I’ve just been to the dentist.
On the way home, I began to relax and I could feel the blood flowing back into my fingers - it had all left my extremities to help out at the panic centre - and my heart rate slowly returning to normal. Breathing, too. Whew.
I know this will strike a chord with many of you. There are so many people who fear going to the dentist that it’s actually quite unusual to find someone who doesn’t. Strangely, OH is one of those rare souls. I say strangely, because he doesn’t really have very good teeth and he’s had far more work done in his time than I have. He was actually written up in a dentists’ journal when he was eleven. I kid you not.
Anyway. It all started when I went for a six-monthly check-up about ten days ago, and Paul, my dentist, poked at all my teeth and gums with his little metal proddy tools and did the usual dentist thing where they ask you questions while your mouth is full of metal and fingers, and you haven’t a hope of answering, except to say ‘AAaugh!’ or ‘Wwroaall!’ I think they derive a lot of amusement from that, by the way.
And he felt all along my tongue and around the sides of my mouth and under my lips, and poked all the glands under my jaw and down my neck because he is a very good dentist, and he was the one who picked up on my oral cancer five years ago and referred me to a surgeon, when all my doctor would say was ‘that’s very interesting, let’s see if it clears up, shall we?’ and now he’s responsible for keeping an eye on me and making sure that there’s no problem in that department.
So I was relieved when he told me that all looked just dandy.
‘Excellent! I said. ‘So, back in six months?’
‘Ah .. I think we’d just better do something about that broken tooth, first’ he said.
‘Wha … ?’ I cried.  And then: ‘A-ha-ha-ha! You’re kidding me, right?’
He’s a funny guy, is Paul.
But …
‘Nope. I’m surprised you can’t feel it,’ he said sternly. ‘It’s quite sharp.’
And that’s the thing, you see. Since having that little tumour taken off the underside of my tongue, it doesn’t have the same sensitivity along that side as it did. In fact, mostly it feels kinda numb - as if the last shot of local anaesthetic is still wearing off. So no, I didn’t feel it, although there had been a kind of overall soreness, come to think of it.
Tonight I had to present myself at the evening clinic to get it fixed. And I was terrified.
I was so terrified that when I climbed into the chair and he asked me cheerfully how I was doing, I started to cry. Me. A grown woman. But he was very sweet and he handed me a tissue, as OH (who always accompanies me) explained to him how terrified I was, just in case he hadn’t noticed.
After a short pep talk, along the lines of ‘it won’t take a moment’ and ‘you’ll be fine’, and after we’d discussed a shot of local and I’d refused it, I shut my eyes and opened my mouth, and he began.
Yes, yes. I know. I can hear you all falling off your chairs in amazement, but it’s true. He offered the magic stuff, and I said no.
You see, one of the absolute worst things about going to the dentist - and a very close second to actual pain - is the feeling of that needle sliding up into what feels like the base of my brain, and the subsequent feeling of it having left a brick up there, closely followed by three hours of my face and jaw feeling absolutely fucking awful. The only thing worse than that is the sensation of it gradually coming back to life, when I tend to find out exactly which bits of my mouth I’ve chewed holes in whilst it was numb.
So when Paul tells me that it’s unlikely I’ll feel a thing because the filling isn’t going to be that deep, I tell him to go ahead without the local because I trust him, and because he promises faithfully to stop if I feel the slightest twinge and he’ll fill me up with anaesthetic anyway. And so far, that’s never had to happen. The whole process makes me very nervous, but damn! I feel good when I come out and it’s all done.
My advice to all of you, good readers, is this. If you have a good dentist that you trust wholeheartedly, give it a try.
Let’s face it. If I can do it - a woman who walks in with fingers like ice, and promptly bursts into tears - then I’m betting you can, too.
But I still say it would be charitable if all dentists everywhere would install a DVD unit with a screen on the ceiling and show Johnny Depp movies while the work was being done.
LOL. You did good Jay. Loved it. Let’s see how many Depp references you can get out of L next week.
um. this was for the K wednesday piece. LOL sorry
good dentist you have.
That’s very interesting Jay, as I too had a visit to the dentist a couple of weeks ago. While he prodded and poked, lifted and pushed aside the bits and pieces inside my mouth, looking for growths, I wondered if dentists ever do find any! You have now answered my question. I hope it wasn’t to traumatic at the time, and is well and truly a thing of the past. The other thing that I thought might interest you is that I had the usual injection, (I’m not as brave as you by any means) but it wasn’t the usual injection this time. It was something new that only deadened the actual site of the tooth. My face, tongue and mouth were not in the least dead, asleep, or even dozing. I didn’t have to drink my tea through a straw, and I didn’t dribble all down my front like the senile person I am! It was wonderful. Not only that, but I didn’t feel the needle because he rubbed the gum with something that numbed it up before the needle.
granny grimbles last blog post..ON GETTING ENGAGED contd…
Wow, care to send your dentist over to our side of the pond? I’ve been putting off my yearly cleaning for…oh, about 3 years now…
Oh my! I think you are about the same as me! I’m actually quite brave because I will go back after a really traumatic experience. The dentist was surprised to see me return for the next appointment after a 6 hour appointment once. Yes, I said 6 hours! I arrived at 10am and left at 4pm because he messed up a wisdom tooth! Then he had the cheek to tell me off for not eating properly, whilst I was almost passing out!
Needless to say he sent (or rather took) me home with an appointment for the hospital to remove it! I lost half a stone while waiting for that appointment, and they whipped it out in a second!
I’m with you on dental treatment ;O)
BTW, I only found out you read my blog because you gave me an award :O)
Babs - beetles last blog post..A double boost award!
Oh, I’m a total chicken about dental work. The novocaine always wears off me mid-drill (sometimes more than once), so now the dentist gives me shots and happy gas. I don’t dread it nearly as much now.
Ruth Hull Chatliens last blog post..Two Lame Puppies
Interesting this, my ex=wife is a dentist, she trained at the Eastman in London, and she used me as her test patient. Luckily she was very good, and I had all my dental done free as her test case. She did make one mistake whilst injecting me, thats was she got the wrong nerve, and the whole of the left side of my face and neck was numbed !!!!!
Luckily, I am never scared of the dentist, just never am
moons last blog post..A Genuine Wedding Reading - It should be Law !!!
Jeni - Yes, I do have a good dentist. He’s lovely.
Sadly, I can’t actually move comments. I can edit them and delete them, but not actually move them to another post. So, if you want to, you can go add that to the right post, but I don’t mind it being here if you don’t!
Thanks - and … you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t ya?
Granny Grimble - It was rather traumatic, but so far so good. I’m kind of nervous about it coming back, though, so I never miss a dentist’s appointment. And the alternative would have been worse.
Incidentally, he told me that one of his partners picked up another case of oral cancer recently that a doctor had been treating with antifungal mouthwash for over a year!! Good grief.
So, be thankful that your dentist is thorough. He could save your life. Mine did.
The new injection sounds wonderful! I wonder, was that a back tooth? It’s always the back teeth that get me that ‘into the base of the brain’ injection!
Angi - Come on over! It’s the only way you’ll get to see Paul. I’m not letting you have him over there! LOL!
Babs - Your experience sounds quite horriffic! You poor soul! See, that’s why I’m prepared to stick with this dentist no matter how far away I move. If we go to the US, we’ll still come back for the dentist! LOL!
Really? You only found out I read your blog cos I gave you an award? Wow!
Ruth - Dentists over here won’t give gas in their surgeries anymore. There were too many deaths… now they won’t do so unless there’s a qualified anaesthetist at hand, which basically means you have to go to hospital. They’ll do the heavy-duty Valium though.
Moon - Your ex-wife is a dentist? And you let her practice on you?? I bow to you. You are a Superbeing!!
Lucky you, not being scared. I envy you. I bow and envy!
I have never really been afraid of dentists, but I definitely have to be comfortable with whomever I’m seeing. The one I go to now is a good guy, has a sense of humor and is very attentive to every thing going on in my mouth. Last visit he found a lesion under my tongue. At the time I was having a bad reaction to medication. He said that the lesion was consistent with that but to watch it. The thing is, it was a flat lesion and I couldn’t really see it. I have another visit with him on Tuesday, and I hope …hope hope hope… that it’s gone.
Funny, I hadn’t given it a thought until I read your post!
Peace - D
RiverPoets last blog post..The State I’m In
Now you just have to read this post again:
http://beetle-blog.com/07/17/this-made-my-day/
Babs - beetles last blog post..A double boost award!
Awww I feel for your terror but there is NO WAY I’d get anything done without a local. Being 51 all my old Amalgum fillings fall out at the touch of a Vita Wheat so I’m constantly having them replaced with their far more ’sightly’ porcelain friends. I recently had root canal work and even though the nerve was dead and I was assured it would be painless, I wasn’t taking chances. I just hate it when they say ‘rinse’ and you dribble all over your work clothes! I have a sweetie of a dentist “Painless Pete Palesey” but I’m soooo with you re the ceiling screen . .how cool would that be?
Bainos last blog post..Friday Fuckwit
Oh well done you!!! Give me anaesthetic every time!!!
Kates last blog post..Communication Problem Here!
River Poet - Well, it’s good that he picked up on it and is keeping an eye on it for you. Don’t freak out. Lots of lesions happen in mouths because of medication or because of trauma picked up in the normal course of eating, or simply because of bugs - like viruses or fungal infections. Mouths are quite vulnerable really.
Your lesion will probably heal and be no problem. But if it doesn’t, well, you’ll get it treated, and because your dentist is watching, it’ll be treated quickly - and it’s amazing how many people have small cancers dealt with quietly and efficiently and they never amount to anything much.
Babs - Aww… Well, I’m glad that I helped that day, but you didn’t get that award out of pity, you know. You got it because I really felt you deserved it. And I still love your blog.
Baino - I’m older than you! I’ve had several of my old amalgam fillings replaced already, now it’s my teeth that are breaking. I’m SO not looking forward to having one capped or out … but I guess I’m going to have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
Bring on the ceiling screens! One of my US friends told me yesterday they do exist over there, and they’re called Dental Bliss or something. So why isn’t EVERY dentist all over the world using them? That’s what I want to know!!
Kate - Don’t get me wrong, if there’s likely to be pain, I’m going with the needle! LOL!
Yes it was a back tooth, the little devil at the end of my top set. It was also a very deep filling that he did, so the whole thing was very successful, thanks to ‘Super-needle’
granny grimbles last blog post..ON GETTING ENGAGED contd…
As long as they don’t show Little Shop of Horrors…
Hm. I wonder if Sweeney Todd ever first considered a career in dentistry… that might have been a cut scene, though. 
Glad you survived, Jay.
Jenns last blog post..Maybe It’s a New Game Show?
I can’t believe that after all these comments, no one has picked up on the obvious relationship between a place of pain and watching a Johnny Depp movie !! You laid it out on a plate.
Or maybe it was just a cunning trap (like on QI) and if so, I’m not hearing the noise over here in sunny Florida.
(sticking tongue out to Jay)
Silverbacks last blog post..A Quickie From Florida
Jenn - Haha! That wouldn’t be so funny. Or ‘The Man with One Red Shoe’!
Sweeney performing dentistry? Well, you know, in earlier times, our barbers did perform dentistry and minor surgery. That was the reason behind the red and white striped pole, you know. Blood and bandages.
Silverback - Clearly, being male, you have completely misunderstood. The relationship between a place of pain and Johnny Depp is simple: Johnny makes everything better. Even that. He’s an excellent distraction.
See?
All the women got it.
What amazes me most in the whole story is that the dentist was called Paul. I have never had a dentist who had a first name: in fact I’ve only ever had two: Mr Wilkinson, who was great, and my current dentist, Mrs Floss (that’s not her real name) who is about twelve and spends most of her time tutting at me about all my fillings.
Daphnes last blog post..Lost Children
wow. you did good. I have to be sedated to go to the dentist.
meleah rebeccahs last blog post..Madonna - Hard Candy - In Concert!
I’d give anythign to have a good dentist haven’t had for years.. sk
sandys last blog post..Wake me when it’s Monday !!!!
Daphne - He’s the first dentist I’ve ever had with a first name, too! But he really is a jolly nice chap, and is on first name terms with everyone.
‘Mrs Floss is about twelve’! LOL!
Meleah - I just take OH. If he wasn’t available I might indeed have to be sedated!
Sandy - It’s getting harder and harder to find a good one, isn’t it? I feel for you. You can share Paul if you like, but you’re probably too far away!
I am terrified of dentists too. My last one went private and it took ages for us to get on a new list. Now we see a young foreign girl who is very keen. ‘It doens’t have to be done but I could drill/repair/drill/improve/drill this tooth or that one or maybe this one.’
I always say ‘no, it’s all right. But thank you for suggesting it.’
Lizs last blog post..Canadian food
Liz - That happened to us, too. Paul went private, and we went off to find a new dentist … who proceeded to ruin one of my back teeth (the one I’ve just had repaired again) and was actually swearing and sweating while he worked on me.
So we bit the bullet and went back to Paul and said ‘we’ll pay!! PLEASE take us back!!’ and he did.
Your dentist does sound keen! Goodness! ‘Thank you for suggesting it’ LOL!!
Thanks for dropping in.
I never used to mind the dentist. But in the past few years, I have been getting worse and worse nerves sitting in that chair. (Maybe that’s in direct proportion to the severity of these aging teeth). I have a broken tooth I finally have an appointment to have repaired in a few weeks. Luckily, our dentist uses headphones in his office. (although now I take my iPod). And novacaine? I sometimes get frozen up to my eye socket… geesh.
Glad to hear you are doing okay! You are braver than I for refusing anesthetic.
Maureens last blog post..I’m Pessimistically Optimistic
Maureen - Not sure if it’s bravery, exactly, more the lesser of two evils! But I was scared, so perhaps I was brave. LOL!
Good luck with your broken tooth! I know of so many people lately who’ve broken teeth, all around my own age. I’m sure it’s a combination of ageing teeth, plus the advice to eat healthy foods. I’ve been eating seed mix, and I’m sure it was those darned unhulled hemp seeds that did it for me!
Dentists should have shares in them.