Open Wide!

Apparently, I’m odontophobic. Anyone else?

In layman’s terms that’s an irrational and intense phobia of the dentist. Maybe I’m over-dramatising things here, but my fear of the dentist has been a lifelong thing. It started in childhood, as so many of these fears and phobias do, and made more troublesome because my teeth and gums aren’t the healthiest part of me.

Not that I don’t look after my teeth. I dread to think how much money has been spent on dental visits and everyday items like toothpaste, interdental brushes, tape, mouthwash. It could probably have funded a round-the-world cruise, or two.

Anyhoo, about 15 years ago, we had a new dentist arrive at our practice. A lovely young chap who I warmed to straight away and who has proved not only to be a really great technician but also understanding and patient. Our first encounter necessitated a new crown for me which immediately sent me into a weeping mess. The very worst fear I have is of that monstrous impression which they cement in your entire mouth. The poor chap had to do the treatment with me clutching his arm amid floods of tears and some guttural howling. Bless him, he kept trying things to put me at ease, and finally came to the conclusion that the reason I hated impressions so much was because I have a small mouth (hubby still hasn’t stopped laughing at that) and the mould was too big. He used a child’s one, and viola, it worked. All was well, and even better when one day he said ‘no more impressions for you – we’ve gone digital’. Oh, happy day!

A couple of years ago, I went through a horrid bout of vertigo and couldn’t lie flat. My lovely dentist took great pains to make sure I wasn’t uncomfortable and worked to get the chair in exactly the right position to make it work for me so I didn’t get dizzy. It must have been hard on his back, but he never once made me feel like a nuisance.

So you’ll understand my chagrin when he told me this week that he’s now moving on to specialise in implants *cue ugly crying* but that he would still be at the practice although not involved in general dentistry any more. He’s transferring me to a lovely lady dentist who is ‘really nice’. Well, maybe so, but she has a lot to live up to *sigh*.

I’m going to miss my lovely dentist SO much… and never in a million years did I ever think I’d ever admit to that. How about you? Are you odontophobic? Or are you like my hubby and can take it all in your stride?