Childhood Experiences Of Long Ago At The Dreaded Dentist.

[Canary42]

I've just been reading through a Facebook thread about people's childhood memories of dentists, and it was quite entertaining so I thought I'd bring the topic up here. There were lots of horror stories about unsympathetic dentists, and the terrible experiences of gas, but also just a few pleasant memories.

I had a tooth extracted by gas in 1953, and it was indeed an awful experience - the stinky rubber mask, the terrifying dreaming, and the copious vomiting afterwards. Still shudder to think about it.

Let's hear some tales of childhood experiences of visits to the dentist, good and bad as you found it.

[Hazlinny]

One dentist I had as a child was nick-named "The Horse Dentist" - I will leave the rest to your imagination! That old drilling technique- awful.

[-SharonA-]

My story us very similar to yours. I had a butcher of a dentist and later found out he had removed teeth needlessly.
The sound of that drill haunts me today & that antiseptic smell, ꜱʜᴜᴅᴅᴇʀ.

[Canary42]

What memories - as you say, that awful old grinding drill before the high-speed ones came in.

[vulcan42]

My first visit nearly put me of dentists for life. I was seven years old and he looked ancient to me, with pure white hair and wire frame glasses. Unfortunately he probably was ancient as he used a foot treadle drill and didn't have the strength to get the machine up to a decent speed. The drilling seemed to go on for ever and he had to sit down twice during the event to regain his strength. It seemed to take more out of him than me.

[Prudie]

I can also remember having a tooth out by gas and it was horrific. I can still remember the weird dream while under and the tying to wake me up. My worst experience though was probably my next extraction when I was about 30. I was very nervous and then the idiot broke the tooth next door while trying to pull out the bad tooth so I lost 2 at once. He ended up more a bag of nerves than me and got out me out of the chair as fast as he could. I had to stop at reception to pay while crying my eyes out and mouth pouring with blood.

[barry1010]

I didn't mind the gas, I was never sick. My dentist always gave me a toffee if I hadn't had a filling, then it was a lollipop.

[237SJ]

The only time I have ever been stung by a wasp/bee was in the dentist's waiting room when I was 14. It flew up my skirt and stung me on my bum. The dentist asked my Mum why I was so quiet so she told him that I had been stung on the bum in the waiting room. He wondered why I didn't tell him (I was 14 so that wasn't going to happen)

[barry1010]

I couldn't stand the feel of those rolled cotton cylinders they used, nor the taste of the pink stuff they used to take impressions.

[andres]

The noisy ticking clock. The smell of gas. The noise of the drill .Those were bad memories but the fish tank in the corner of the waiting room had a calming effect. I loved watching the fish.

[Bobbisox1]

That black rubber thing that covered your mouth terrified me

[tamaris]

At My first time at the dentist, I was four, I remember being frightened by the chair. I ran round it in fright with the dentist chasing after me, trying to pacify me. He was the school dentist called Mr Peck, oh and he was renowned for his bad breath.

[Bobbisox1]

I didn’t transfer my fear thankfully to my daughter, she’s now the manager of a busy dental practice

[rockyracoon]

I had a good awful dentist. I was once at an appointment and terrified, whilst crying, he grabbed the drill and shoved it in my face and said ‘this is going to bite you if you don’t stop crying’ He then stuck his finger in my mouth and I promptly bit it. Thankfully, I was barred and had to go to my mum’s dentist.

That experience put me off dentists for life.

[Patsy33]

Psychos some of these dentists!
I remember be I g about 8 years old, when having to see dentist at school, in big white mobile vehicle in playground. I was being ever so brave, telling myself not to be frightened, all would be fine. Then as I approached the door, a boy who was still in dentist chair was screaming his head off! Well, my fear returned and I was a blubbering mess...

[lankeela]

Not sure how but I managed to get the dentist to put me out to do three fillings. My mum had to come with me to take me home after the anaesthetic and the surgery was above a ladies clothes shop. Apparently on the way out I dragged her in there and ended up buying a bright red jumper which I had no knowledge of the next day!

[jennyjoan]

Amongst many entries I could give you - I will tell you the worst.

I was to get some work on my teeth ( dentist drilled into (I now know) a tooth but it was a wisdom tooth that hadn't come up - and so he drilled into my gum.

The pain was (I got his hand and shoved it and said a bad word) - he walked out of the surgery. He came in and apologised for what happened - hence my nervousness with dentists. They were all butchers - none of them had (in the earlier days) had a clue what they were doing. Having said that what happened I was probably in earlier 20s.

I did get a tooth out when I was 5 years old - mum put me to bed - dad came up to see me and blood was everywhere - he lifted me and him and mum run me to the nearest hospital where stitches were put in.

Is it any wonder I absolutely loathe and do not trust any dentists. I never will

[Peter Pedant]

toothache is so bad i go to the dentist
and last week
crunched a chicken thingey
and broke a toof ( clucky's revenge) which was a crown - (£550) anything under £1000 I regard as reasonable
but....
it had loosened by rt upper 8 ( maxillary third molar)

which I had out on Thur, and my god I didnt realise how much a dead toof and infection debilitated a person. Sleeping much better etc

deffo gold star for the fridge

[burlyshirley]

My experiences are similar to others on here, mainly the dreaded gas mask. I remember having gas once and somebody had to be with me to take me home, I was about 14 I think. I remember waking up at the dentist's and then in a flash I was back home with no idea at all how I got there and I was talking absolute gibberish. I don't remember anything else, but I was told later when I 'recovered' that I had been dancing around the front room and waving my arms about like a banshee !! It still makes me giggle.

[Bobbisox1]

Shirley that reminds me of an older lady I worked with, apparently they couldn’t stop her singing the theme tune to the Archers , haha … till the gas wore off

[burlyshirley]

It's weird isn't it Bobbs how the 'gas' affected us back in the day ! My lovely Mum once recounted that whilst under gas she discovered how the world started, but couldn't remember when she came properly around and we asked about it - lol.