Do you trust your dentist? by Chris

So I have a complicated relationship with my dentist. When I first walked into his office I saw a sign hanging on the wall that reads: We cater to cowards. Now that is my type of dentist! When you sit down you are given a pair of sunglasses which is certainly so that the cute nurse won’t see the look of terror in your eyes when you see the cane-sized needle come out on that shiny metal tray.

I always had to remind my previous dentist that I needed an extra dose of anesthetic because I have a unique condition where it doesn’t work on me quite as well as normal people. He seemed to think you should give a patient one dose until they get a zap and then you can give them a second after a tear rolls down their cheek. I was willing to be numb enough to swallow my tongue if it meant I didn’t have to feel a thing when it was drill time. In fact I am in favor of being put out totally for my dental work. Now why isn’t that an option yet?

My new dentist has an amazing gift. I honestly don’t feel a thing, not even a pinch when that needle disappears into my gums. He is very arrogant but it is a type of arrogance that is very reassuring. When your dentist removes a crown placed there by someone else, sneers at the shape of the tooth underneath, and points out the flaws of the previous dentist’s technique to his nurse you feel you are in good hands.

He wields his drill with the confidence and speed of an old western gunslinger and smiles down at his completed artistry. He needs no pat on his back because you can tell that he is very aware of his standard of quality.

“Wow!” Says the nurse (possibly prompted to make such remarks),” That looks better than what I saw demonstrated in school. You are the king of root canals Dr.”

(sigh of agreement from the dentist)

So, obviously I like him and I like his work but here is the flip side. He can’t stand the site of an old-school metal filling. He is determined to remove all metal from my mouth and replace it with beautiful state of the art tooth-colored resin (or whatever it is). He blabs on about how the new stuff doesn’t contract and expand because of temperature and it is not carcinogenic like the old metal fillings, but I can see in his eyes that he is just disgusted at seeing anything in one of his patient’s mouths that looks old and clunky. He wants my mouth to be Lexus or Mercedes quality when I am fine with a Camry level of dental work.

How do you really know if replacing a filling is the best choice? A tooth tends to die when it has gone through too much trauma. Is it better to have an old rusty filling that seems to be doing its job satisfactorily, or a nice tight new filling that soon makes the tooth die and need a root canal? I doubt he would say that is the case but it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that my wife and I are needing lots of root canals lately.

I received my first root canal just a few weeks ago and now the tooth right next to the last one is starting to ache the same way. I question if the decay he planted there at my last visit has taken hold (please see attached Eddie Izzard video).

So what type of dentist is better, The car mechanic dentist that tells you every little thing that you need to fix as though it’s all going to fall apart if you don’t do it right away or the dentist that understands you don’t always need to launch a preemptive attack against every dental concern until there is actually a real concern.

If I were filthy rich I would just have all of my teeth replaced with beautiful porcelain veneers, but I’m not. I can only handle one small thing at a time.

I have been giving in to pressure and getting all the work done that he recommends and it has been damn expensive. I have one more crown until I have my Mercedes mouth but now all these root canals are coming up and I feel like I’ll never get my teeth in perfect condition.

I don’t know if I really trust him but he’s fast and very good at what he does. Does anybody else face this sort of dilemma?

I decided to attach my two favorite comedy bits on Dentistry. Eddie Izzard is my all-time favorite comedian. I almost cry every time I watch this. Be aware that there is some language at about 3:20. You might want to just watch up until that point. Bill Cosby’s bit on Dentistry should be in the comedy Hall of Fame. It is classic stuff. Please enjoy.