SCARED TO DEATH OF DENTISTS

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I have to be looped on anxiety meds before they can even get me in the car to take me to the dentist. And then I have to be anesthetized to have any work done. Even just routine cleaning.

My observations on dental care:

In my early 20's I had all my wisdom teeth taken out in one sitting. This is because Wisdom teeth normally become major problems and a person doesn't need them. They put me under with gas and I did feel anything. But pick a dentist with strong arm muscles. A strong arm is need here because these teeth are imbedded very strongly in your jaw. These dentist are sometimes a very specialized type of dentist called an oral surgeon.

I am 70 years old and have all my teeth except one that became infected and I had a major final test at college coming up and the pain was too distracting. So I had that one taken out.

In my early days I had a lot of cavities. I would fix one and then another one became bad. It was a continuous process of seeing the dentist every month. I became very frustrated with this approach so I asked my dentist for a long term solution. He recommended crowns. So most of the teeth in my mouth have crowns. They completely cover my teeth and they protect my teeth from going bad. (No more cavities.) They are expensive but over the long term I am 70 and my teeth are strong and good.

I visit the dentist twice per year for cleaning. This helps remove plaque that build up on the teeth, gum inflammation (Gingivitis) which could potentially cause decay at the root.

I use an electric tooth brush. One with a rotating head. It is a very efficient way of keeping my teeth clean.

Jimmy m, you are so right about the dentist needing strong arms to remove wisdom teeth. All four of mine came in during my twenties. I had lost some molars when I was young and so three of the wisdom teeth were okay and pushed forward to fill the gaps. But there was no room for the fourth one. I had it out in the mid-eighties. My dentist was a good man, but he was not gentle. He was practically kneeling on my chest trying to brace himself to yank that tooth out! He had to cut into the jaw bone finally. He was so pleased at getting it free, he held up the “prize” asking if I wanted to see it. Not hardly. My current dentist is so gentle, he has done work even on my front teeth without freezing.

Like you, I use an electric toothbrush. I got it at first because it was easy to hold. But it is much better at cleaning.

I'm from Louisiana & the ONLY dental thing their Medicaid covers for adults is a pair of dentures(people under 21 can get routine cleanings, checkups & xRays). I live in Vermont now & the state Medicaid covers alot of dental stuff but there's a yearly limit to how much they pay. So I believe sly when he says his Medicaid will only pay to have the teeth removed.

Colonoscopies scare me more.

The worst part of a colonoscopy is when you have to not eat for a day before it.

The procedure itself is benign. You are put under general anaesthesia.