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Dental appointment

bristolvr3

Hello everyone.

I have a routine dental appointment at my local dental practice in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on the afternoon of Thursday 9th January. I find dental appointments really scary and nerve-wracking at times because I always fear that the dentist might spot one tiny thing wrong with one of my teeth, which might require specialist cleaning or even a filling by the hygienist.

Fortunately, my dental record has been fine. As of January 2014, I am 32 years old, and have only had two fillings in that time, which isn't too bad. In recent years, my dental record has been fine. I have been brushing my teeth thoroughly, every morning and every evening. I have also been using the very best available toothbrush for brushing between teeth, although I use dental floss for the really tight gum areas that some toothbrushes cannot access.

I have found my dental practice rather uncomfortable. The main entrance isn't exactly wide, or even particularly wheelchair friendly. Although there are sufficient seats in the reception area, I find waiting ages for my dentist's availability agonising. I just want my appointment over and done with, so I can go home immediately. When he or she is available, I have to go up some really narrow stairs, which I find difficult to climb or descend due to my size 12 feet (I am 6 feet 5 inches tall as well), meaning I end up going up or down in a sideways movement. 

If my dentist says my teeth require attention, I groan in frustration. Even if nothing is wrong, I should be happy, but I still feel sad in a way. As I am on benefits, my dental appointment won't cost me anything. My mum has had her teeth cleaned out at the same dental practice today (Monday 6th January), and I believe that that cost her £50. Maybe that's just me recovering from a nervous, stressful experience, but there you go.

What are your experiences of dental appointments?

Parents

  • Hello, IntenseWorld.

    When my local hygienist did the first of my two fillings, it was a really scary and somewhat noisy job. The drill was small, but I struggled to cope with that noise. It was already noisy when switched on, but when it's used on the tooth in question, it was kind of like drilling into a concrete or brick wall in a way, it was that noisy. The second filling was not so bad as it was a small job. As I was a few years older at the time, I knew what was coming, and I seemed kind of comfortable with it. 

    One thing I have noticed with my dental appointments is that some of the dentists I met over the years came from foreign backgrounds. I don't know if that's the case with you, but I believe some of mine were originally from Turkey, Asia (possibly China or Hong Kong), or Greece/Cyprus. There's nothing wrong with that, but meeting them for the first time can be a nervous experience for me. I initially had difficulties understanding what they were saying (presumably due to their unfamiliar accents), but my mum supported me where she could.

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  • Hello, IntenseWorld.

    When my local hygienist did the first of my two fillings, it was a really scary and somewhat noisy job. The drill was small, but I struggled to cope with that noise. It was already noisy when switched on, but when it's used on the tooth in question, it was kind of like drilling into a concrete or brick wall in a way, it was that noisy. The second filling was not so bad as it was a small job. As I was a few years older at the time, I knew what was coming, and I seemed kind of comfortable with it. 

    One thing I have noticed with my dental appointments is that some of the dentists I met over the years came from foreign backgrounds. I don't know if that's the case with you, but I believe some of mine were originally from Turkey, Asia (possibly China or Hong Kong), or Greece/Cyprus. There's nothing wrong with that, but meeting them for the first time can be a nervous experience for me. I initially had difficulties understanding what they were saying (presumably due to their unfamiliar accents), but my mum supported me where she could.

Children
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