What is it about going to the dentist -- even if only for a cleaning -- that causes such anxiety? Even Dr. Lawrence, a gentle old fellow with a yet gentler assistant, his dental office in an ancient mansion on Walnut Street near Newtonville Square . . . even he caused concern for little Marash Girl. But the fun of it was that we kids were given little globules of mercury to play with at the end of our visit, globules that would soon shatter into pieces too tiny to see!
Oh, dear!
If you have a good dentist and you take good care of your teeth, then there truly is nothing to worry about when going for a regular cleaning.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you have one of those "bad auto-mechanic" types of dentists, then watch out. Those types of dentists will always find procedures to perform. And, oh by the way, said procedure "just happens" not to be completely covered by your insurance. So you have to pay out of pocket.
I could continue, but thankfully, the wonderful University of Pittsburgh Dental School restored my faith in going to the dentist for a regular cleaning.
Grandma Jennie used to tell us that her dentist always gave her laughing gas . . . I guess that's one way to keep the tears at bay!
ReplyDeleteI think it's the fear of the unknown, a very human thing to feel, is what causes anxiety when it comes to dentist visits. Those dental instruments, bright lights and big chairs don't really spell comfort and ease, do they? I think we get used to it all after a while, but for some, I think sedation dentistry is still the best choice. There's less anxiety when you don't see what they're doing.
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