I'm at the point now where I seriously need to go see a dentist. It's obvious I have a few cavities, and they're finally starting to hurt frequently. For a while my excuse was that I didn't have insurance, and thus couldn't afford it. But now I have health insurance through my job, and the only thing stopping me is fear.

Usually I brush after every meal, but a few years ago when I was 21 and a total lush, I'd frequently passed out after eating a late fast food meal without brushing. This went on for about a year, which is where most of the damage was probably done.

I don't know what I'm afraid of exactly. The pain, the guilt trip my old dentist used to put me through or what. But it's pretty obvious I've gotta get my ass some treatment or I'm gonna be really sorry. For some reason, the paralyzing fear is stopping me.

Maybe I just need to gank 10 Xanax from my girlfriend and just go.

Dude, I'm totally with you there. The key is finding a dentist who is sympathetic to your fears...trust me, MANY are way too familiar with the anxiety people go through. Ask coworkers or friends to suggest a dentist to you, ask them if they're sensitive to those with dental anxieties and make an appointment straight away. Once at the appointment, inform the hygienist, the assistant, the dentist...anyone who is contact with you at the dental office that you're basically a chicken, you get anxious, nervous, etc. Trust me, you'll see a world of difference in the way they care for you.

Good luck!

suck it up.

JK

But really, you should go. Your mouth will hurt a lot more if you don't get those teeth fixed.

I'm with you.

I'm horribly afraid of the dentist. I'll go very long periods in between seeing one. My old dentist said it was a holy miracle my teeth stayed in decent condition.

But I've been supposed to get my wisdom teeth pulled for years now, they've now become impacted. It just never seems the right time and I'm scared of the pain. And I know that I'll freak if they have to use the gas even, even though that's going to be the only way they can do it.

But my wisdom teeth are killing lately, and one side of one tooth is deteriorating because of it. So I bit the bullet and made a dentist appt for two weeks from now and I want them to yank the suckers asap after that.

Just hang tough and do it. Don't let any problems develop you'll be sorrry later.

i don't mind the dentist usually, unless i know i'm store for something particularly unpleasant. i'm not sure how i became at ease with it. i guess i've come to accept how nice it feels to have clean teeth without holes in them.

Dentists in this town are about as qualified as they were in the Old West.

Geez- don't any of the dentists you guys use use Novacaine?

It makes getting your teeth worked on painless. I should know. I gots a million fillings.

And if you need teeth yanked, that doesn't hurt, either. Taking care of the hole afterwards is a bit of a pain, but you'll be fine. Really.

I have never experienced any pain at the dentist, even when I had four impacted wisdom teeth removed. Going to a mechanic is far more painful for me.

Seriously folks.....I don't get it either....but then again, I had braces, a ton of teeth pulled as a kid, and then knocked my front teeth in working as an adult and had to eventually have them extracted and a bridge put in....needless to say I've obviously spent a lot of time in a dentist's chair and other than being boring sitting there it really isn't too bad.
My mom on the other hand is fairly claustrophobic and for that reason has trouble at dentists but even in her case they will knock her out as necessary to do some work.......

I have a 32 year old friend who hasn't been to the Dentist since he was 16 cause he is scared. And his front teeth are seriously starting to look bad.

I went a little over 5 years (1996-2001) without seeing a dentist. I finally gathered the cojones to go again and it turned out I only needed a crown and 2 fillings. Crowns and fillings are relatively painless (especially fillings). Since then I have gone every 6 months. I hope I never need a root canal, but I'm sure I will when I get older. I'm told root canals don't suck as bad if you are getting them done pre-emptively. However, if you are already in pain before you go in to get one done - it will suck much ass for you.

I miss my dentist.

Well, let me rephrase that: I miss my dentist's assistant doing the cleaning beforehand...I love that part...she really gets into her work...clamps my jaw with her firm hands, holds it against her, and whirr...whirr...whirr...

Shit, now I'm sportin' an obner just thinking about it...Hey! I've got health insurance again, I should make an appointment!

String. Doorknob.

I haven't been to the dentist in 15 years and there's absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth. I bet though, if I had gone to the dentist, he would have given me fillings here and pulled teeth there.

It's the biggest scam in the world.

Sheep shagger!

that was the best you could come up with?

Well you know since we were trading inept national stereotypes...

Go. And this is going to sound completely stupid, because it's what they tell you every time, but you REALLY do need to floss every day. Believe me, up until two years ago I didn't - I'd do the quick "two days before dentist, better start flossing" thing and then have a horrible, deep-gum digging appointment that would leave me horrified and in pain for two days afterward. For whatever reason, I just finally gave in and started flossing regularly and since then every appointment has been a breeze. It's totally stupid that I didn't floss every day. It seems a hassle at first, but give me a break, it's like two minutes of work. The amount of agony it saved me is more than worth a couple minutes a day.

And get yourself a nice electric toothbrush. Since I did that, my dentist has noticed quite a big improvement. Why, I'm not sure, the thing just seems to do a better job in hard spots. Again, worth the $70 or so investment.

The only fear I have of the dentist are the prices.

I had this convo this weekend. Last time I went to the dentist I was 17 and I had my wisdom teefs pulled. I guess I need to go one of these days, apparently my insurance provides 2 free cleanings a year.

TRANSLATION: My new girlfriend has put me on notice that continued inattention to personal hygeine will not be tolerated under her regime.

MUTHERFUCKING FUCKER!!

he's right.

It's taken me 13 years of marriage to sink in, but I've finally gotten such directives through my bloated skull. As a result, I feel it is my duty to pass along such wisdom to those of my younger brethren who are destined to follow in my Bundy-esque (and I don't mean Ted...YET) footsteps.