot, but it's not a normal one. It's a needle attached to a machine. The needle is really small. Once it comes it contact with my skin, it starts sending out novocaine. It also sends it out at a metered pace in response to how well my body is absorbing the liquid. That means that there isn't any of that hard core pressure you usually get. Also, the meds stay just ahead of the needle, so I shouldn't even feel it sliding in.
They can do all the other fillings and the tooth, inside his office, all while I space in and out.
This is good news for me. I have a fear of needles that anyone who knows me can attest to. I was born with clubfoot on my left foot. So I have always had problems. So every couple of years, YAY! Operation.
Operation + Ro = fucking scared of needles.
I am scared of everything. I hate it.
Anyways, I digress.
So to summarize:
Sleepy pill
Comfy couch
Another sleepy pill
Only moderately scary shot
Work
Work
Work
Wake up
They carry me to a room and pretty much force me to eat. I can bring anything I want, or they will provide me with pretty much whatever I ask for.
Then I go home.
Under constant supervision.
If I bathe, I have to be watched.
Pretty much, anything I read/see/say/hear for 24 hours (including the dental stuff itself) will not be remembered.
If I pee, someone has to wait outside the door.
I can NOT drive or be alone at any time for 24 hours.
I won't be hungry, but I will be forced to eat.
I may get belligerent.
Poor Mr. Sadface
♥
xoxo
~Ro
ps* I also get to have my annual tomorrow.
Fun week all around.
I have had some really scary, back-alley type experiences with dentists in the past (which I really don't care to discuss), so I hadn't been to get a check-up in about 2 years.
I picked a guy who specializes in patients with phobic level fear. I was so scared, you guys.
I went in, and a gal (who was super sweet) cleaned my teeth. I guess they don't have to do old fashioned x-rays anymore. They are digital and popped up on the screen in from of us. Also, to clean, they don't have to scrape. They now have this thing that blows chalk mixed with air at your teeth to clean them. It's just like them drying them off.
The best part, though, was the cavity check. You all know how the dentist moves around with a metal hook in your mouth, poking at stuff till you jerk away in pain?
NO MORE!!! HA!
They use a laser that just shines light through them and makes a sound. The higher pitch the sound, the bigger the hole. Lalalala! No poking!
After that, I got to meet the actual dentist. HE WAS SO NICE! He said that he would only do what I wanted, as slow as I wanted it. He would stop if I asked for any reason. Even if it was to just breathe for a sec. Because I had a couple of cavities, he asked me if I wanted to get one or two done today, as he had time.
Now, normally I would have told him to fuck off. I don't do drills and novocaine never works on me. Well, guess what.
No drills.
No shots.
They use the same "chalk shooter" and another thing that uses a laser to remove all the bad stuff. The first tooth didn't hurt at ALL! It was a full-blown cavity!
The next tooth was a sealant gone bad. My doc said that sealants suck and he doesnt do them cause they tend to fail, the plaque gets under it and ooohhhh boy! Cavity! Yay!
So, he started on the second tooth with the chalk machine. After a minute or so the spot started to send little bursts of pain. Little, but uncomfy just the same. I jumped once and he asked if I was okay. I jumped twice and he said, "Nope. Too much pain. You have a sensitive tooth here and I don't want the pain at all."
He then got out the laser thing. Occasionally I still got a shoot of pain from it, but it was NOTHING like a regular filling. After he broke through the sealant, though, he realized that it had been hiding a HUGE cavity.
He kept going, and even though it was uncomfy, I didn't need a shot. After the 3rd or 4th time I jumped, though, I started to cry...mostly from nerves, but from the pain too. I know it wasn't that bad, but when you are as scared of the dentist as I am, plus the fact that I freak out with things in my mouth that I can't control, you really can't help it.
He got about 90% of the way done. His assistant held my hand the whole time and wiped my tears off my face with a nice warm towel. When he had about 1 minute left to go (fillings this was take hardly any time. He can do six in an hour!), the assistant told him to stop.
She said that she wasn't going to put me though any more. He agreed and they sealed it up. He said that even though he doesn't like to do that if he can avoid it, so long as the inside is sterile (the laser does that), he can fill it and the enamel with harden up again.
So, I have like two more to go, but he said that the worst one was the 2nd one he did today. The worst part, though, is that one of my wisdom teeth is coming in really bad. I have to have it taken out right away.
I got kinda scared.
He talked to me about this thing they do called "sedation dentistry" for people like me. Basically about an hour before you come in for your appointment, you take a pill. It kicks your ass. Like "not allowed to walk without assistance" kinda stuff. Then, when I get there, the sit me in a comfy couch like seat and give me another pill.
Nighty night.
I will be a wee bit awake, but I won't remember much after the fact. I am allowed to come in jammies and brink a blanket if I want. He will have to give me a shot, but it's not a normal one. It's a needle attached to a machine. The needle is really small. Once it comes it contact with my skin, it starts sending out novocaine. It also sends it out at a metered pace in response to how well my body is absorbing the liquid. That means that there isn't any of that hard core pressure you usually get. Also, the meds stay just ahead of the needle, so I shouldn't even feel it sliding in.
They can do all the other fillings and the tooth, inside his office, all while I space in and out.
This is good news for me. I have a fear of needles that anyone who knows me can attest to. I was born with clubfoot on my left foot. So I have always had problems. So every couple of years, YAY! Operation.
Operation + Ro = fucking scared of needles.
I am scared of everything. I hate it.
Anyways, I digress.
So to summarize:
Sleepy pill
Comfy couch
Another sleepy pill
Only moderately scary shot
Work
Work
Work
Wake up
They carry me to a room and pretty much force me to eat. I can bring anything I want, or they will provide me with pretty much whatever I ask for.
Then I go home.
Under constant supervision.
If I bathe, I have to be watched.
Pretty much, anything I read/see/say/hear for 24 hours (including the dental stuff itself) will not be remembered.
If I pee, someone has to wait outside the door.
I can NOT drive or be alone at any time for 24 hours.
I won't be hungry, but I will be forced to eat.
I may get belligerent.
Poor Mr. Sadface
♥
xoxo
~Ro
ps* I also get to have my annual tomorrow.
Fun week all around.
VIEW 22 of 22 COMMENTS
i miss europe
i like being places that are old and have so much history in them
history meaning more than 100 years ago
blah